Is There But One Eternal Covenant of Salvation?

Is There But One Eternal Covenant of Salvation?

Dear Bro. John:
Concerning the so called One Covenant. Visiting preachers came to the Philippines and said, "God established one eternal covenant of salvation." Can you prove for me that the scriptures teach that the New Covenant rally is new: New in Time and New in Kind?
-Jacob

Dear Bro. Jacob:
The "One Covenant" doctrine that you described in your letter is a mixture of truth and error. It is true that God, before the foundation of the world, knew man would need redemption and planned that His Son would save us by his death.

Paul wrote about the "eternal purpose which (God) purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3:11).

John describes Jesus as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).

God chose us in Christ "before the foundation of the word" (Eph. 1:4)

In Eden God said, the seed of the woman would bruise the Serpent's head (Gen. 3:15).

God told Abraham that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). This is universally understood to be prophetic of the salvation of men of every nation by Christ.

Before God could bring about the great salvation of the human family he had first to raise up a righteous people from which he would be born. Thus he set apart the Hebrews as a nation and gave them a righteous law. Fifteen hundred years passed as He educated and disciplined them so there would be a righteous remnant who would be the first to follow Christ.

John the Baptist was sent to prepare a people for him (Matt. 3:3).

Jesus himself was born under the law and grew up observing it (Gal. 4:4). However in his death he took the old law out of the wall, nailing it to the cross (Col. 2:14-27).

The blood of Jesus will save all who faithful served God regardless of the age in which they lived (Rom. 3:23-26).

It is clearly stated that Jesus has given us a "new covenant" that has superceded the old covenant made with Israel through Moses.

"he is the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises. For if first covenant had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second." "Behold the days come saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel...not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers..." (Heb. 8:6-9).

Our New Covenant is different in numerous ways from that of the Old Covenant. We have a different sacrifice, a different high priest, a different worship, a different means of salvation, a different code and a different reward and hope and more. This is clearly set forth in the Book of Hebrews.

To say there are not two great covenants (Not to mention other lesser ones), is to say the writer of Hebrews is mistaken.

Now if one should say that God has had but one primary plan and purpose from the beginning, that being to save humanity by the sacrificial death of his Son, we would have to agree. If one should say that the New Covenant is the fulfillment of God's ancient promise or to say that New and Old Covenants both came from God, we would concede the point. But to insist there is only one covenant of salvation is a misrepresentation of the facts and confusing to people.

Sincerely,

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