03.05 - Chapter 16 - The Coovenant of Works

Chapter 16 THE COVENANT of WORKS What is a Covenant? A covenant is an agreement or promise between two or more persons based upon specific conditions. God being infinitely superior to Adam might impose a covenant with or without consent; but there is every believe that Adam acquiesced in it. The Doctrine Defined The first covenant made with Adam was a covenant of works wherein life was promised to Adam and to his posterity upon condition of perfect and personal obedience. Adam was not to eat of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, upon pain of death.

♦ Genesis 2:17. "But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." The Scriptural Evidences for a Covenant of Works

♦ Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.”

" The parties of the First Covenant were Adam and God.

" The conditions of the First Covenant demanded perfect obedience on the part of man.

" The penalty of this First Covenant was spiritual and physical death.

" The promise of the First Covenant went beyond natural life for Adam already had that. The promise is not stated in the narrative but implied in the alternative of death according to Scripture.

♦ Romans 10:5 “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”

♦ Galatians 3:12, “And the law is not of faith; but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.”

All the plan of redemption is presented as a covenant: to Noah, to Abraham, and to Israel. The old and new dispensations are covenants. So evidently here. Here are all the signs and parts of a covenant. A Federal Representative for Posterity In the Covenant of Works, Adam represented all of his posterity.

Probation The observance of this covenant for a certain time constituted a fair probation because Adam was fortified by his holy nature, a happy environment, fellowship with God, and positive warnings and promises. Tragically, Adam’s holiness was not established by a long continuance in a state of innocence. Because he was not indefectible and because of a capacity to sin, Adam yielded to the insinuations and persuasion of Satan and fell as did all of his posterity with him. Had Adam stood the test his character would have become fixed and immutable like the elect angels in heaven.