The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Real Plan
    • Chapter 1 - In the Beginning
    • Chapter-2-After the Beginning
    • Chapter 3 - Kingdom
    • Chapter 4 - Earth in the Kingdom or Kingdom on Earth
    • Chapter 5 - Original Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 7 - Kingdom on the Degenerated Earth
    • Chapter 8 - Tribulation
    • Chapter 9 - Kingdom on the Regenerated Earth
    • Chapter 10 - New Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 11 - Covenant
    • Chapter 12 - Major Covenants of the Bible
    • Chapter 13 - Eternal Covenant
    • Chapter 14 - Renovation Covenant
    • Chapter 15 - Covenants for Israel
  • Real Church
    • Real Fundamentals >
      • Chapter 16 - Real Church
      • Chapter 17 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Calling
      • Chapter 19 - Parables
      • Chapter 20 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
      • Chapter 21 - Description
    • Real Legality >
      • Chapter 22 - Law
      • Chapter 23 - Transgression
      • Chapter 24 - Justification
    • Real Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 25 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 26 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 27 - Birth
      • Chapter 28 - Dependent Life
      • Chapter 29 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 30 - Rule of Life
      • Chapter 31 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 32 - Faith
    • Real Composition >
      • Chapter 33 - Headship
      • Chapter 34 - Body
      • Chapter 35 - Women
    • Real Incarnation >
      • Chapter 36 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 37 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 38 - Manifestation
    • Real Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 39 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 40 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Real Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 41 - Values
      • Chapter 42 - Prayer
      • Chapter 43 - Works
      • Chapter 44 - Giving
    • Real Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 45 - Governance
      • Chapter 46 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 47 - Gatherings
      • Chapter 48 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 49 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 50 - Practice
    • Real Growth >
      • Chapter 51 - Growth
      • Chapter 52 - Exponential Growth
    • Real Warfare >
      • Chapter 53 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 54 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 55 - Sovereignty of God
      • Chapter 56 - Warfare
      • Chapter 57 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 58 - Freedom
      • Chapter 59 - Incomparable Power
      • Chapter 60 - Armor
      • Chapter 61 - Full Armor
  • Real Reformation
    • Chapter 62 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 63 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 64 - Divine Reformation
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 65 - Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 13 - Eternal Covenant
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(Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23-24; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21)

The satisfaction of all the major covenants initiated in time was made possible by the blood of the Eternal Covenant. It provided the sole means by which fallen mankind could be restored to life shared with God.

                                       Covenant of Life

The redemptive Eternal Covenant is a covenant of life (zoe). It was initiated in eternity and fulfilled in time by the members of the Godhead.
    
The stipulations of the Eternal Covenant included the willing death of the Son and His subsequent resurrection by the Father. The Spirit empowered the earthly ministry and death of the incarnate Son and applied its unconditional benefit to elect human beings.

  
                                      Covenantal Role

The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant. He not only sent the Son to earth in human flesh but foreknew; predestined; elected; and called the fallen human beings whom He knew would respond in faith.

The Son, Jesus Christ, is the mediator of the Eternal Covenant. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6) In His role of mediation, He willingly experienced incarnation and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for all human sin.

The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant. He facilitated the incarnation, earthly ministry and sacrificial death of the Son. (Acts 2:23-24; Romans 4:25; 5:8; 8:32; Hebrews 9:14, 9:26; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 4:10) In addition, the Spirit of God applied the benefit of the Eternal Covenant to the elect.

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“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” (Isaiah 42:6-7)
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“But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” (Isaiah 53:10)

“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:20-21)

Concordant with the perfections of His nature, God fulfilled the stipulations of the Eternal Covenant exactly as promised. The Father “brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood.” (NLT) (Hebrews 13:20; cf. Acts 13:30; Romans 6:4; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:21)                

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                                      Covenantal Benefit

Fundamentally, the benefit of the Eternal Covenant is twofold. It graciously provides its beneficiary with new law and new life.
    
The new covenantal law of the Eternal Covenant is the “law of Christ." It is also described in the New Testament as the “law of faith,” the “law of the Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus, the "perfect law” and the “law of liberty” and often referred to in this book as the “rule of life.” (Romans 3:27; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; James 1:25; 2:12) The law of the Eternal Covenant is often referred to in this book as the "rule of life."
    
The new law of the Eternal Covenant ensures that the fallen are made legally suitable with God and thus, worthy to receive new life.
    
The new covenantal life associated with the Eternal Covenant is life shared with Jesus Christ, the mediator of the covenant. There is no greater privilege.

                                                             
                                  Covenantal Obligations


The obligations of the Godhead in the fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant can be summarized as follows:
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The Father: Covenant Origination
The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant. In eternity, He elected and called the fallen human beings whom He foreknew would respond by faith. In the fullness of time, the Father sent the Son to earth to pay the debt for all human sin by His sacrificial death. As promised, the Father resurrected the Son. 
(Isaiah 53:10; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 4:3; 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 13:8; 17:8; etc.)
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Covenant Obligations:
References:
  • Election
Deuteronomy 4:37; 7:6-7; Isaiah 44:1-2; Matthew 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke 18:7; John 6:37-39; Acts 4:28; 9:15; 22:14; 26:16; 9:15; Romans 8:29-30; 33; 9:11; 11:5,7, 28; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; 2:10; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:2; 2:4, 6, 9; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 17:14
  • Call (effectual)
Acts 2:39; Romans 1:6, 7; 8:29-30; 9:11, 24, 11:29;  1 Corinthians 1:2, 9, 24, 26; Galatians 1:6; 15; 5:8, 13; Ephesians 1:18; 4:1; 4; Philippians 3:14; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2:14; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 3:1; 9:15; 11:18; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:9; 21; 5:10; 2 Peter 1:3, 10; Jude 1; Revelation 17:14
  • Commission (sent the Son to earth to fulfill the divine mission)
John 3:17, 34, 5:23-24, 26, 30, 36-38, 6:29, 38-39, 44, 57, 7:16, 28-29, 8:16, 18, 26, 29, 42, 9:4, 10:36, 11:42, 12:44-45, 49, 13:16, 20, 14:24, 15:21,16:5, 28, 17:3, 18:21, 23, 25, 20:21
  • Resurrection
Acts 13:30; Romans 6:4; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21
  • Justification
Romans 3:21-26; 4:25; 8:32; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:13-14
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The Son: Covenant Mediation 
The Son is the mediator of the Eternal Covenant. He willingly went to earth to fulfill a mediatorial role between God and fallen man. For three years, the incarnate Son visibly demonstrated the qualifications necessary to fulfill His stipulated role of mediation. He announced the Good News, spoke the words of God, healed the sick and brokenhearted, released the captives, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, and, subsequently, offered His life as the sacrificial payment for the debt of all human sin. As a consequence, Jesus fully satisfied the covenantal offices of prophet, priest, and king.
(1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24)
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Covenant Obligations:
References:
  • Incarnation
John 1:1-5; 14; 18; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9
Mediation:
 
  • Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 4:18-21; 13:33; Acts 3:22
  • Priest
  1. Sacrifice
  2. Intercede​
Psalm 110:4; Isaiah 53:12; John 17; Acts 2:23-24; Romans 4:25; 5:8; 8:32-34; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14-16; 5:5-6; 6:20; 7:25-26; 8:1; 9:26; 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5; 3:18; 1 John 4:10
  • King
Isaiah 9:6-7; Psalms 2:6; 45:6; 110:1-2; Luke 1:33; John 18:36-37; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:11; Revelation 19:16
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The Spirit: Covenant Application
The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant. Ensuring its fulfillment on earth, the Spirit of God facilitated the incarnation of the Son, the satisfaction of His mediatorial covenant offices, and His sacrificial death. He has also provided for the dissemination of the Good News of the Eternal Covenant on earth and applied it to the elect through conviction, regeneration, sealing, and sanctification. 
(Matthew 1:18, 20; 3:16; 4:1; 12:18; Luke 1:35; 3:21-22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21;
Mark 1:10-12; John 3:34; 6:63; Romans 1:4; 5:5; 14:17; 2 Corinthians 3:7-8;
1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 5:6)

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Covenant Obligations:
References
Declaration/Propagation
Matthew 10:20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12; John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 26; Acts 1:2; 8; 2:4; 17-18; Romans 8:16; 15:18-21; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 10-14; Galatians 5:25; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6; 1 Peter 1:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21
Conviction
Zechariah 12:10; John 16:7-11
Regeneration/Spiritual Birth
John 3:3-7; 6:63; 7:37-39; Titus 3:5-6
Seal/Pledge/Guarantee of eternal security
2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14
Sanctification
Romans 15:16; Galatians 3:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2
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With foreknowledge of the fall of mankind, God graciously initiated the Eternal Covenant of life (zoe) before creation. By its fulfillment in time, He paid the ultimate price for restoring fallen man to kingdom citizenship. Consequently, the real New Testament church is privileged to know God in the most personal and intimate manner possible.



© 2022 James Hiatt  
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