One of the values of our church is to be a family defined by God’s covenant of grace. During the introduction of my sermon from Ephesians 2.19-22, I spent a few minutes reviewing the various administrations of the covenant of grace. From the first hint of the covenant of grace in Genesis 3.15, I quickly traveled through Noah, Abraham (and his son and grandson), Moses, King David, and the expression of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31.
For more on this subject, I encourage you to listen to Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ sermon from Romans 9.4-5 called, “God’s Covenants” (also here). If you didn’t know already, the Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust makes many of his sermons freely available.
In Romans 9.4 we find the word, covenant, in the plural. This also happens in Ephesians 2.12, covenants of promise. For this reason, Lloyd-Jones takes his listeners on a glorious tour of the various administrations of the one covenant of grace throughout Scripture.
In this sermon, he references a Westminster Theological Seminary professor at the time, John Murray. He cites Murray’s article in The Encyclopedia of Christianity (vol. 3), published in 1972, but unavailable in digital form. You can find this article in the works of John Murray, vol. 4, pages 216 to 240 but, again, not in digital form.
Let me suggest that you get most of the same content in Murray’s short work, just 16 pages, The Covenant of Grace. This is available in PDF or on this web page. Published by a British publisher in 1954, I am sure Lloyd-Jones had a copy in his library.
If the idea of the covenant is new to you, listen to the Lloyd-Jones sermon. As you have time, consider Murray’s short book. For a lengthier introduction, try the wonderful little book by Jonty Rhodes, Covenants Made Simple. Jonty is the Presbyterian minister and church planter of Christ Church Central in Leeds, England.
