One of the essential elements of the "most precious message" God sent us in 1888 (and which created so much controversy) was the two covenants. Many of the church leaders were opposed to this light because of what Ellen White called their "idolized ideas" on the law in Galatians. In confronting this problem Ellen White addressed the brethren in March of 1890 with the following exhortation:
"Will you thinking men please to put your thoughts upon these matters for a time, and then consider what spirit is actuating you, and has been moving you at and since the Minneapolis meeting... This spirit does not bear the marks of the divine, but of the power and subtlety of the enemy of God and of man. I say that is from beneath and not in harmony with the Spirit of God, or with the message He has given His servants to bear at the present time... You have been weighing every precious heaven-sent testimony by your own scales as you interpreted the law in Galatians. Nothing could come to you in regard to the truth and the power of God unless it should bear your imprint, the precious ideas you had idolized on the law of Galatians."[1]
As this controversy raged the prophet refused to speak on the subject, but rather encouraged the brethren to "dig in the Bible. Sink the shaft of truth to find out what is truth."[2] However, the leaders did not follow this instruction, so the Lord sent His prophet with a confirmation of the message and a rebuke for the leadership.
"Now I tell you here before God, that the covenant question, as it has been presented, is the truth. It is the light. In clear lines it has been laid before me. And those that have been resisting the light, I ask you whether they have been working for God, or for the devil. ... No more will my lips be sealed."[3] The following day she wrote: "I have no brakes to put on now. I stand in perfect freedom, calling light, light, and darkness, darkness."[4]
On March 8, 1890 she had been compelled to write a letter of warning to Elder Uriah Smith in which she said: "I was shown that the evidences in regard to the covenants were clear and convincing. Yourself, Brother Dan Jones, Brother Porter and others are spending your investigative powers for nought to produce a position on the covenants to vary from the position that brother Waggoner has presented."[5] She continued by warning about the danger of "misconstruing the Scriptures as did the Jews."
It is clear that the teachings of Waggoner (which the leaders were opposing) was the correct view of the two covenants, but what exactly was his position? This position was clearly delineated in his book The Glad Tidings.
"The covenant and promise of God are one and the same. This is clearly seen from Galatians 3:17, where Paul asserts that to disannul the covenant would be to make void the promise. In Genesis 17 we read that God made a covenant with Abraham to give him the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. Galatians 3:18 says that God gave it to him by promise. God's covenants with men can be nothing else than promises to them. ...
"After the flood God made a 'covenant' with every beast of the earth, and with every fowl; but the beasts and the birds did not promise anything in return. (Genesis 9:9-16) They simply received the favor at the hand of God. That is all we can do -- receive. God promises us everything that we need, and more than we can ask or think, as a gift. We give Him ourselves, that is, nothing. And He gives us Himself, that is, everything. That which makes all the trouble is that even when men are willing to recognize the Lord at all they want to make bargains with Him. They want it to be an equal, 'mutual' affair -- a transaction in which they can consider themselves on a par with God. ...
"The gospel was as full and complete in the days of Abraham as it ever has been or ever will be. No additions to it or change to its provisions or conditions could possibly be made after God's oath to Abraham. Nothing can be taken away from it as it thus existed, and not one thing can ever be required from any man more than what was required of Abraham."[6]
Even with this clear statement on the covenants, we still find much confusion and misunderstanding (even among our own people) on this beautiful Bible teaching. A lot of this confusion is caused by the artificial definitions used by the theologians such as the "Adamic covenant," the "Noachian covenant," or the "Abrahamic covenant." Remember, these are all the same covenant -- the "New" or "Everlasting" covenant that God promised to different people under varying circumstances.
Because of a misunderstanding of this principle, many have been led to believe that the covenants are mutual agreements between God His people. Thus the "old covenant," many believe, is an agreement (or promise) made between God and His people (the Jews), and the "new covenant" is an agreement between God and Christians, which has replaced the "old covenant." Therefore, they conclude that the "old covenant" refers to the Old Testament dispensation and the "new covenant" to the New Testament dispensation. However, the word of God clearly reveals that the covenants are not a bargain struck between God and His people, nor are they a matter of time, but of condition.
Our problem is feeling we have to promise God something in return -- rather than simply believing God's promise. When the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He desired to reaffirm His covenant made to Abraham and promised to make them "a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exodus 19:6), but rather than simply accept His promise by faith, as had Abraham, the Jews felt they had to make a promise in return "and all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8). Thus, they entered into the "old covenant" of works and futile promises, and within a few weeks they had broken their covenant with God and found themselves dancing around a golden calf, "in bondage" and "under the law," unable to keep their promise. What a sad sight; unwilling to believe the "new covenant" and unable to keep the "old covenant."
The apostle Paul referred to this experience in these words: "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise" (Galatians 4:22-28).
Abraham, himself, looked for this city, the Jerusalem above. By faith "he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). The gospel was as full and complete in the days of Abraham as it ever has been or ever will be. No additions to it or change to its conditions or provisions could possibly be made after God's promise to Abraham. Nothing could be taken away from it as it thus existed, and not one thing can ever be required from any man more than what was required of Abraham. "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:2-3). Justification always has been and always will be by faith. If we are justified by works, we made God our debtor.
God's promise was given to Abraham before any works on his part. He simply believed God and followed God's instruction. He made no promise in return. "How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith" (Romans 4:10-13). Abraham did not promise anything in return, he simply "believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:20-22).
Several times throughout his life, God reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham, and at age 99 God again assures Abraham of His promise calling it an "everlasting covenant" (Genesis 17:7). The reason this "everlasting covenant" is also called the "new covenant" is because even though it "was made with Adam and renewed to Abraham, it could not be ratified until the death of Christ. It had existed by the promise of God since the first intimation of redemption had been given; it had been accepted by faith; yet when ratified by Christ, it is called a new covenant."[7]
"These two covenants exist today. The two covenants are not matters of time, but of condition. Let no one flatter himself that he cannot be bound under the old covenant, thinking that its time is passed."[8] Each of us is living under the one or the other. Which of the covenants are you under? Do you say: "I accept" or "I will," "I believe" or "I promise"?
"Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges will weaken your confidence in your own sincerity, and cause you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him."[9]
The beautiful "good news" of the two covenants is that the "new covenant" was established upon "better promises" -- the promise of forgiveness of sins and the grace of God to renew the heart and bring it into harmony with the principles of God's law. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people" (Hebrews 8:10).
"The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth 'the fruits of the Spirit.' Through the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as He walked."[10]
If we are truly "Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29), then we must have the faith of Abraham, "who staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:20-22).
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