There Was Never a Covenant of Works Instituted by the Gracious God
There Was Never a Covenant of Works Between God and Man
God did not require Adam to perform any good works prior to creating him. Seems obvious, doesn’t it? So the original gift of life was based on grace. Then why do theologians say that the original covenant between Adam and Eve and God was a “covenant of works?”
The reformed faith teaches that even in the Old Testament, among His people Israel, God did not save any individual based on works. It was always by grace, specifically by faith in a savior to come. It has always troubled me that the Reformed faith is consistent regarding salvation by grace throughout history until it gets to the Garden of Eden before the Fall. If God is a God who never changes, how could he impose a covenant of works at one point in history but a covenant of grace at another?
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Thor
Thor
The movie, Thor, is, of course, Marvel Comics’ version of the mythological character from Norse mythology. But there are a couple of important points made in the movie. The character Thor represents several different biblical principles.
Like humanity rejected from the Garden, he doesn’t obey his father (Gen. 3:12), he’s ejected from Paradise & kingship (Gen. 3:22-4), & he faces humiliation & capture by mankind (Matt. 26:57-27:14).
Charge Sheet, Sentence, Probation – For Humanity
Charges Against Humanity: Creator God v. Adam & Eve, Convicted & Sentenced But Final Judgment in Case Still Pending at Time of Christ’s First Coming
Charge Sheet
Charge 1 – Trespassing on the Sovereign God’s property, specifically His Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil Placed in the Garden of Eden
Charge 2 – Theft of property, specifically Fruit from the Aforementioned Tree
Charge 3 – Misappropriation, or Using the Gift of God, Imagination, to Form an Evil Plan Instead of Using the Gift of God to Fulfill God’s Purpose for Man’s Imagination
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The Legal Effects of Christ Coming to Earth as a Baby
The Legal Effects of Christ Coming to Earth as a Baby
Before we can understand the legal effect of Christ being born in a stable in Bethlehem approximately two thousand years ago, we first have to understand what the earth’s and humanity’s legal status was before.
Adam and Eve, and, by family relation, all their descendants, were criminals before God. And not just any criminals; they were traitors who had defied a specific, simple law to not eat of one of the trees in the Garden in which God had placed them. They defied God and His law, they trespassed upon property which God had reserved for Himself, they stole from that property, and they conspired with God’s chief enemy in order to attempt to take God’s rule from Him. We know this from the account in Genesis chapters Continue reading “The Legal Effects of Christ Coming to Earth as a Baby”