Reformed Covenant Theology articulates the divine economy of salvation through three principal covenants:

1. The Eternal Covenant of Redemption: At the heart of all covenants lies this unspoken, eternal agreement within the Godhead. It’s not just a legal or formal agreement but an expression of the divine love among the Trinity. The Father’s love for the Son, the Son’s love for us, and the Spirit’s participation in this divine economy of salvation, form the eternal backdrop against which all earthly covenants are painted. This covenant shows us that redemption was always part of God’s plan, rooted in His love (Ephesians 1:4-5, 2 Timothy 1:9, Revelation 13:8).

2. The Covenant of Creation (Life or Works): Adam, as the representative head, was placed in a garden-temple to serve and guard, to live out a covenantal relationship with God through trust and obedience. God promised continued fellowship with Adam, as well as greater blessing, life, and glory on the condition of obedient faith. Adam’s role was to believe God, take Him at His Word, and obey His Law, especially God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The consequence of disobedience was death, and not just mere physical death for Adam, but because Adam was the covenant head/federal representative of all of mankind (as Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 teach us), when Adam sinned, this covenant was broken, leading to the entrance of sin and physical death into the world, along with spiritual death, covenantal death, and condemnation. All those in Adam—all of humanity by nature—are now conceived in iniquity and born into sin with a sin nature being totally depraved. In Adam all die and are condemned by his original sin, as well as their own. Adam’s task was not just about keeping rules but about living in God’s presence, enjoying His fellowship. The fall, therefore, was not merely disobedience but a rupture in this relationship, necessitating a restoration that only grace can achieve.

3. The Covenant of Grace: In this covenant, God promises forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life to those who respond in faith. The Covenant of Grace is revealed in Genesis 3:15, but finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who, as the Mediator, accomplishes the requirements of the covenant on behalf of believers (Hebrews 9:15). The Covenant of Grace is seen as the overarching covenant throughout the Bible, manifesting in various forms across biblical history (Ephesians 2:12-13). Adam failed to keep covenant with God, but because God is gracious, the Adamic covenant gave way to the Covenant of Grace. The Covenant of Grace unfolds through various administrations:

• Adamic Covenant: Even in the shadow of the Fall, God promises redemption. This covenant is not just about survival but about transforming the dominion mandate into a redemptive mission where the seed of the woman triumphs over the serpent.
• Noahic Covenant: After the flood, God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 9) is a covenant of preservation, ensuring the continuation of this redemptive narrative through the preservation of life and the establishment of societal order under God’s Law. This isn’t just about survival but about re-establishing the world as God’s dwelling place among men, symbolized by the rainbow, a sign of peace and covenantal commitment.
• Abrahamic Covenant: God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12, 15, 17) extends this grace to the nations through his offspring, with circumcision as the sign of inclusion into God’s covenant community. This covenant anticipates a vast spiritual progeny through faith, ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
• Mosaic Covenant: While often seen as a covenant of law, it’s fundamentally about grace, revealing God’s standard of holiness, our inability to meet it, and the necessity of a mediator. The ceremonial laws prefigure Christ, the civil laws provide for societal righteousness, and the moral law continues to guide life in Christ.
• Davidic Covenant: God’s promise to David of an eternal dynasty (2 Samuel 7) is a beacon of hope, pointing to the Messiah, whose reign will have no end, bringing nations under the rule of the Prince of Peace.
• New Covenant: Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 31:31-34) and its fulfillment in Christ (Matthew 26:28) bring the whole law into the heart, providing internal transformation, direct access to God, and a covenant where God’s law is not just written on stone but on the hearts of His people.

These covenants are not isolated events but interconnected threads in the tapestry of God’s redemptive plan, with each covenant building on the last towards Christ’s ultimate revelation. This theology recognizes the continuity of God’s promises, the centrality of Christ in both the Old and New Testaments, and the church’s role in continuing this covenantal mission. Faith in Christ, as the ultimate covenantal mediator, is the key to partaking in the blessings of these covenants, reflecting a dynamic, living covenant community that actively engages with the world to bring all under Christ’s dominion.