The Covenant of Redemption
This covenant involves all the persons of the trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since God is a unified being, it is of the utmost importance that the very basis of his dealing with humanity be done in a unified manner. Now, we are about to get deep in theology, so bare with me; all this is important, I promise.
The Covenant of Redemption is rooted in eternity, with each person of the Godhead performing a basic function based upon their personhood and order in the trinity. The Father is the architect, or the one who planned both redemption and its effects, along with choosing who would be included to receive the benefits of this covenant. Also, the Father is the sender of both the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Because the Son is the Son, and lives in submission to the Father, He voluntarily chose to enter into the world as the “Word made flesh” and purchase redemption. The Holy Spirit, existing as the one who proceeds from the Father, through the Son, applies the work of redemption through effectual calling[2], regeneration[3], and sanctification[4]. The harmony between the three persons of the Godhead is seen in the fact that the Father is pleased to send the Son and the Spirit, and they are in turn pleased to carry out the plan of the Father.
Because this covenant is rooted in eternity, and planned before the foundation of the world, there is no such thing as a “plan B”. God’s redemptive plan was worked out before the creation of the world. His plan was done in light of humanity’s fall and was designed to effect redemption from the fall, so, this plan was even worked out before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.
Yet someone may be thinking, “This sounds great, but does the Bible teach this?” There are many scriptures that indicate this type of relationship and covenant within the trinity. However, because space does not permit, we will only address some of the most significant verses that appeal to this type of covenant within the Trinity.
Ephesians 1:4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”
Paul is expressing the truth that God the Father has chosen believers before the foundation of the world to be in Christ. The implication is that a covenant of redemption has existed since before the foundation of the world. Since believers were chosen before the foundation of the world to be in Christ, the presupposition of this verse is that God the Father and God the Son already settled beforehand the grounds for redemption. Just as 1 Peter 1:20 indicates, Christ was “foreknown before the foundation of the world”. Also, Jesus decided to lay his life down on His own initiative, and did so because the Father commanded Him (Jn. 10:17-18).
Revelation 13:8 and 17:8. Revelation 13:8 reads, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
Again, John, through the Spirit, appeals to the fact that all those who are on the earth will worship the beast except those whose name, from the foundation of the world, have been written in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. From this verse we gather that the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain was written from before the foundation of the world. This logically entails that the Lamb himself was slain before the foundation of the world (as we saw in 1 Peter 1:20). Therefore the agreement between God the Father and God the Son has to happen before the elect were brought into this covenant.
Revelation 17:8 reiterates the same idea. The very idea that God has chosen people from the foundation of the world to be His own entails the ratification of a covenant. God, in his eternal decree, decided beforehand that His triune self would redeem from mankind an elect remnant. He made a covenant within Himself to send the Son to redeem the ones whom the Father had given Him (Jn. 17). The nature of these verses indicates that before the foundation of the world, God has chosen both the means and the participants in the Covenant of Redemption.
There are still other scriptures that indicate that the nature of this covenant was also eternal, for Christ speaks of promises made to him before the incarnation, along with repeatedly referring to the commission given to him from the Father (Jn. 5:30, 43; 6:38-40; 17:4-12). Still in other passages, Christ is spoken of as the representative head of the covenant (Rm. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:22).
Furthermore, there are also scriptures that use covenantal language to refer to the nature of the relationship between the Father and the Son as it relates to the redemption of humanity. Luke 22:29 is very insightful, “and just as my Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you.” The verb diatithemi (granted; grant) is a derivative of the word diatheke, which means to appoint by will, testament, or covenant.[5] Thus, we see that the language of this verse further indicates a covenant made between the Father and the Son for the redemption of humanity.
There are also some Old Testament texts that indicate the connection of a covenant with the Messiah, such as Psalm 89:3 and Isaiah 42:6. The passage in Psalms is shown to be a messianic passage by its use in Hebrews 1:5 as a reference to the Messiah, while Isaiah 42:6 shows that the Servant of the Lord is not merely Israel, but the Messiah (cf.Ps. 22:1-2; 40:8).
The Covenant of Works
Sometime after man was formed, God entered into a covenant with him. This initial covenant is called the Covenant of Works. Though the word “covenant” is not found anywhere in the Genesis account to describe this agreement between Adam and Yahweh, it is used later in scripture to describe their union in this matter (Hosea 6:7). Also, when we read the Genesis account, we see that all the essential elements of a covenant are present.
Let’s take a look at Genesis 2:16-17 for a moment. First, we see that Adam was bound by the command which forbade him to eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Thus, God bound Himself by His word to continue in intimate communion with Adam on the condition of obedience and to apply the penalty for disobedience – death. Second, the covenant was established by God. Third, conditions for ongoing communion with God were made abundantly clear. Fourth, the relationship of communion and intimacy that Adam had with God would continue forever as long as he obeyed God’s commands.
It is important to note that there was a “condition’ attached to this first covenant, as the Westminster Confession points out, “The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience” (7:2). This condition is a condition of works, and this is the covenants supreme stipulation. Life is given as a reward for obedience, whereas death is given as a consequence of disobedience.
The stipulation of obedience also indicates that the covenant is not unconditional. Nowhere does God promise that all men will enjoy eternal bliss no matter how they respond to His command. Law is given at the onset, and obedience to it was a stipulation for covenant blessing. Yet Adam sinned against God and rebelled against the stipulations of the covenant, thereby falling out of the state of intimacy, union, and communion with God (Gen. 3:6-8). Because Adam was the representative head of all humanity, this covenant was not only made to him, but to all humanity. Therefore when Adam sinned, he plunged the entire human race into sin. As the Westminster Catechism states, “The covenant being made with Adam as a public person, not for himself only, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in that first transgression” (Q. 22). Thus, the fall brought all of humanity into a state of sin and spiritual death (Rm. 5:12-20).
Another important factor about the Covenant of Works that must be mentioned in regards to its unconditional nature, is its lack of vicarious obedience. In other words, there is nothing in the covenant about Adam confirming humanity in a state of sinlessness. It was personal obedience that God required, and it was personal obedience that would keep humanity in a state of innocence. As soon as someone disobeyed, the innocence would be lost. Therefore, even if Adam obeyed, his obedience could not be conferred upon others. Thus, the covenant of works had no provision for vicarious obedience, or obedience to God’s command by on individual on behalf of another. This feature is not introduced until the Covenant of Grace.
Finally, it can be misleading to assume that because of their names, the Covenant of Works is totally lacking in grace. Yet the fact that God even created us and gave us the gift of life is already an act of overwhelming grace. To be created is undeserved. God was under no obligation to create humanity. Even though He created us, there was still no claim on God by humanity to enter into a covenant with Him. The very fact that God entered into a covenant with Adam and humanity is gracious. Thus, God’s promise of life on the condition of obedience is founded in grace. Again, God had obligation to promise anything for obedience. He is God and we are creatures of dust. Obedience should be expected without any thought of reward. But God is gracious! He promises reward where there should be none! Thus, the Covenant of Works flows from God’s gracious character.
[1] Douglas M. Jones III, “Back to the Covenant,” Back to Basics, ed. David G. Hagopian (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1996), 67.
[2] Effectual calling is the same thing as “irresistible grace”. It refers to the fact that God’s call on a person’s life is “effectual”. In other words, if God has called someone for salvation, He is going to bring them to salvation
[3]] Regeneration is a secret, mysterious work of God through the Holy Spirit, in which He imparts spiritual life into us.
[4]Sanctification is being used here to refer to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit of transforming us into the image of Christ.
[5] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 266.