The problem is that he has a faulty view of the Covenant of Works.

Adam was to 'fulfill all righteousness' by keeping God's law; not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Had Adam passed the test he would have 'merited' (earned) righteousness for both himself and all his posterity.

Remember, we do not speak of the state of Adam before the fall as a state of righteousness (for righteousness is spoken of those who have fulfilled God's law), but a state of innocency. Had Adam passed the test, he would have moved from a state of innocency to a state of righteousness having 'fulfilled the law'.

Christ came, to do for us what Adam failed to do; 'fulfill all righteousness' by keeping the Covenant of Works perfectly (Romans 5).

The Westminster Confession, Chapter 19.1 sums this up...

"I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it."

Piper's position is indeed a step away from historic Reformed orthodoxy in regards to the Covenant of Works. In the posted statement, he denies that Adam was to 'earn' anything; rather he was to trust God when his faith was tested. This position is guilty of conflating the Covenant of Works with the Covenant of Grace in similar manner as the FV advocates [though I am most certain that is not Piper's intent nor am I accusing him of heading in that direction]. It also makes Romans 5 senseless.

To clarify...The correct view of the Covenant of Works is...It was not Adam's faith that was being tested, it was his obedience to God's law while he was in a state of innocency. In failing to do that, Adam earned sin and death for himself and his posterity. Remember, the "wages" (that which we have earned, 'merited') of sin is death.

However, God provided another way to Himself by faith in the person of His Son who succeeded where Adam failed. As Adam failed to merit righteousness for himself and his posterity, Christ succeeded. This is why the active obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law is so important. It is that obedience that is imputed to us by faith just as it is Adam's disobedience that was imputed to us in Original Sin. (again see Romans 5)

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Robert Truelove
Pastor
Christ Reformed Church
Lawrenceville, GA