The Covenant of Grace God’s Unfolding Salvation of His People Sunday School – January 28, 2018

How God Engages His People The differences between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works. The different administration of the Covenant before and since Christ. The benefit and blessings of it. The condition. The properties of it.

Two covenants Covenant of works/life Covenant of Grace Conditioned on perfect, personal obedience. Blessing of eternal life for obedience. (Tree of Life) Curse of banishment/ exile/ separation from God for disobedience. (Death) Conditioned on faith in the Head and Mediator of the Covenant. Blessing of eternal life, through . . . Forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, eternal fellowship with God. Corse of banishment/ exile/ separation from God for disbelief. (Eternal Death = Hell) as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  - 1 Cor 15:22

The Difference Before & Since Christ Before: Promise Since: Fulfillment Promise in Covenants – Noah: Rescue from judgment; picture of promise of renewed creation Abraham: Blessing, offspring & inheritance, people  nations Moses: Deliverance & holy nation David: Eternal king Ark of refuge from God’s wrath Firstborn over the new creation The seed of Abraham The heir of all things The blessing of the nations The deliverance from judgment through the shed blood of the Lamb of God The eternal king over God’s people These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. – Colossians 2:17

the Benefits & Blessings of the Covenant of Grace Q. 32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them. Q. 33. What is justification? A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. Q. 34. What is adoption? A. Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of, the sons of God. Q. 35. What is sanctification? A. Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

Q. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification? A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection. Q. 38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? A. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

The Condition: Faith For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Eph. 2:8-9, ESV we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. – Galatians 2:16 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. . . . . And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. – Hebrews 11:1 & 6

The Properties of the Covenant of Grace From John Gill . . . Eternal (Origin) Entirely Free Absolute and Unconditional Perfect and Complete Holy Sure, Firm and Immovable Everlasting – Standing Fast Forever