The Covenant of Grace

The following quotes are from the book, Sacred Bond by Brown and Keele.  They come from a chapter on the covenant of grace.  Be reminded that we have a God who is in relationship with us.

In other words, in both the Old Testament and New Testament the way in which God saves sinners is always the same: by his grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.

God's promise is not on the basis of our obedience, but on the basis of Christ's obedience. It was works for Christ so that it is grace for us.

The covenant of grace, on the other hand, is based on God's promise to save sinners.

Reconciliation between God and humans would be made through a new covenant, since the original covenant of works was violated and broken.

Genesis 3:15 is not only a prophecy of the coming Christ but the Mother Promise of the whole covenant of grace from which the rest of the Scriptures unfold.

The essence of the covenant of grace is summarized in  God's promise: I will be your God, and you shall be my people...Thus, God's promise in the one covenant of grace runs from Genesis to Revelation, revealing its continuity and the unifying nature of redemptive history.

Whereas, the covenant of works (law) says, "Do this and you will live," the covenant of grace (gospel) says, "Christ did it for you."

the covenant of grace teaches us that the whole Bible is about one thing: God redeeming a people for himself through Jesus Christ.

The covenant of grace tells God's story of redemption; it traces the unfolding drama from Genesis to Revelation. It shows us that the Bible is actually one book with one story, told on the stage of real human history. Without seeing the big picture that the covenant of grace provides, we will be tempted to think of the Bible as being little more than a manual for ethical behavior or self-improvement.