In Defense of the Faith

New Covenant Effective Before The Cross

Now, a new covenant is not called “new” because of its being a more recent provision than the old. In fact, it is much older than the Sinaitic covenant. God’s promise was made to Adam and Eve in Eden immediately after the fall, and has been renewed to all succeeding generations thereafter. When the Lord said to the serpent: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15), He couched in those few words the first promise of a mighty Deliverer from the power of sin. This was the beginning of the new covenant with man. This promise introduced man to the plan of deliverance through Christ, the Seed. It was his first lesson in the inability of man to deliver himself from sin, or regain the moral perfection demanded by the law which he had broken. It revealed his utter dependence upon Christ, the coming Deliverer. DOF 236.2

This was the covenant that was made with Abraham. It is said of him that he was justified by faith. “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, bath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what says the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Romans 4:1-3. DOF 236.3

This same covenant was known to Isaac and Jacob, and in fact to all the Old Testament worthies. It is outlined in Jeremiah’s prophecies. It was spoken of by David. Thus the new covenant stretches both sides of the cross, and spans the gulf from Eden lost to Eden restored. The only reason it is spoken of as “new” is the fact that it was ratified at a later date than the Sinaitic covenant. The old covenant was ratified by Moses at Sinai with the blood of beasts; the new covenant was ratified on Calvary by the precious blood of Jesus. In that sense it is new. In every other respect it antedates the old one. DOF 237.1

No one was ever saved under the terms of the old covenant. It provided only for righteousness by works, and so held no more hope of salvation for sinners before the cross than after. All who were saved before the cross were saved under the terms of the new covenant. They were saved by faith, and not by the works of the law. Their law keeping grew out of their faith-righteousness, but did not produce it. just so it must be with us, if we would be saved under the terms of the new covenant, which provides a way of life and righteousness. DOF 237.2

“For those who are led by God’s Spirit are, all of them, God’s sons. You have not for the second time acquired the consciousness of being slaves-a consciousness which fills you with terror. But you have acquired a deep inward conviction it of having been adopted as sons-a conviction which prompts us to cry aloud, ‘Abba! our Father!’” Romans 8:12-15, Weymouth’s New Testament in Modern Speech. DOF 237.3