What does it mean to trust the covenant promises of God?

sotzo · #1 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 09:02 AM

Is there an expectation that believers should rightly connect with His promises? Clearly if so, that expectation may not correlate with how He chooses to direct things. For example, we claim the covenant promises of salvation for our children at baptism, yet not all who are baptized are elect. (BTW, not intending to get into the paedo / credo debate here...just using it as an example for my question as to how our expectations should align with God's promises.)

Poimen · #2 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 12:38 PM

The promises are given to all covenant members but are only fulfilled in the lives of the elect. And since the covenant of grace is wider than election, covenant promises by their very nature extend to the visible church. See Romans 9:1-5.

We should also note that not every promise is unconditional; some are conditioned on faith and repentance so that every person can know and hear them but not everyone appropriates them.

sotzo · #3 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poimen

The promises are given to all covenant members but are only fulfilled in the lives of the elect. And since the covenant of grace is wider than election, covenant promises by their very nature extend to the visible church. See Romans 9:1-5.

We should also note that not every promise is unconditional; some are conditioned on faith and repentance so that every person can know and hear them but not everyone appropriates them.

But since we don't know exactly who the elect are, how do we appropriate a promise other than for my own election? I can subjectively appropriate the Spirit's testifying that I am His, but how do we appropriate a promise about someone else (namely our baptized children) if we cannot really know if the promise applies to them?

Perhaps an example would help here (albeit very poor in light of the subject matter!)...

Suppose I tell all my children that their grandfather promises that if they make straight A's he will pay for their entire first year of college. My wife and I encourage them in a way that communicates, "Grandfather will make good on his promise, so study hard!". My children do study hard and end up making straight A's. It comes time for college and their grandfather says, "OK, I'm paying for only one of you...the other 2 children don't get the benefit of the original promise."

I know the nature of the promise is such that it can only logically extend to the elect, yet to rest on a promise, there must be (in a sense) a binary character to it...if X, then Y. Otherwise the promise becomes so highly qualified or not understandable that it ceases to bring the soul the comfort or rest on the sure Rock that is Christ...so, again in a sense, the subjective assurance that God will do what he says he will do can only be as rock solid as the objectivity of the promise itself. thoughts?

Poimen · #4 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sotzo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poimen

The promises are given to all covenant members but are only fulfilled in the lives of the elect. And since the covenant of grace is wider than election, covenant promises by their very nature extend to the visible church. See Romans 9:1-5.

We should also note that not every promise is unconditional; some are conditioned on faith and repentance so that every person can know and hear them but not everyone appropriates them.

But since we don't know exactly who the elect are, how do we appropriate a promise other than for my own election? I can subjectively appropriate the Spirit's testifying that I am His, but how do we appropriate a promise about someone else (namely our baptized children) if we cannot really know if the promise applies to them?

Perhaps an example would help here (albeit very poor in light of the subject matter!)...

Suppose I tell all my children that their grandfather promises that if they make straight A's he will pay for their entire first year of college. My wife and I encourage them in a way that communicates, "Grandfather will make good on his promise, so study hard!". My children do study hard and end up making straight A's. It comes time for college and their grandfather says, "OK, I'm paying for only one of you...the other 2 children don't get the benefit of the original promise."

I know the nature of the promise is such that it can only logically extend to the elect, yet to rest on a promise, there must be (in a sense) a binary character to it...if X, then Y. Otherwise the promise becomes so highly qualified or not understandable that it ceases to bring the soul the comfort or rest on the sure Rock that is Christ...so, again in a sense, the subjective assurance that God will do what he says he will do can only be as rock solid as the objectivity of the promise itself. thoughts?

First of all as I noted not all promises are unconditional which obviously means that some are. God adopts our covenant children as His own, His possession, and promises to be their God and they will be His people, without respect to election or reprobation. The non-elect never really appropriate the promise insofar as they do not receive it by faith but that does not change the fact that it is theirs by virtue of their covenant membership. These promises are theirs as Paul makes clear in Romans 9:1-5. (note vs. 4 "promises").

As far as the promises of salvation we appropriate them by faith. Faith is a gift of God which He has decreed that only His elect will receive. Those who exercise such faith in profession and a godly walk demonstrate their election to us; this is the only way we can know. Beyond that we dare not walk or go (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Yes that is a poor example. Because when God promises He does not renege on his original promise. (Hebrews 6:16-17) God does not promise a reward for those who diligently seek Him and then arbitrarily reject those who come in true faith because they were not elect (Hebrews 11:6). Unless I have misunderstood you, you are actually positing a caricature of Calvinism: God takes you to heaven even if you don't want to and will reject you even if you don't want to be there because you aren't elect (though I do not believe that was your intent).

When God elects His elect people He does so with their eternal salvation in mind (think Romans 8:28-29: unto glorification). As we noted, we respond in faith as part of God's decree for that salvation. That decree includes working through covenant lines to a thousand generations and not apart from it (think Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David etc.). The outward administration of the covenant promises many things even to the non-elect but only brings true or eternal blessings to the elect of God. "Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect obtained it and the rest were blinded" Romans 11:7

My subjective assurance or experience is, then, as you pointed out, based upon God's promise as received by faith (not by sight). Abraham was assured of what God said concerning the generations that would follow even before his wife had issued a child. He believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

With regards to our children then we raise them in the knowledge and grace of those promises trusting in due time that the Lord will show forth His sovereign work in their lives, in part, using our feeble and sinful efforts of instruction, worship and godly living. God has promised to bless us and our seed: take Him at His word and live accordingly brother. (Psalm 103:17-18)