Law and Gospel is not conditional and unconditional

This article reminded me how some may be using an alleged difference between “promise covenants” and “law covenants.”  It turns out that the claim that such two different kinds of covenants existed in Ancient Near Eastern treaties is questionable.  But even if there were two such kinds of covenants, the article seems to indicate that some are equating this with a distinction between conditional and unconditional covenants and making the former equivalent to “the covenant of works” and the latter equal to “the covenant of grace.”

In the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, however, both “the covenant of works” or “covenant of life” with Adam and the Covenant of Grace for believers are conditional.  The Covenant of works promised blessing on condition of perfect and perpetual obedience while the Covenant of Grace promises blessing on the condition of faith in Jesus Christ who won blessings for those who belong to him by virtue of his life, death, and resurrection.

Of course, those chosen for eternal life only perform the condition by virtue of God’s sovereign grace.  In this eternal aspect of the covenant this unconditional gift is mentioned. But the fact remains that, as an offer made to hearers, the covenant of Grace is presented as a conditional covenant.  That condition is exemplified in the case of Abraham who “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15).

Thus chapter 7 of the Westminster Confession of Faith:

2. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

3. Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the 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.

With the Westminster Larger Catechism:

Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?
A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

Q. 32. How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?
A. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

And the conditionalism of the covenant of grace comes out in several other expressions of the Westminster Standards. Chapter 15, paragraph 3, for example:

3. Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.

And also the Westminster Larger Catechism again:

Q. 152. What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God?
A. Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.

Q. 153. What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law?
A. That we may escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression of the law, he requireth of us repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the diligent use of the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation.

Q. 154. What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation?
A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to his church the benefits of his mediation, are all his ordinances; especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.

Since the Westminster Standards affirm the Biblical teaching of unconditional election, they naturally point out that the meeting of the condition of the Covenant of Grace is itself a gift of the grace of God.  Furthermore, the fact that Jesus is not only true man, but true God, and the covenant head, and the Chosen One (see 1 Peter 2) might lead one to believe that the Covenant of Grace includes election and is thus also unconditional.  While some Reformed writing deals with this issue with a third covenant, the Covenant of Redemption, between the persons of the Trinity, the Westminster divines did not use this.  So from the perspective of eternity the covenant of grace is unconditional.  But that would have nothing to do with how it is offered, but rather be the result of reflection on the origin and extent of personal salvation.  When offered to Abraham or anyone else the covenant is presented as conditional on faith.  As the Westminster Shorter Catechism states:

Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

We preach to all that, if they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they will be saved.  We don’t present the good news by saying that there are some number chosen for eternal life and others chosen for eternal death and nothing can change which is which.  At the point of presentation, the Gospel is conditional as a message with an offer.  Thus, the writer of Hebrews tells his hearers/readers that they must continue to believe in order to inherit eternal life.

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.  Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (10.32-11.5).

I take “confidence” to refer to this faith, along with the things they “knew” (because promised).  Also I think God’s will is that we trust Him so that “when you have done the will of God” refers simply to continuing to believe in the midst of trials.

In any case, much more could be summoned as evidence, both from Scripture and the Christian heritage (especially that of the Reformation of post-Reformation church, for those who are concerned about that part of the Christian heritage).  But the point is that both the covenant of works and the covenant of grace are presented as conditional

Finally, none of this has anything to do with an alleged difference between the covenant enacted under Law and that which is under the Gospel.  On the contrary, when speaking of “the covenant of works” and “the covenant of grace,” both Law and Gospel come under “the covenant of grace” because both provide for the forgiveness of sins and offer salvation on the condition of faith and repentance.  Thus, chapter 7 of the Westminster Confession again:

2. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

3. Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the 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…

5. This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel: under the law, it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come; which were, for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called the old testament.

6. Under the gospel, when Christ, the substance, was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper: which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity, and less outward glory, yet, in them, it is held forth in more fullness, evidence and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the new testament. There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations.

For more about the differences between Law and Gospel, see my post here.

One thought on “Law and Gospel is not conditional and unconditional

  1. Pingback: Mark Horne » Blog Archive » Heinrich Bullinger on unconditional grace and conditional inheritance

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