Table 1: The Covenant(s)
The Everlasting Covenant
• The covenant love and commitment that exists within the Trinity- God everlasting.
• God's everlasting grace (favor), love, and commitment extended to and embracing the whole of His creation.
• The basis of all covenants God initiated with humankind.
• The ultimate covenant/relationship that is violated by sin-breaking trust with God leading to disobedience.
• Revealed/manifested/demonstrated most fully in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for the reconciliation of sinful human beings and the entire universe to God. (1 John 4:8; Matt. 7:9-12; Ps. 103:17-22; Gen. 9:16; Isa. 24:5; 42:6-7; 49:4-6; Col. 1:19-20; Heb. 13:20)
The Covenant of Creation
• God's everlasting covenant love extended to and embracing our own world order, especially Adam and Eve, at creation, before their fall into sin.
• Everything created very good, including humankind in God's image, with no taint of sin.
• Three promises/provisions of the new covenant operative at creation, and the fourth provisionally so, for Adam and Eve.
• God's initial relationship with humankind one of trust and obedience on humanity's part, and the potential of eternal life if that relationship were maintained untainted by sin (distrust and disobedience). (Gen. 1:26-27, 31; 2:15-22; Jer. 33:20-26; Hos. 6:7; Titus 1:1-2; Rev. 13:8)
The Covenant of Redemption / Covenant of Grace
• God's everlasting covenant graciously extended to sinners and especially adapted to meet human beings in their sinful state.
• The overarching, unified, gracious purpose of God operating in all covenants He has made with humankind from the fall of Adam to the Second Coming.
• "The everlasting gospel" bridge that spans from Paradise lost to Paradise restored.
• Purpose: to restore humanity to a right relationship with God, and thus ultimately to everything that humankind had lost through sin.
• God's means for reconciling all things to Himself, things in heaven (healing and resolving the primordial disruption Lucifer's rebellion caused in heaven) as well as things on earth (providing salvation to all who believe).
• Represented in God's covenants with Adam after the fall, Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and the historical new covenant. (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 45:22; Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 1:19-20; Rev. 12:7-9; 14:6)
• The Historical Old and New Covenants--Old and New Testament Periods
The two historical periods or dispensations of God's covenant(s) with humanity divided by the coming of Jesus Christ into the world--all things before He came being considered "old" and all things after He came "new."
• Characteristics of the historical old covenant:
- A bearer of the everlasting gospel
- A system of moral and civil laws based on love and the Ten Commandments
- An elaborate ceremonial system eventually focused in a localized sanctuary
- Administered by imperfect priests and centered on animal sacrifices which could never take away sin but served as an anticipatory type and shadow of the atoning ministry of the Messiah who was yet to come
- Marked by redeeming acts of God
- Ratified by the blood of animals
• Characteristics of the historical new covenant:
- A bearer of the everlasting gospel
- An intensification of moral expectations based on the fuller revelation of love and the Ten Commandments as seen lived out in the life of Jesus Christ
- A different ceremonial system consisting of baptism and the holy communion
- Administered by the perfect priest, Jesus Christ, who ministers in the heavenly sanctuary to make intercession for humanity to save us completely
- Centered on Jesus's atoning sacrifice, once for all, which provides forgiveness for sins committed in both historical dispensations
- Marked by the redemptive act of God in Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world and the reconciliation of all things to Himself
Ratified by the blood of Jesus (Exod. 19:4; 20:10; 25:8-9; Deuteronomy; Neh. 9:4-33; Isa. 52:7; Jer. 31:31-33; John 1:29; Rom. 10:14-17; Gal. 1:6-9; 3:8; Heb. 4:2, 6; 7-10; Rev. 14:6)
Table 2: Historical Old and New Covenants
1. Historical Old Covenant
a) Spans the period of spiritual history extending from Creation to the incarnation of Christ (i.e., the entire Old Testament period)--"when the old covenant [i.e., Old Testament] is read" (2 Cor. 3:14).
b) Purpose: To save people living in the Old Testament era through the initial covenant God made with fallen Adam and then expanded through covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses/Israel, David, etc., and to groom them into a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, which would take God's message of salvation to the whole world (Gen. 3:15; Gen. 6:17-18; 9:8-17; 12:1-3; 15:1-18; 17:1-16; Exod. 19ff.; Deut.; 2 Sam. 23:5; Ps. 67; Isa. 45:22; 49:3,6; 55:3; 56).
c) Characterized by the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:6-16; Deut. 30:11-14; Gal. 3:8; Heb. 4:2).
d) Characterized by miraculous and redeeming acts of God on behalf of His people (Neh. 9; Ps. 78; 104-106; Acts 7).
e) Characterized by a system of moral and civil laws based on love and the Ten Commandments, expectations which everyone in this era fell short of -"there is no one who does not sin" (1 Kings 8:40; Exod. 20-24; Lev. 19:18; Deut. 5:6).
f) Characterized by an elaborate ceremonial system eventually focused in a localized sanctuary which represented both God's presence among them and His greater sanctuary in heaven from which He ministered to them (Exod. 25:8-9; Heb. 9:1-7).
g) Characterized by a human priesthood from the tribe of Levi who administered the sanctuary services, ministered imperfectly to the people, and represented God to the people and the people to God (Num. 3:5-9; Zech. 3:1-7; Heb. 7:11, 28).
h) Characterized by animal sacrifices which could never take away sin but served as an anticipatory type and shadow of the atoning ministry of the Messiah who was yet to come (Lev. 4:27-35; Isa. 53:1-7; Heb. 10:4, 11).
i) Characterized by the convicting, converting, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to save and empower for ministry (Gen. 6:3; Exod. 31:1-3; Ps. 51:9-12; 1 Sam. 10:6-10; Ezek. 36:25-27; 37:1-14).
j) Means by which the Holy Spirit birthed in many living during the Old Testament era a new covenant experience with an eternal hope assured (Heb. 11).
k) An old covenant experience with no eternal hope realized by many living during the Old Testament era due to unbelief and rejection of the everlasting gospel (Rom. 10:16; Heb. 4:2).
l) Ratified by the blood of animals (Exod. 24:8; Heb. 9:22).
2. Historical New Covenant
a) Spans the period of spiritual history extending from the incarnation to the second coming of Christ (i.e., the entire New Testament period)--everything after Jesus came being considered "new," even if it had existed earlier (cf. 1 John 2:7-8).
b) Purpose: To save people living in the New Testament era through a "new covenant [God made] with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah," and to groom them into a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, which would take God's message of salvation to the whole world (Heb. 8:8-12; Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Pet. 2:5,9).
c) Characterized by the preaching of the gospel (Heb. 4:2).
d) Characterized by the redemptive act of God in Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world and the reconciliation to Himself of all things in heaven and earth (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:19-20).
e) Characterized by an intensification of moral expectations based on the fuller revelation of love and Ten Commandments as seen lived out in the life of Jesus Christ, expectations which everyone in this era has fallen short of -"all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23, 10-18; Matt. 5:17-30; 19:16-21; 22:35-40; James 2:10-11).
f) Characterized by a simpler ceremonial system consisting of baptism and the holy communion which represented the finished work and atoning sacrifice of Jesus who continues His ministry on our behalf from His sanctuary in heaven (Luke 22:19-20; Col. 2:11-12; Heb. 8:1-2).
g) Characterized by Christ as our perfect high priest in heaven, having represented God to us through His ministry among us, and now representing us before the Father (John 7:39; Heb. 7:23-28; 8:1-2).
h) Characterized by the once-for-all atoning sacrifice of Christ through which all believers in both historical eras were granted forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of God by which we obtain access to eternal life (John 1:29; Heb. 9:12-15, 23-28).
i) Characterized by a greater understanding of the multifaceted ministry of the Holy Spirit than was available to believers in the Old Testament era and a new phase of the Spirit's ministry based on the accomplished sacrifice and resurrection of Christ (John 7:39; 16:7; Rom. 8:4-17; 1 Cor. 12).
j) Means by which the Holy Spirit birthed in many living during the New Testament era a new covenant experience with an eternal hope assured (1 Pet. 1:3-9).
k) An old covenant experience with no eternal hope realized by many living during the New Testament era due to unbelief and rejection of the everlasting gospel (Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 18:8; Gal. 3:10; 4:21-26; 5:4; Heb. 10:26-31).
l) Ratified by the blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20; Heb. 9:22-28).
Table 3: Old and New Covenant Experiences
1. Old Covenant Experience
a) Sin's counterpart of God's four provisions of the new covenant experience-the gospel externalized (Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8-9; 7:21- 23; 25:1-12; John 17:25; Isa. 26:18; 52:5; Rom. 2:23-24; Luke 18:9-14).
• "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.'"
• "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,...' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" "Later the others came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'"
• "The world does not know you." "You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'" "We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to the people of the world."
• "Some...were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else....'God, I thank you that I am not like other men.'...But the tax collector ...beat his breast and said, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner....This man, rather than the other, went home justified before God" (italics added).
b) An experience with God and His law that God never intended-"they did not remain faithful to my covenant" (Heb. 8:9).
c) An experience possessed by many in both the Old and New Testament/covenant historical eras (Rom. 9:31-32; 10:2-3, 16; Gal. 4:21-31; Heb. 4:1-2).
d) Sinful from birth-"there is no one who does good," even "our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:12; Isa. 64:6).
e) Simultaneously both "dead in ... transgressions and sins,...gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature," and "as for legalistic righteousness, faultless." As helpless to change this condition on our own as a leopard is to change his spots or an Ethiopian his skin (Eph. 2:1, 3; Phil. 3:6; Jer. 13:23).
f) Characterized by outward compliance to the law's requirements for the purpose of gaining entrance into God's covenant and eternal salvation--"a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear," "rely on the law," "brag about the law," "merely outward and physical," "by the written code," pursuing righteousness "not by faith but as if it were by works," "sought to establish their own [righteousness]," "did not submit to God's righteousness," "written ... on tablets of stone" not "on tablets of human hearts," "covenant ... of the letter," "the letter [that] kills," "the ministry that brought death," "the ministry that condemns men," "rely on observing the law," "want to be under the law," "trying to be justified by the law," "as for legalistic righteousness, faultless" (Acts 15:10; Rom. 2:17, 23, 28-29; 9:31-32; 10:3; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6- 7, 9; Gal. 3:10; 4:21; 5:4; Phil. 3:6).
g) Those with this experience are "slaves to sin," slaves "to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness," "free from the control of righteousness," "a prisoner of the law of sin," "a slave to the law of sin," "does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so," controlled by the sinful nature," "cannot please God," "burdened...by a yoke of slavery" (Rom. 6:6, 16-22; 7:23, 25; 8:7-8; Gal. 5:1).
h) Relating to God's law through the influence of sin/Satan/sinful nature which misapplies God's holy law, transforming it into "a law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).
i) This experience "leads to death," "result[s] in death," and is a "body of death" (Rom. 6:16, 21; 7:24).
j) The gospel rejected (Isa. 52:7; 53:1; Rom. 10:16; Heb. 4:1-2).
2. New Covenant Experience
a) The four provisions of a new covenant experience-the gospel internalized (Jer 31:32- 33; Heb. 8:10-12; 2 Cor. 2:14):
• "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts." (Sanctification)
• "I will be their God and they will be my people." (Reconciliation)
• "No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.'" "God... through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." (Mission)
• "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Justification)
b) The experience with God and His law that God intended-"if you...keep my covenant, then... you will be...a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exod. 19:5-6; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
c) An experience possessed by many in both the Old and New Testament/covenant historical periods (Hebrews 11).
d) Initiated at conversion-"whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away" (2 Cor. 3:16).
e) "Born again," "born of water and the Spirit." "...because of his mercy [God] saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life" (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:4-7).
f) Characterized by an inner transformation by the Holy Spirit writing God's law in the heart of a born-again, converted believer, resulting in a loving "obedience that comes from faith"--"I desire to do your will...your law is within my heart," "circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit," "you wholeheartedly obeyed," "the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in [those] who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit," "obtained ... a righteousness that is by faith," "covenant ... of the Spirit," "the ministry of the Spirit," "the ministry that brings righteousness," "justified by faith in Christ," "by grace you have been saved, though faith ... it is the gift of God," "not having a righteousness of my own ... but that which is through faith in Christ" (Rom. 1:5; Ps. 40:8; Heb. 8:10; Rom. 2:29; 6:17; 8:4; 9:30; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8-9; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 3:9).
g) Those with this experience are "freed from sin," "slaves...to obedience," "set free from sin," "slaves to righteousness," "slaves to God," "in [their] inner being [they] delight in God's law," "slave[s] to God's law," "controlled...by the Spirit," "the Spirit of God lives in you," "by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body," "led by the Spirit," "Christ has set us free" (Rom. 6:7, 16-19, 22; 7:22, 25; 8:9-14; Gal. 5:1).
h) Relating to God's law through the influence of the Holy Spirit who perfectly applies God's holy law so that it functions as God intended as "the law of the Spirit of life" (Rom. 8:2).
i) This experience "leads to righteousness" and "leads to holiness," and "the result is eternal life" (Rom. 6:16, 19, 22).
j) The gospel accepted (Isa. 52:7ff.; Rom. 10:6- 16; Heb. 4:2; 11).
Table 4: New Testament Commands
Commands concerning what to do in the following situations:
• specific steps to take to deal with a believer who sins against you (Matt. 18:15-17)
• what kinds of things to say and not to say (Matt. 5:34-37; cf. Eph. 4:29; 5:4-5; Col. 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:16; James 3:2-10; 5:12; 1 Pet. 3:10)
• obeying those in political office and civil legislation including paying taxes (Luke 20:25; Rom. 13:1-7)
Commands against the following practices:
• spiritual worship if you have not reconciled an estrangement (Matt. 5:23)
• loving our relatives more than Jesus (Matt. 10:37)
• eating meat that has any blood in it (Acts 15:20, 29)
• certain ways of dressing and fixing one's hair (1 Tim. 2:9-10; 1 Pet. 3:3-4)
• grumbling and complaining (1 Cor. 10:10; James 5:9; 1 Pet. 4:9)
• becoming weighed down with the anxieties of life (Luke 21:34)
• conceit (Gal. 5:26)
• comparing yourself spiritually to others (Gal. 6:4-5)
• unresolved anger (Matt. 5:22; Eph. 4:26-27)
• harboring bitterness (Eph. 4:31)
• having debt (Rom. 13:8)
• eating anything that would offend someone (Rom. 14:13, 15, 20)
• refusing to eat what an unbelieving host set before you (1 Cor. 10:27)
• jealousy and disharmony and selfish ambition (Gal. 5:20-21)
• discrimination of any kind (James 2:1-11)
• even a hint of sexual immorality of every kind including lust (Matt. 5:27-28; Gal. 5:19; cf. Eph. 5:3; 1 Thess. 4:3; Heb. 13:4)
• cowardice (Rev. 21:8)
Commands on how to relate to specific kinds of people:
• those who sue you (Matt. 5:25, 40)
• those who cause you grief (Matt. 5:39)
• those who want to borrow from you (Matt. 5:42)
• your enemies (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:19-21)
• those who sin against you (Matt. 6:14; 18:15-17, 21-35)
• those caught in a sin (Gal. 6:1)
• faithful spiritual leaders (Heb. 13:7)
• hypocritical spiritual leaders (Matt. 23:1-3; Luke 20:45-47)
• civil authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17)
• those who are spiritually weak (Rom. 14:1-3; 15:1)
• divisive people (Rom. 15:18; Titus 3:10)
• children (Matt. 18:10; Luke 17:1-3)
• widows (1 Tim. 5:4-16)
• believers who refuse to accept godly counsel (2 Thess. 3:14-15)
• unbelievers and hypocrites who are unresponsive to spiritual appeals (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
• strangers (Heb. 13:2)
• prisoners (Heb. 13:3)
• the poor (Luke 3:11; 1 John 3:17-18)
• doubters (Jude 22-23)
• believers whose beliefs and lifestyles don't meet your understanding of how Christians should think and act (Rom. 14:1-5, 13, 15, 20; 1 Cor. 8:9-13)
• people who argue about the gospel (2 Tim. 2:23-26)
Commands addressed to the following groups of people:
• young men (Titus 2:2-6)
• elderly men (Titus 2:2)
• elderly women (Titus 2:3-5)
• husbands (1 Cor. 7:3, 5, 10-11; Eph. 5:25-26, 28, 33; 1 Pet. 3:7)
• wives (1 Cor. 7:3, 5, 10-11; Eph. 5:22, 33; 1 Pet. 2:1-4)
• believers married to unbelievers (1 Cor. 7:12-14)
• fathers (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21)
• children (Eph. 6:1-3)
• slaves/employees (Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22; 1 Tim. 6:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:18)
• masters/employers (Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1)
• the rich (Luke 14:12-14; 1 Tim. 6:17-18; James 1:10-11)
• the poor (James 1:9)
• able-bodied people who refuse to work when work is available (2 Thess. 3:10-12)
• elders (1 Tim. 3:2-7; Titus 1:6-10; 1 Pet. 5:1-3)
• deacons (1 Tim. 3:8-10, 12)
• wives of deacons (1 Tim. 3:11)
• the sick (James 5:13-16)
Commands admonishing us to:
• "consider others better than yourselves" (Phil. 2:3)
• "become blameless and pure...without fault" (Phil. 2:14-16)
• "avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22)
• "be self-controlled" (1 Pet. 1:13)
• "keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have" (Heb. 13:5)
• be joyful in trials (James 1:2-4; cf. Rom. 5:3-5) and in the assurance that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20)
• "grieve, mourn and wail" if you are not converted (James 4:8-10)
• have "the same [self-giving attitude] as that of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5-8)
• "be imitators of God" (Eph. 5:1-2)
• "be holy, because I [your God] am holy" (1 Pet. 1:15-16; cf. 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 12:14)
• "be merciful just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36)
• "aim for perfection" (2 Cor. 13:11)
• "be perfect...as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48)