#48 The Covenant of Works

Coalt, Jay, and John take some time and discuss the importance of the covenant of works
​
Transcript:

Coalt Robinson  
Welcome to Renewalcast. Today we are taking a break from the London Baptist confession. And we are talking about covenants, particularly this week we're going to talk about the covenant of works. We talked about the covenant of redemption. Last week, we'll hit the covenant of grace next week. So we just want to kind of just step back a little bit from the London Baptist confession, and just talk particularly about these three covenants. And we hope that you'll really see why they are so important, and so crucial in our understanding of God's Word. So, enjoy the podcast. You're listening to the renewal podcast, a weekly podcast that features interviews and discussions and in teaching on various biblical and theological subjects. My name is Coalt Robinson, and I'm the lead pastor at Bethel Church in rural South Dakota. And we do this because we believe that our minds are to be shaped and renewed by the life giving and transforming Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. So we pray for the next few minutes that as you listen, that you'll just see Jesus more clear.

Alright, guys, well, should we get started?

Jay Wipf  
Guys ready, so

Coalt Robinson  
Okay, so let's get to the the work of the the podcast. We've been, we've been talking about covenants, we're going through the 1689, London Baptist confession of faith, we're taking a little bit of a pause here, and we're going to talk a little bit about covenants. Last time, we talked about the covenant of redemption. Today, we're going to talk about the covenant of works. So we need to kind of need to go back and in reiterate a little bit what we said about the, the covenant of redemption. You guys have kind of a nice and remember some of the high points from from last time, it's very biblical.

Jay Wipf  
Yeah, we had a lot of passages that we went to

the covenant amongst three persons of the Trinity before time began, about their plan of redemption and how they were going to execute it.

Coalt Robinson  
What what passage of scripture there just sticks out in your memory talking about

John Goodell  
that visions one sticks out very clearly. There's obviously three aspects of their work or that you know, the three persons the father likes, the sun redeems spirit applies salvation. And certainly, like Jay said, if we believe in a trinity, and we must believe in some sort of agreement between them and what they would do beforehand.

Coalt Robinson  
Yeah, I think that's that's that's the conversation I probably remember the most who was about the effusions one,

John Goodell  
also just from Isaiah, the servant, and then how he would be an obedient. And then we even see that a New Testament and fallopian tube, obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,

Coalt Robinson  
right, and then you got it. You gotta ask obedient, obedient to what, right? And it's the disaster of the journey itself. Yeah. So now we get to the covenant of works. So now we find ourselves in the garden. Let's just start and talk about what the what do we mean when we say the covenant works, maybe not even back up and just say what a covenant today is who the covenant of works is between the covenant

John Goodell  
is an agreement between two or more persons, as that's for simply

Coalt Robinson  
finding it. So two or more persons, and we're saying they that there's a covenant of works, who is that between co workers between God and the first man, Adam?

John Goodell  
Okay, the Westminster Confession, which our confession takes out, but in chapter seven of the Westminster Confession on God's covenant with man, paragraph two says, The first covenant made with man was the covenant of works, where in life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and perfect small obedience.

Coalt Robinson  
I think the question there is, is somewhat of object to there being covenant works, or an agreement between God in Adam, is that that the language there of Covenant isn't used, right? God doesn't say, okay, Adam, I'm making a covenant with you. So why do we think that there's a why don't why would we say that there is a covenant or an agreement between God and

Jay Wipf  
all the earmarks? So a covenant are there in Genesis two and three? Okay. Right. Sin is in Genesis three. But we all think sin happen there. If you're watching a movie, they don't always say a certain couple is married. There's a lot of ways to show that they're married.

Coalt Robinson  
If you're watching a movie, they're probably not married. Well,

Jay Wipf  
maybe it's an old one. There you go.

John Goodell  
That's a good illustration, though.

Jay Wipf  
Yeah, very good.

John Goodell  
I like how Anthony Burgess put it 717 century. Pure 10 said this, for that which is necessarily and immediately drawn from Scripture is as truly scripture as that which is expressly contained in it. And so I think that's true. You know, we certainly found that with the Trinity. We certainly from that, when Genesis three with the without the word sin there. We believe that. So we would say that, that everything is there have a makings of a covenant very clearly. Later in Hosea, it does expressly say, call it a covenant. So yeah, I think he would get into trouble for going to deny that,

Jay Wipf  
right. But the covenant as well as very similar snack, all the covenant in Second Samuel with David, it's called the covenant later in the Psalms. So excellent point. And I've heard

John Goodell  
people who would deny the covenant of works, teach, because it's not expressly said, there. That is a covenant. So it's a theological imposition on the on the text, they're saying, they call the covenant, a covenant. That's a biblical covenant. And it's that like you said, Jay is the same kind of format.

Coalt Robinson  
So it makes sense in the in the garden that God creates the the garden, he creates man animals puts a minute, and then he makes the makes an agreement with with Adam, what was the agreement,

Jay Wipf  
obey and live, this obey? And then the command is not to eat from this particular tree?

Coalt Robinson  
Life is promised Adam

and to his posterity, upon a condition of perfect and personal obedience. Okay, I guess that's that's kind of where I'm where I'm going here. First of all, he was there. There must have been was there a probationary period then? Or was, you know, yeah, there

John Goodell  
must have been there? I think we could, you know, maybe to draw that conclusion. Because it you know, it doesn't say that, Wesley, that for obedience, he will get life, but certainly by the negative aspect of it, that is implied, and also the tree of the tree of life being there that's just having it be there. And then they're cut off from it, when they sin that that tells us something there. And so eventually, if they would have been been obedient during that timeframe, whatever it was, they would have been able to partake of that.

Coalt Robinson  
The Tree of Life. Yeah,

John Goodell  
yes. Yes.

Coalt Robinson  
So we don't know how long the probationary period was. I mean, we have we have no way of knowing that. But we can by inference, we can there must have been, there was blessing offered for Adams obedience, which was partaking of the tree of life. Did he ever partake of that? You understand what I meant?

John Goodell  
probably knows that.

He doesn't say that he does. Right?

Jay Wipf  
Well, no. I mean, they get kicked out of the garden for a reason, right? God is protecting them. Right. Okay. So even from the tree of life, then I would have been bad. If you're asking that Adam, kind of like Christian at some point? I don't know. I mean, you would seem to think so based on use response, but I would say,

Coalt Robinson  
No, they did not eat of the tree of life. They were like Jay said, they were they were removed from the garden. The Blessing there for being obedience to the law was to eat, to eat of that tree and to receive all the blessings they're in, they could not do that. So therefore, they needed somebody who would be perfectly obedient on their behalf, and give them the blessings that they didn't obtain. And that comes through and we know, Jesus Christ fulfilled that obligation for them. And they received the blessings from you that tree, because of what Jesus Christ did, no, they did not eat of the tree, because God was gracious to them. Do we see grace at all in the covenant with with Adam, then?

John Goodell  
I think it's a any sort of covenant that God would make with a creature offering life is an act of grace on God's part. So yeah, I think that, you know, not not saving grace in the sense that, you know, we know, today in the New Covenant, but certainly it was a gracious act on God's part. Also, you know, I think that he also gave them the ability and ensure they had the ability to obey that, which I think would have been gracious as well. Yeah.

Coalt Robinson  
Yeah, I would, I would agree with that. I kind of depends on how you're, you're using the word grace. Right? If you're using the word grace races, how God deals with with sinners. That's not in that covenant. But it was a gracious act on God's part to, to make that to make that arrangement with Adam.

Jay Wipf  
Yeah, we see grace in Genesis 315, as well as the results of the curse, but there's a promise made of Linda calm was going to remedy the situation. So that's very gracious there. As even, even though they had failed, and that's not part of the covenant of works. But after that are failing, right? God was gracious, but the covenant is a

John Goodell  
covenant of works in the sense that, right, Adams, I don't want to be punished for his sin. And his posterity, or he would be, he was promised blessing for obedience then

Jay Wipf  
works. Yeah, kind of works with a lot of different names, we like going to work. So that's in contrast to Academy of grace, right? I mean, that's kinda, they're both on to life. But how the life is attained is very different than those two covenants. Some call it a covenant with Adam, that's the person is made with some called a covenant with creation, that's when it was made. Coming out of that he didn't covenant was made in the garden.

John Goodell  
It seems like going into works is a good word, though. It's one, it's been sort of used for quite some time, and it's as good as any.

Coalt Robinson  
Yep. Why is the covenant of works necessary?

Why? I mean, there's you mentioned, john, some people didn't, some people don't believe in a covenant of works. They don't mind that some people object to it. Why would Why would we say that the the covenant works is necessary.

John Goodell  
I think the stinking lip standing back and looking at it, I think you're asking maybe need to do is, God demands righteousness, there's gotta be some way that you gain righteousness. And so I think Adam, through his obedience to that covenant of works, would have attained righteousness before God. And we see that that didn't happen. And we see that he broke that covenant. And we see a new covenant, never grace, in which that righteousness is fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and then is given to us by grace. And so it really comes down to righteousness. I don't know. That's why I'd answer that question. Is that wrong? Was that

Coalt Robinson  
No, no, but we'll keep we'll keep it in there.

Jay Wipf  
Yeah, what happens if you deny or redefine the covenant of works, while you deny or redefine the work of Christ? And so I mean, this is really the foundation for the gospel that if we don't have Christ, obedience, we lose people. We lose faith justification by faith, we lose the gospel. So

Coalt Robinson  
yeah, it's kind of the kind of the linchpin I mean, you know, you're saying it's the the covenant of creation, we call it I mean, it goes back to the beginning, it's kind of a linchpin on on which all of this rest that confession and seven one stay soldo, reasonable creatures do obedience to Him as their Creator. I mean, right at the beginning, it's it's established that in this covenant, that this is what creatures owe their Creator, they owe obedience, and they didn't live live up to that. So the rest of the story of Scripture then is unfolding a way that in which we can be righteous, because we can't live up to that first agreement, that covenant of works that was made. So I would say that this is kind of the foundation on which of our, our relationship with God rests. I mean, if you don't, if you redefine the covenant of worse, you're redefining what we Oh, God is a as a creature creator, in our relationship. This establishes that relationship to the creature owes the creator obedience. We mentioned this a little bit earlier, so that the covenant works is necessary. But does it continue? What's the other word? perpetuity, but does it continue? Does it continue on? Or is it or was it just? I mean, was this a covenant between God and Adam? Or is there a, is there a way of speaking of the covenant of works that is ongoing?

John Goodell  
Yes, and no. So I would say yes, in the sense that for those in sin, those in sin and wanting to attain a righteousness of their own, that covenant of work says that perfect righteousness is demand. So and then that law, the moral law, which is Romans 214, is by nature given to man, Adam had that I think, on his heart written on his heart. And so everybody does covenant nature, the moral laws written on their hearts. And so if they want to fulfill that, in their own works, and their own efforts as perfect righteousness, they must fulfill that law, and in the death is still to, is still the penalty for for sin. So I think in those senses, yes. But no, no, for those who are in Christ, for sure. For those in Christ. No, this is not for today. And there's no tree that we need to obey to not eat from. Right. I don't know.

Coalt Robinson  
Yeah, I think you're,

Jay Wipf  
I think you're right. Go ahead, Jay. Romans 213. Four does not here's a law or just before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. If, if you're going to earn salvation on your own apart from Christ, it has to be that perfect, perpetual, personal obedience. Paul's not giving a different way of salvation there. He's right. There's only one way there's only one who's perfect. No one's in that line except for Jesus.

Coalt Robinson  
Yeah, would it? Would it be correct to say it this way that the covenant of works and we speak of that today, the covenant works today is saying that, that God, that God has a righteous standard, which is his, his moral standard of living, and it's getting people to recognize that can't be met in ourselves just as it was not met by Adam as our representative. In the very beginning. That makes sense. It points to the it points to the the moral law, the 10 commandments, that all of those things, you can't achieve righteousness. By that standard, you continually fall short, which should point you to the person and work of Jesus Christ. But it's also it's also showing a reality of the garden in which our representative could not keep that agreement with God there. The reality is, is nobody can be justified by the law, just as our representative was not. That makes sense.

John Goodell  
Yeah. And I think that Jesus, like the rich young ruler came to him and wanted to be justified by law. And I think Jesus shows us in that account, that that, okay, this is how you want to be right with God by your own works. Okay. Here's the law. Perfect righteousness is the standard. And obviously, no one can be justified by that. But But if you were to try to go that way with God, here's the standard, perfect righteousness. So the law for the unbeliever then should beat them to Christ should show them their need for a savior. within their make clear their condemnation.

Jay Wipf  
Right now is it if Adam in the garden in a state where he was actually capable of keeping the law and in a much better environment, and we're in couldn't keep the law then Israel wasn't going to be keep the law, right, Hosea six, seven, like Adam, Israel failed to obey. And so they get kicked out of the land, like Adam got kicked out of the garden, and we aren't going to be able to keep the law either. That's a lot points us to Christ. So in that sense, law is gracious, as we were saying, before, wanting us to our need for a Savior, the covenant making god that's Genesis two for it switches terms. So just being LM is La La in the covenant making God made a covenant then with Adam, use like 20 times a week or something. It's like coming into a context there in Genesis,

John Goodell  
and then we get to the New Testament and Paul, and specifically Romans 512, through 21, where we have a passage that clearly talks about the two representatives of the man of the first Adam and the second Adam, and then the reference in Second Corinthians think that that refers to Jesus as the second Adam, or is that first First Corinthians First Corinthians 15? Yeah, okay. So we see this federal headship, which federal law for covenant, so it's a covenant headship. Some people don't like that. They say, Well, no, it's representative. But it's the same idea, ultimately, right? But that's very consistent with covenant theology, very consistent with covenant works, and the

covenant of redemption.

Coalt Robinson  
So the covenant of works really points toward our need for a savior, doesn't it? mean it points toward the need for grace? Because we can't. We can't live up to we can't live up to the demands of that just as just as Adam did not.

John Goodell  
Yeah, no mere man just follow adam can keep the law. And Adam Could I mean, he had the ability, nothing even failed, man. So there's just no way possible after as, as fallen creatures that we can keep the law. So then the law was given to show us our need for a savior make clear condemnation, beat us to Christ Church history. I think it was Michael Horton, I saw that he made reference to radius and a Gustin, as people who further develop that route that we see in the biblical, the biblical doctrine that we're talking about in the Bible being developed, you know, in theological terms, and then in the reformation, I think we see that we see that mature theological expression is brought forth, you know, after the or even the early reformers, I think, was there in the early reformers, but the Puritans then brought it to mature theological,

Jay Wipf  
Bunyan, Spurgeon, voice, even even Schaefer and Scofield turn to Conan of orcs.

John Goodell  
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely

Coalt Robinson  
there. I think when you like the color and redemption when you when you start thinking about it, and you start looking back through it, and you're it just makes a lot of it makes a lot of sense. You kind of start talking about it for a while. And you say how, how, how else could it be?

John Goodell  
Yeah, if I could read a. Hosea six, seven. Yeah, I just think i think that's helpful. I mean, if I don't know how you how you deny it.

When was it? Yeah, six, seven says. But like Adam, they transgressed and covenant. It's just expressively stated that there was a covenant made with Adam.

Coalt Robinson  
Yeah, like, like Adam, everybody transgresses the law of God. Certainly the law was more in the demands of God were more explicit later on. And as time unfolded, we understand more of what God desires of us.

John Goodell  
So how about those who say, Well, you know, the word covenant isn't there, Genesis two and three. So we can't call it a covenant. We have to use expressly biblical terminology there. Because this is what will you know, you what you hear from those who critique it, even aside from Hosea six, seven, and we met, we talked, we mentioned it earlier, but I've just what would you say, when you preach a sermon? Do you only use biblical terms?

Jay Wipf  
Yeah.

I mean, yes, we want to be biblical, but we can't make assists in a negative sense. Where are you here? You can only use the exact terms that the Bible uses, and only in the Greek and the Hebrew to, you know, not realistic.

John Goodell  
Yeah, you might ask him, you know, do you have any commentary during your sermon? Or is it scripture?

You know,

Coalt Robinson  
yeah. But, but I think you just I think you just made a good point. I think some of that is, I mean, you, you you saying that that word covenant has to be right in those chapters in the, in the Bible, because certainly in Hosea six, I mean, that word covenant, there is apply the back to Adam. So, you know, really, it is there. It's just not where people would like to see it.

Jay Wipf  
Adam isn't called a son of Adam until Luke three I think right now, it's not in Genesis one, two or three. I mean, Trinity, it's not even that's not even a little forward at all. That's extra biblical, and certainly they affirm Trinity. So

John Goodell  
yeah. And that's, that's what the areas did. And that's what Jehovah Witnesses do. I've had people come to my door. Even one that's been hostile still will tell you, you know, you can't use those terms. They're not in the Bible. Right. That's the same argument they're taking is the arguments that heretics throughout church history have taken? Yeah,

Jay Wipf  
the Bible says it says, and it's not a biblical term, you can't use it. They're the most dangerous actually, they're the ones that run there. See? So

Coalt Robinson  
you're listening to the renewal podcast, a weekly podcast that features interviews and discussions and in teaching on various biblical and theological subjects. My name is Coalt Robinson, and I'm the lead pastor at Bethel Church in rural South Dakota. And we do this because we believe that our minds are to be shaped and renewed by the life giving and transforming Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. So we pray for the next few minutes that as you listen, that you'll just see Jesus more clear.