The Biblical Covenants

To understand the Word of God accurately one must become familiar with the eight BIBLICAL covenants. Here is a cursory outline of them:

1. The EDENIC covenant (conditional), Gen. 1:26-31;2:16-17

2. The ADAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 3:16-19

3. The NOAHIC covenant (unconditional), Gen 9:1-18

4. The ABRAHAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 12:1-4;13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8

5. The MOSAIC covenant (conditional), Ex. 20:1 - 31:18

6. The LAND covenant (unconditional), Deut. 30:1-10

7. The DAVIDIC covenant (unconditional), 2Sam. 7:4-16; 1Chron. 17:3-15

8. The NEW COVENANT (unconditional), Jer. 31:31-40

Covenant Theology:

A belief in the biblical covenants is, in fact an exposure of the weakness in Covenant theology.

Covenant Theology espouses a belief that there are essentially three aspects to the one covenant: 1. The Covenant of Works – eternal life was based on Adam’s performance and obedience. Failing that, he would plunge the human race into sin.

2. The Covenant of Redemption, which is defined as the eternal pact between God the Father and God the Son concerning the salvation of mankind. And  3. The Covenant of Grace, Inasmuch as none can believe without the special grace of God, it is more exact to say that the covenant of grace is made by God with believers, or the elect.

Dispensational Theology:

This is essentially an approach to the philosophy of biblical interpretation. While this system has been maligned as a manmade system of belief, it stands the scrutiny of Scripture on every count. True dispensationalism approaches the Scriptures from a literal sense of interpretation and not allegorical/spiritualization of the biblical accounts. Every narrative of the Scripture is true and has meaning in its historical setting. What God expected of man in each distinct era of economy is unique and yet similar. Adam had a different responsibility than Noah, and so it is true of each. Abram and Moses had very different responsibilities. The church age believer also has a mandate that no other group of believers were ever given, the witness to Christ’s resurrection and its saving effect to all who believe.

The tribulation and millennium also describe responsibilities that differ.

Dispensationalists do not believe that man was saved by his efforts or works at any time in history or the future.

Grace and faith have always been God’s plan of redemption for mankind. While the Old Testament believer did not have a picture of Christ as we have in the New, he nonetheless was saved by faith in the God Who would ultimately reveal Himself to mankind in the Person of the Son. 

Whether we preach on Creationism or Prophecy and all that lies in between, our responsibility and obligation is to witness to the lost world that God so loved the world that gave His only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind.

We must never lose sight of this mandate in the midst of the economic and spiritual turmoil facing our generation.