Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

word. Brakel virtually takes this position, but he is not in line with the majority. They
realized very well that a covenant of grace, which in no sense of the word included
others than the elect, would be purely individual, while the covenant of grace is
represented in Scripture as an organic idea. They were fully aware of the fact that,
according to God’s special revelation in both the Old and the New Testament, the
covenant as a historical phenomenon is perpetuated in successive generations and
includes many in whom the covenant life is never realized. And whenever they desired
to include this aspect of the covenant in their definition, they would say that it was
established with believers and their seed. It should be borne in mind, however, that this
description of the second party in the covenant does not imply that the covenant is
established with men in the quality of believers, for faith itself is a fruit of the covenant.
Dr. Bavinck correctly says: “Maar het verbond der genade gaat aan het geloof vooraf.
Het geloof is geen voorwaarde tot het verbond, maar in het verbond; de weg, om al de
andere goederen van dat verbond deelachtig te worden en te genieten.” 53 The
description “believers and their seed” merely serves as a convenient practical
designation of the limits of the covenant. The question of harmonizing these two
aspects of the covenant will come up later on. The covenant of grace may be defined as
that gracious agreement between the offended God and the offending but elect sinner, in which
God promises salvation through faith in Christ, and the sinner accepts this believingly,
promising a life of faith and obedience.
C. THE CONTENTS OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE.
1. THE PROMISES OF GOD. The main promise of God, which includes all other
promises, is contained in the oft-repeated words, “I will be a God unto thee, and to thy
seed after thee.” Gen. 17:7. This promise is found in several Old and New Testament
passages which speak of the introduction of a new phase of the covenant life, or refer to
a renewal of the covenant, Jer. 31:33; 32:38-40; Ezek. 34:23-25,30,31; 36:25-28; 37:26,27; II
Cor. 6:16-18; Heb. 8:10. The promise is fully realized when at last the new Jerusalem
descends out of heaven from God, and the tabernacle of God is pitched among men.
Consequently we hear the last echo of it in Rev. 21:3. This grand promise is re-echoed
time and again in the jubilant exaltation of those who stand in covenant relationship to
God, “Jehovah is my God.” This one promise really includes all other promises, such as
(a) the promise of various temporal blessings, which often serve to symbolize those of a
53 That is, “But the covenant of grace precedes faith. Faith is not a condition to the covenant, but in the
covenant; the way to obtain possession of and to enjoy all the other blessings of the covenant.” Roeping en
Wedergeboorte, p. 108.
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