Faithful: Week 2

Secular definition of a covenant is a formal agreement between 2 parties… biblical definition is deeper as it is a promise rather than a contract. It legally brought these parties together and initiated them into a relationship with action rather than a contract with legal wording. In a contract whenever someone disobeys their part, it’s easy to rip up the contract and find a different provider. There are some people who immediately try to look through a contract in hopes of finding a loophole to break it. This is true for TV, Phone, and Internet providers who agree to provide you with a service as long as you pay for it… but what happens whenever you fail to actually pay for the service? They’re going to cancel your service because you have broken the terms of your contract. A covenant is different as the other party seeks to restore the one who broke the terms rather than simply terminate them.

Why is it good that God makes covenants with His people instead of contracts?

What we see in the Bible is that God not only makes covenants but that God is the One who initiates the covenants. This means that God is the one who promises to remain faithful, regardless of the unfaithfulness of the other side.

Last week we began this study by looking at the truthfulness of God’s faithfulness from Eden to Eternity - God is faithful because that’s His character. It is impossible for God not to be faithful to His promises! Last week we looked at a couple of covenants found early on in history: Covenant of Redemption and Covenant of Works.

What does the Covenant of Works require?

Perfect obedience to all of God’s commands

Which comes first, the Covenant of Redemption of the Covenant of Works?

Covenant of Redemption!

This was God’s plan to redeem sinners and involves each 3 members of the Trinity

This is found in Ephesians 1:4 as we see that Jesus was God’s plan A before the foundation of the world

Ephesians 1:4 CSB

4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.

This blows our minds and its impossible for us to fully grasp… yet it’s the truth of Scripture. God is a covenant making and keeping God and in His perfect plan, He made a covenant with the 3 persons of the Trinity to redeem sinners even though He knew full and well that we’d fall woefully short of His perfect standard, so the Father planned to send the Son, the Son submitted to this plan to die on the cross for sinners, and the Holy Spirit submitted to this plan to apply the benefits of Christ’s death on behalf of all who believe in Christ as Lord!

In a perfect world, perhaps the Covenant of Works is sufficient as everyone would keep God’s commands and never fall short - but we know that’s not the story of the Bible. Tonight as we get into week 2 of this study, we’re going to look at 4 key things:

Problem with the Covenant of Works

First Gospel in Genesis 3:15

Jesus fulfills the Covenant of Works

Introduction to God’s Covenant with Noah

Problem with the Covenant of Works

In Genesis 1-2, we see that God created the world and it was good. God gave Adam a positive command to rule over this earth and as far as we read in Genesis, the only negative command we read in this section of Scripture is in chapter 2 as God said this

Genesis 2:15–17 CSB

15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

God made a covenantal promise even though the word covenant is not in the text, we see it there in principle and we see in Hosea 6 that the Biblical writers believed there to be a covenant between God and Adam

Hosea 6:7 CSB

7 But they, like Adam, have violated the covenant; there they have betrayed me.

What was this covenant of works in the Garden?

Obey God and live in the Garden in this relationship with the Lord and rule over His creation

Disobey God’s commands and experience death / separation from God

Obey and live, disobey and die - this sounds exactly like Deuteronomy 30:19 from Sunday!

What ends up happening for Adam and Eve? We know that in chapter 3 they fall and break the covenant as they sin against God

Our book does a great job on page 37 of telling us that God gave Adam and Eve exactly what they needed to obey and God does this for us today as well! Yet, Adam and Eve are tempted to believe a lie in chapter 3 and we fall victim to this lie today as well!

Genesis 3:4–6 CSB

4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

All parties are guilty here as the serpent deceives the woman, the woman breaks God’s command, and the man fails to protect the woman from deception and he too eats of the fruit!

Based on God’s covenant, what do Adam and Eve deserve in this moment?

Death!

Now, doesn’t that seem a little harsh for just eating a little apple or banana?

Society might argue this, but the significance is WHO they disobeyed and sinned against instead of WHAT they ate

Questions about this disobedience

Who suffers the results of this original sin?

Just Adam and Eve?

All of Humanity?

See Romans 5:12-21 as God makes this very clear

Romans 5:12–21 CSB

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Bible tells us that we’re all either in Adam or Jesus. For our purposes right now, we’re going to look at the Adam side of this passage

Many people think that it’s not fair that Adam’s sin impacted us thousands of years later - have you ever felt this way or had someone express their displeasure about this truth?

It’s common! We don’t think that it’s right to be guilty whenever we weren’t there… but we know that this is simply what the Bible tells us. Adam’s sin also cursed his offspring and their offspring and so on. Some fight against this and say that we curse ourselves whenever we break God’s law and that’s what eventually makes us guilty but it’s our own actions. That’s a novel idea but think of the implications of personal sin versus our inherited sinful nature. We think that at times if we don’t break the law, then we’re innocent and we apply this same principle to sin. In the Garden and in Romans 5, what is the consequence for breaking God’s covenant or law? Death. Question, why did people die between Adam and Moses? The people didn’t have the Old Testament law… they didn’t have a covenant with God like Adam and Eve broke… why do seemingly innocent people die? Because that’s how far reaching sin is. Look at Romans 5:12

Romans 5:12 CSB

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

Their disobedience not only impacts themselves but it impacts people today. Without sin, there would be no death. Yet, we see death of all people of all ages… why? Why do seemingly innocent people die? Because that sinful nature has spread to all of us and even if you haven’t had the opportunity to consciously break God’s law, you have inherited a sinful nature from Adam. This is incredibly bad news for all people of all ages of all nation - we’re born sinful and this might not seem fair!

First Gospel

Yet, even in this chapter of failure, God makes a promise that also isn’t fair. Could someone read Genesis 3:15 for us

Genesis 3:15 CSB

15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

God pronounces judgment on the people for their sin, but even in judgment, God provides grace! You see in Day 2 that this is called the proto-evangelium or the First Gospel. Sin must be punished and the people are kicked out of the Garden, but God promises to send a Snake Crushing Savior who will in turn Reverse this Curse. This is what we see unfold throughout the Old Testament as well… we see types of this Savior but we don’t see Him arrive until the New Testament. We see people like Adam, Isaac, Joseph, David, and others who are compared to Jesus in some way in the New Testament but all of these people in the Old Testament fall short. Yet, they help point us to Jesus in some way or another because God promised to send a sinless Savior - a true and better Adam, a true and better Isaac, a true and better David.

How does seeing the seed of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15 impact how you view the Old Testament?

It helps us better understand what the theme of the Old Testament is about

You can see the cross in the story of Joseph - you meant this for evil but God meant it for good!

Covenant of Grace

So, if the covenant of works required perfect obedience and we cannot perfectly keep God’s law, what do we all need? A new covenant!

We disobeyed the law that was written on tablets of stone… therefore, we need the law someone else to keep it for us

Hebrews 10:14–18 CSB

14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says: 16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, 17 and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Men, this is God’s grace! Jesus perfectly fulfills the Old Covenant and He dies for sinners. He also establishes a new covenant not founded on works but founded simply on grace.

Many people believe that humans receiving a sinful nature from Adam is not fair… Is receiving God’s grace through faith in Christ “fair” or what we deserve?

Absolutely not!

What is required in this new covenant?

Faith!

Everything else falls upon God

God is responsible to save sinners - we are not responsible to uphold our own salvation!

He began this work in us as Philippians 1:6 tells us - and He will complete it too!

Philippians 1:6 CSB

6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

We are saved through the finished work of Jesus on the cross - this is the ONLY way that people have ever or will ever be saved, even saints in the Old Testament

Romans 3:23–26 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

What did the sacrifices in the Old Testament do? The blood of that animal covered the sins of God’s people for one year… then another sacrifice would be offered and it would cover them for another year and so on and so forth! Jesus, though, completely redeems His people once and for all. Meaning, that all the sins of God’s people in the Old Testament are paid for by Jesus Christ. Ditto for those after Jesus Christ, like us. All people have always been saved by grace through faith in Christ in some capacity. They’ve always been credited with Christ’s righteousness as Romans 3 and 4 are all about!

Chart on page 47

Think of the implications of the covenant of Grace with this chart of where we stand before God before salvation, what He does, and where we stand after salvation

Before

Dead in sin

Children of wrath

Walked in Darkness

God’s Work

Made us alive with Christ

After Salvation

Raised with Christ

Seated with Him in heavens

Saved by Grace for Good Works

Jesus Fulfills the Covenant of Works

Page 49 makes a clear and important point: Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of every covenant

2 Corinthians 1:20 CSB

20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.

God’s standard is perfection - He is holy and He cannot lower this standard. This means that the Covenant of Works must be met or else God would no longer be just. What we see in the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is that Jesus fulfills this Covenant perfectly in out place and gives to us what we don’t deserve.

Let’s compare and contrast the options in the Covenant of Works

Adam

Sinned

Plunged Humanity into Separation from God

His Sin leads to death

Jesus

Was Perfect

Restores Humanity to God

His Obedience leads to life

How did Jesus fulfill the Covenant of Works? Why did He have to suffer this punishment?

See Isaiah 52-53 and Hebrews 9:22 - no forgiveness without the shedding of blood

Jesus HAD to shed His blood on behalf of sinners in order for there to be forgiveness

2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The Bible makes it clear that we’re either under Law or under Grace - there is no in-between. You’re either in Christ or you’re not. Why do you think that people like to overcomplicate this seemingly straightforward teaching in Scripture?

We like to think that there is more than 1 way to stand before God

Typology - see page 50

People in Old Testament who point us to Jesus. They’re shadows or types of the coming Messiah. Adam is one of these types. Where Adam dooms humanity, Jesus restores us. Where Adam falls short, Jesus succeeds. This is true with other figures as we talked about earlier!

1 Corinthians 15:45–47 CSB

45 So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

The important truth here is this: We’re all born in Adam under the punishment of sin and awaiting death/separation from God… But because Jesus fulfills God’s covenant through His sacrifice in our place, we don’t have to stay under condemnation! Romans 8, the most encouraging chapter in the Bible, says this!

Romans 8:1 CSB

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,

This message should be a rallying cry for us to share with others!

God’s Covenant with Noah

So, if you go to the front of your book we see a timeline of God’s covenants and we’ve touched on 3 of them to this point and we’re only through 3 chapters of the Bible! The Covenant of Redemption before the Bible was written. The Covenant of Works in the Garden of Eden, and the Covenant of Grace in Genesis 3:15 as God promised to send a Savior. As Genesis continues, we see the after effects of the fall of man unfold as things get progressively worse on the planet!

We don’t have enough time to do a full Bible study of the story of Noah but let’s at least look at the context of what is taking place in his time on the earth.

What happened from the fall in Genesis 3 until Noah in Genesis 6? Were things getting better or worse? Significantly worse!

Imagine sin like a cancer eating away at good cells and spreading rapidly around the body. This is what sin is doing on the planet as it is corrupting and leading to further wickedness on the earth. So much so that God is going to judge the sinfulness of mankind. Yet, in His judgment, He is merciful and forgiving!

What did Adam and Eve deserve in the Garden whenever they sinned against God?

Immediate death and separation from God for all eternity!

What did God do, though?

God was merciful and kicked them out of the Garden so that they would only be separated from him for a temporary period of time instead of for all eternity!

What did all people deserve in Genesis 6?

Immediate death and separation from God for all eternity!

What did God do, though?

God was merciful and chose to extend grace to a sinner in Noah and his family. Noah was a sinner - he was not perfect and he did not deserve to be saved… Yet, this is what God did because Noah found favor in His sight. We read in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 that this is because Noah has faith in the Lord. He wasn’t perfect, but he believed in God and sought to glorify Him.

In the grand scheme of God’s plan and covenants, why is it significant that He chose to save Noah and his family?

Because the only way that you have the Seed of the woman is for the genealogies to match up. God is faithful to His promises and this is the way that things had to be - not because Noah was deserving but because God is faithful to His promises each and every time!

Reminder that human sin cannot override or overpower God’s perfect plan of redemption!

God makes a covenant with Noah that He will never flood the entire earth again. Noah responds to God’s promise by building an altar and making an offering as he worships God. Once again, God says to Noah what He told Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply and rule over the earth… spread out over the earth and multiply.” The sign of God’s covenant with Noah is the Rainbow.

The God of the Bible is patient, isn’t He? He withheld His wrath for 120 years with Noah’s generation and it took Noah a good while to build the Ark. God is patient today too! Paul Washer puts it like this, today God has both hands up. With one hand He pleads with sinners to repent and come to Him in faith… with the other He is holding back His wrath against sin and sinners. But one day both hands will drop and it will be too late for sinners to repent as God’s wrath will be poured out upon them just like His wrath was poured out upon humanity in the days of Noah.

Why must God punish sin?

He is holy and just

If He were not holy then He wouldn’t have to

If He were unjust then He wouldn’t have to

But, He’s holy and just… sinfulness goes against God’s design and must be punished by God

Why is it a good thing that we are saved by God’s grace rather than our works?

We could never work good enough to earn our own way

Why is it a good thing that God initiates these covenants instead of man making them?