Modern 1689 Confession

Original

Reeves

Chapter 7

Of God's Covenant

1. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience to him as their creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of life but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.

( Luke 17:10; Job 35:7,8 )

2. Moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace, wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.

( Genesis 2:17; Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:20, 21; Romans 8:3; Mark 16:15, 16; John 3:16; Ezekiel 36:26, 27; John 6:44, 45; Psalms 110:3 )

3. This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament; and it is founded in that eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect; and it is alone by the grace of this covenant that all the posterity of fallen Adam that ever were saved did obtain life and blessed immortality, man being now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.

( Genesis 3:15; Hebrews 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 11;6, 13; Romans 4:1, 2, &c.; Acts 4:12; John 8:56 )

Chapter 7

God's Covenant

1. Though rational creatures are responsible to obey God as their Creator, the distance between God and these creatures is so great that they could never have attained the reward of life except by God’s voluntary condescension.  He has been pleased to express this through a covenant framework.¹

¹Luke 17:10; Job 35:7, 8.

2. Since man brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace.^2,a  In this covenant he freely offers to sinners life and salvation through Jesus Christ.  On their part he requires faith in him, that they may be saved,³ and promises to give his Holy Spirit to all who are ordained to eternal life, to make them willing and able to believe.⁴

^aI am considering “Since humanity brought itself under the curse of the law by its fall.”  This seems a bit awkward to me, and I loathe the move toward gender-neutral language.  But I want to recognize that this move is already well under way and reflect the way we actually communicate, not the way I wish we would communicate.  Thoughts?

 ²Genesis 2:17; Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:20, 21. ³Romans 8:3; Mark 16:15, 16; John 3:16. ⁴Ezekiel 36:26, 27; John 6:44, 45; Psalms 110:3.

3. This covenant is revealed in the gospel.  It was revealed first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation through the seed of the woman.⁵  After that, it was revealed step by step until the full revelation of it was completed in the New Testament.⁶  This covenant is based on the eternal covenant transaction between the Father and the Son concerning the redemption of the elect.⁷  Only through the grace of this covenant have those saved from among the descendants of fallen Adam obtained life and blessed immortality.  Human beings are now utterly incapable of being accepted by God on the same terms on which Adam was accepted in his state of innocence.⁸

⁵Genesis 3:15. ⁶Hebrews 1:1; 2. ⁷Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; ⁸Hebrews 11:6, 13; Romans 4:1, 2ff.; Acts 4:12; John 8:56.