Article 4 “The Everlasting Covenant: God’s Faithfulness Through Every Generation”

The Covenant of Grace: One Plan, Many Administrations

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” —Hebrews 13:8

The story of the Bible is not a relay race between unrelated plans—it is a single, sweeping promise told in multiple acts. From Genesis to Revelation, God has always had one redemptive plan: to save a people for Himself through covenant. That plan is called the Covenant of Grace.

While the faces of the covenants change across time—Noah, Abraham, Moses, David—the heart of God’s intention never shifts. His grace is not plan B. It is not a reaction to human sin. It is a revealed reality that unfolds over centuries, culminating in the work of Christ.

Many see the Old and New Testaments as radically different: one about law, the other about grace; one about wrath, the other about love. But Covenant Theology reveals a richer, more beautiful truth: grace was there all along—administered differently, but always the same in essence.

🧬 One Covenant, Multiple Administrations

The Covenant of Grace is not a series of covenants—it is one covenant, progressively revealed in various administrations.

• With Noah, it came in the form of preservation (Gen. 9), guaranteeing the stage of history would remain stable.

• With Abraham, it came with the promise of land, offspring, and blessing to the nations (Gen. 12, 15, 17).

• With Moses, it came with law and tabernacle worship—shadows of things to come (Ex. 19–24).

• With David, it focused on kingdom—a throne established forever (2 Sam. 7).

• And in Christ, it arrives in fullness—the covenant confirmed and completed (Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:6).

These administrations are not competing covenants. They are covenantal scaffolding—each one lifting us closer to the full glory of Christ.

“The law was our guardian until Christ came…” (Gal. 3:24)

⚔️ Dispensationalism vs. Covenant Continuity

Dispensational theology divides the Bible into unrelated ages or “dispensations,” each with distinct methods of salvation and human responsibility. Often, this leads to sharp discontinuity between Israel and the Church, law and gospel, Old and New Testaments.

But that’s not how Jesus or Paul read Scripture.

• Jesus said Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46).

• Paul called Abraham the father of all who believe (Rom. 4:11).

• Peter declared that Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy—not a detour from it (Acts 2).

Dispensationalism slices the covenantal fabric. Covenant Theology sees the seamless garment.

We don’t have two peoples of God—Israel and the Church. We have one olive tree (Rom. 11), one promise, one plan, one Redeemer. Christ is not the founder of a new religion—He is the fulfillment of everything God ever promised.

🩸 The Heart of the Covenant: Grace, Not Works

From the first gospel promise in Genesis 3:15 to the blood-soaked cross on Golgotha, God has saved by grace through faith. Always.

• Abraham believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).

• David confessed and found forgiveness apart from works (Psalm 32).

• Isaiah saw a suffering Servant who would bear the sins of many (Isa. 53).

These saints were not saved by keeping the law, but by trusting the God who saves. The law pointed to their need. The sacrifices pointed to their Substitute. The types and shadows pointed to Christ.

The Covenant of Grace, even in its older administrations, never taught salvation by works. It always offered the same promise: “I will be your God, and you shall be My people.”

🌳 From Acorn to Oak: Progressive Revelation

The Covenant of Grace is like a tree:

• The acorn is in Eden: a promise that the Seed of the woman will crush the serpent (Gen. 3:15).

• The sapling is in Abraham: a family chosen to bless the world (Gen. 12:3).

• The trunk forms through Moses and David: a nation and a king pointing to a greater fulfillment.

• And in Christ, the tree blooms—offering fruit to every nation, tribe, and tongue.

“All the promises of God find their Yes in Him.” (2 Cor. 1:20)

The Covenant of Grace is not static. It grows. It matures. But it never changes essence. God is always the One making the promise. God is always the One who fulfills it. And His people are always the ones receiving it by faith.

🏛 Christ: The Mediator of the Covenant

Hebrews 9:15 declares:

“Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance...”

Jesus is not a break from the past. He is the consummation of every prior covenantal administration.

• He is the true Seed of Abraham.

• He is the faithful Israelite.

• He is the greater Moses.

• He is the Son of David whose kingdom knows no end.

In Him, the Covenant of Grace reaches its climactic fulfillment. And He now reigns—not waiting for a future kingdom, but seated on the throne, gathering His people by covenant Word and covenant sign.

📜 Application: God’s Promises Don’t Expire—They Expand

Too many modern Christians treat the Old Testament like expired milk. But the promises God made there are not obsolete. They are fulfilled, expanded, and still living.

• The promise to be a God to our children? Still valid (Acts 2:39).

• The expectation of kingdom growth? Still certain (Isa. 9:6–7).

• The call to covenantal faithfulness? Still binding (Rom. 12:1–2).

When you hold a Bible, you are not holding two testaments in tension—you’re holding a single, unfolding covenant of grace.

And that covenant isn’t just ancient—it’s active.

It shapes how you raise your children, how you worship, how you see the church, how you understand history—and how you trust God when life feels uncertain.

✝️ Final Word: The Covenant Is Your Anchor

You are not held by feelings. You are not secured by circumstance. You are gripped by a covenant-keeping God.

The Covenant of Grace is not vague sentiment. It is blood-bought reality. It spans centuries, culminates in Christ, and includes you—not because of what you’ve done, but because of what He has promised.

So take heart. The plan has not changed. The promise has not faded.

He is still your God. And you are still His.

And His covenant? It is everlasting.