Redemption Unveiled: Understanding God’s Progressive Plan Through Covenants of Grace
The question of redemption is intrinsically linked to the central problem of the Fall. If humanity’s relationship with the Divine was fractured, what is the solution?. The answer lies in understanding how God relates to His creation—through a series of formal agreements known as covenants. These covenants progressively reveal an eternal plan of salvation, emphasizing the profound concepts of grace and mercy.
This comprehensive look into the structure of redemption reveals that God’s saving work was never a mere reaction (Redemption is not plan B), but a carefully orchestrated, progressive covenantal journey toward the New Creation.
Defining the Solution: Grace, Mercy, and Covenants
To grasp the scope of redemption, we must first establish three foundational concepts: grace, mercy, and covenants.
Mercy vs. Grace
Mercy and grace often appear together, but they address different aspects of God’s redemptive posture toward fallen humanity.
1. Mercy involves not receiving what we do deserve. It is the withholding of deserved punishment.
2. Grace involves receiving what we don’t deserve. It is getting a gift that was unearned.
In essence, humanity deserves judgment due to the Fall, but redemption operates through God’s mercy and grace.
The Role of Covenants
Covenants define how God relates to His creation. They are fundamental to understanding the overarching story of redemption. Covenants are defined as agreements made between two parties.
Every covenant, whether between God and man or man and man, shares common structural elements:
• Preamble (Identifying who’s who).
• Historical Prologue.
• Stipulations (Promises and Obligations required of the parties).
• Document Clause (Regarding Preservation and Dissemination).
• Witnesses.
• Sanctions (Blessings for obedience and Curses for disobedience).
• Succession.
Crucially, God’s grace is mediated to us through covenants. These agreements are not isolated events but show a progressive nature, meaning the story is continually progressing toward its final, redemptive goal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Eternal Blueprint: The Covenant of Redemption
Before time began, before creation itself, redemption was already the plan. This initial agreement is known as the Covenant of Redemption, which takes place in eternity past.
This covenant establishes the entire scope of salvation, showing that redemption is not a secondary action taken after the Fall, but was always the plan.
Parties, Promises, and Obligations
The Covenant of Redemption is an agreement within the Godhead: between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Parties - Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Promises - The Father will give the Son a treasured people to save. The Father will glorify the Son.
Obligations - The Son agrees to redeem the people through his life, death, and resurrection. The Holy Spirit agrees to apply the redeeming work of the Son to those chosen by the Father.
This eternal covenant ensures a people are redeemed for the glory of God and the eternal good of His children. The blessing associated with this covenant is the Glory of God, and importantly, it contains neither curses nor signs. All subsequent covenants serve the ultimate purpose of this eternal agreement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Foundation: The Creation Covenant (Pre-Fall)
The first covenant established in time was the Creation Covenant, which occurred before the Fall.
Parties and Stipulations
This covenant was between Yahweh and Adam, with Adam serving as the representative of all humanity.
Parties - Yahweh and Adam
Promises - Man would rule over the earth. Life.
Obligations - Be fruitful, multiply, fill, keep the earth. Don’t eat from the tree.
God promised to confirm Adam in a state of life for obedience, and death for disobedience. The covenant’s sanctions included a relationship and partnership with God as a blessing, or removal from the garden and death as a curse. The Tree of Life served as the sign.
Because Adam disobeyed, his disobedience is counted to all his posterity. As a result, humanity is born in a state of guilt, estrangement from God, and with hearts rebellious against Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Progression of Grace: Covenants After the Fall
Following the breach of the Creation Covenant, God did not abandon His plan but continued the progression of redemption by providing grace and continuing a relationship with man through subsequent covenants.
Immediately following the Fall (Genesis 3), God showed both grace and mercy. Grace was shown by providing animal skins to cover the shame and nakedness of Adam and Eve. Mercy was demonstrated by the flaming sword, which prevented them from eating from the tree of life and being forever stuck in a state of spiritual death.
Covenants of Grace (In General)
The subsequent covenants (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New) are collectively known as the Covenants of Grace. These are agreements made between God and His people for the ultimate purpose of saving humanity through the work of Christ.
They are defined by grace because Christ ultimately fulfills the obligations of the covenants for us. Christ serves as our new federal head or representative. What He does counts for us, allowing God to declare that we have fulfilled the requirements and therefore inherit the blessing of eternal life.
Parties - God and His People
Promises - To redeem us
Obligations - Christ will fulfill the covenant
The primary blessing is Eternal life with God, and the primary curse is Eternal death.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exploring the Progressive Covenants of Grace
The Covenants of Grace are a linked series (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New) that move the story of redemption forward.
1. The Noahic Covenant (Covenant of Continuation)
The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 8:20–9:17) is known as the Covenant of Continuation.
Parties - God and Noah
Promises - God will not flood the earth again to destroy all life. Continuation of life.
Obligations - Fruitfulness, multiplication, diet, and justice.
This covenant is critical because it ensures the continuation of life on earth. This allows for the promised "Seed" to eventually appear. Grace is evident here because God promises the continuation of life, despite knowing the future disobedience of humanity. The Rainbow serves as the sign of this covenant.
2. The Abrahamic Covenant (Covenant of Promise)
The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12, 15, 17, 22) is often referred to as the Covenant of Promise.
Parties - God and Abraham
Promises - Abraham will be the Father of many nations. The world will be blessed through him. Descendants, land, and a great name. Curses upon his enemies
Obligations - Belief
This is the Covenant of Promise because God promises to bless the whole world through one family and, specifically, through one Son from that family. Blessings include descendants, land, a great name, and righteousness. The sign of the covenant is Circumcision. Grace is seen in that Abraham did not earn God's favor; Isaac was born when Abraham was very old; and God provided a sacrifice (a goat) in place of Isaac, demonstrating Abraham's belief in the promises.
3. The Mosaic Covenant (Old Covenant)
The Mosaic Covenant, or Old Covenant, established the nation of Israel and provided the Law.
Parties - God and Israelites
Promises - Israel will be God’s special possession and His representatives to the world.
Obligations - Follow the law perfectly.
This covenant holds out the promise of life for all who keep it perfectly, yet none do. Blessings included victory over enemies and keeping the land, while curses included death and enemy victory over them. The sign of the covenant is the Sabbath.
Although it seems conditional, the Mosaic Covenant is still a covenant of grace because its primary purpose was to show us that we cannot save ourselves. It points us directly to Jesus, who kept the Law on humanity's behalf.
4. The Davidic Covenant (Covenant of Kingship)
The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17) identifies the specific lineage through which the ultimate King would come, securing the Covenant of Kingship.
Parties - God and David
Promises - The throne will be established forever. The Son of David will be The King
Obligations - Worship God alone and follow the laws
This covenant identifies the one family from Abraham (David’s line, tribe of Judah) through which the promised seed would come. The primary blessing is an Everlasting Kingdom. The curse is the loss of the kingdom, and the sign is the throne. This promised Son of David would ultimately pay for the sins of David and all David’s people.
5. The New Covenant (The Fulfillment)
The New Covenant is the final and definitive stage, serving as the fulfillment of all covenants of grace. Announced in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and elaborated upon in Ezekiel 36:22-36, this covenant is inaugurated in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Parties - God and Man
Promises - God will put the law in them. God will cause them to obey
Obligations - Believe in Jesus. Obey Jesus.
The New Covenant ushers in the beginning of the New Creation. The central blessing is Eternal life, and the distinguishing sign is the Indwelling Spirit.
Whoever is in Christ is considered a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), experiencing the New Birth (John 3:1-7). While the covenant began with Christ’s work, the fullness of its blessings is experienced through the "already/not-yet paradigm," meaning its ultimate consummation will not arrive until Jesus returns, bringing the New Heavens and Earth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: The Story’s Goal
The entire sweep of history, from the Creation Covenant to the New Covenant, is structured by God’s relationship to humanity through covenants. This progressive covenantalism ensures that every stage, every promise, and every obligation serves to advance the story toward its ultimate goal.
As depicted in the structure of the covenants throughout time, all agreements—Noahic, Abrahamic, Israelite, and Davidic—are narrow pathways leading toward the broad fulfillment found in the New Covenant/New Creation, culminating in the final judgment and the establishment of the New Heavens and Earth. Redemption was always the plan, executed perfectly by the triune God, mediated through covenants, and fulfilled wholly by Christ.