Well, together we've preached through the Gospel of John up until John chapter 18,
and we've also preached through Ruth and Jonah, and a few other parts in Psalms 1 through 8.
So that's our normal method, but we've taken a special pause now this semester to do a series called Covenant Theology.
A covenant, I'll try to give a definition real quickly.
So covenant, it's been described as being more committed and in higher stakes, more binding than a normal relationship,
but it's also more warm and more personal than a mere contract.
That's what a covenant is, and the covenant is the way that God has given us to understand who He is.
How can a holy God have a covenant with people like us?
That's what we're trying to understand from God's Word.
We've seen this sermon text before, Genesis chapter 3, but we saw it with the lens of the covenant of works.
We saw the curses that Adam's sin brought on all of humanity.
Now we're going to see that same chapter, but now with the lens of the covenant of grace.
How is it that sinners under Adam's curse can receive grace?
So I'm going to read all of Genesis chapter 3, even the verse before and the verse after,
but we'll really focus on verse 15.
So this is Genesis chapter 2, verse 25.
After God created the whole world, He said,
It's very good.
The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
That sounds like an odd verse to start with,
but pay attention because that's the theme of our sermon today.
So now starting in chapter 3,
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
And He said to the woman,
Did God actually say to you,
You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?
And the woman said to the serpent,
We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
but God said,
You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden,
neither shall you touch it, lest you die.
But the serpent said to the woman,
You will not surely die,
for God knows that when you eat of it,
your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was to be desired,
to make one wise,
she took the fruit and ate it.
And she also gave some to her husband,
who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both were opened,
and they knew that they were naked.
See why it's important?
And they sewed fig leaves together,
and made themselves loincloths.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God
walking in the cool of the day.
And the man and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of the Lord God
among the trees of the garden.
But the Lord God called to the man
and said to him,
Where are you?
And he said,
I heard the sound of you in the garden,
and I was afraid,
because I was naked,
and I hid myself.
He said,
Who told you you were naked?
Have you eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you not to eat?
The man said,
The woman you gave to be with me,
she gave me the fruit of the tree,
and I ate.
Then the Lord God said to the woman,
What is this that you have done?
The woman said,
The serpent deceived me,
and I ate.
And the Lord said to the serpent,
Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock,
and above all beasts of the field.
On your belly you shall go,
and the dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
And he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.
And to the woman he said,
I will surely multiply your pain and childbearing.
In pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.
And to Adam he said,
Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,
you shall not eat of it.
Cursed is the ground because of you.
In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground.
For out of it you were taken,
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
The man called his wife's name Eve,
because she was the mother of all living.
And the Lord God made Adam,
made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin,
and clothed them.
Then the Lord God said,
Behold, the man has become like one of us,
knowing good and evil.
Now lest he reach out his hand,
and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live forever.
Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden,
to work the ground from which he was taken.
He drove out the man,
and at the east of the garden of Eden,
he placed the cherubim,
and a flaming sword that turned every way
to guard the way to the tree of life.
Chapter 4, verse 1.
And Adam knew his wife,
and she conceived and bore Cain,
saying,
I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God indeed.
You may be seated.
The Bible says that the grass withers,
and the flower fades,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Let's pray.
Father, we are here together,
under your word,
under the word of God, creator,
who spoke, and it came to be.
From your mouth came all of creation.
We praise you, Lord,
that your word goes forth still today.
We ask that by the power of your Holy Spirit,
will your word go forth,
and will you cause with power
to create anything, Lord,
that you desire in our hearts today.
Lord, may we receive the truth
that you've given us.
I pray, Lord,
that each one here, Lord,
will hear from you
what you need them to hear this morning.
I pray that you will give me clarity.
I pray that you will guard my lips,
help me to not speak anything untrue,
and even in my limitations, Lord,
I pray that your Holy Spirit
will work in my weakness,
and that Jesus Christ will be glorified
through this sermon text today, we pray.
Amen.
Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the question I want to put before you today is this.
How is your guilty soul clothed?
You and I are body and soul,
and under the curses of Adam,
our souls are guilty before the Holy God.
How is your guilty soul clothed?
I was going to say that the human species
is the only one to wear clothes,
and that used to be true.
I remember my dad's a farmer,
and I remember the first time
we were at a mall in a big city,
and this lady was walking a large poodle.
It had like a pink vest with a turtleneck,
and as it got closer,
we noticed it also had pink polish on the nails.
Maybe some of you do that to your animals.
My dad's comment,
the farmer was just something like,
poor dog.
In the USA,
$380 billion are spent every single day
in covering our bodies.
Clothing and makeup,
$380 billion industry just in America.
Around the world,
that number is $3 trillion
spent every year on covering our bodies.
We need to understand
what is it that is going to cover our soul?
And this is not a sermon against fashion.
One of the Proverbs,
I think it's Proverbs 21,
it says,
you know,
the drunkard and the sluggard
leads to wearing rags.
You know,
so it doesn't mean that we should hate,
you know,
looking nice or anything like that.
But it simply means that
if our outward efforts
are to cover up our bodies,
and maybe even it has nothing to do
with clothing or style,
maybe it has more to do with good works
or achievements,
and it's not a curse.
If we don't have to do it,
if we don't have to do it,
we don't have to do it,
then that's wired into us
from the curse.
And the bigger question is not
how can you make yourself
look good on the outside?
The real question is
what clothes your guilty soul
before the holy God?
Naturally, when we're born,
our souls are like a neglected orphan
under the abusive tyranny
of Satan himself.
That's the world a soul
is brought into.
We see from Scripture
that you and I,
we were born spiritually naked,
humiliated,
and exposed to the deadly elements
of this present evil age,
to use the language of Galatians 1.4.
That's why our guilty souls
need to be covered.
So I've done my best
with this chapter
to pull some truths
that I want to put before you
and you decide
if you think this is true as well.
Number one,
as guilty sinners,
we work to cover ourselves
because we know
our sin deserves death.
Look at verses 3 and 7.
Let's start with verse 3.
See, God made Adam good,
but Adam was not immutably good.
Adam could fall.
And in the covenant of works,
God held out to Adam life.
But under that covenant of works,
which said,
do this and live,
Adam sinned.
And now all of us
are under that same principle.
We have to work, work, work, work, work, work,
thinking we can save ourselves.
That's what we hear
in Galatians 3.12.
The one who does these works
shall live by them.
Are our works good enough?
Look at Genesis 3.3.
God said,
you shall not eat
or touch the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden
lest you die
from the lips of Eve.
She was adding on
to the law of God.
God said,
do not eat of that tree of life.
That's something God would withhold
and give for obedience.
She says,
we can't even touch it.
She knew the principle,
disobey death.
So Adam was there
ruling over the garden temple
that God made
and it was a period of probation for him.
He could have had the tree of life offered,
but instead he chose,
by his free will before the fall,
he chose to sin
and by sinning
to bring death
and condemnation
on himself
and all who would follow after him.
And that includes you and me.
Look at the effect
of Adam's sin
in verse 7.
Genesis 3.7.
The eyes of both
Adam and Eve
were opened
and they knew
that they were naked.
Their guilty conscience
was pricked.
You sinned.
God gave you a law
and you trespassed
the boundary.
And notice
what is their reaction.
What do they have to do now?
They sowed fig leaves.
They got to work
with their own hands
to try to cover themselves.
Second London Confession of Faith
chapter 7
verse paragraph 2
says that man
brought himself
under the curse of the law
by Adam's fall.
And the response
of everyone
under Adam
is that we must
now work
to cover
ourselves
before God.
In the covenant
of works
see Adam
stood before God
the creator
and there was
no mediator
between God and man.
And when he fell
he put himself
into a position
of utter
hopelessness.
He knew
how badly
he had broken
that bond
between him
and God.
God
have you had
that feeling?
I have.
I have sinned.
In an earthly sense
I deserve to be
put away on an island
all alone
and flogged
for the rest of my life.
I've sinned against God
not to mention
the harm I've done
to my loved ones
and others.
George Swinnock
a Puritan
wrote that
innocence at first
was man's
splendid robe.
How lovely
did he look
in that heaven
spun attire.
Oh just to see
the garden of Eden
with Adam and Eve.
God's perfect design
for God himself
to declare
this is very good.
Swinnock wrote
but sin
caused
shame
and shame
called
for clothes
to cover it.
You and I
when we sin
when we feel
shame
for our sin
we want to
cover our souls
we want to
clothe ourselves
somehow.
We read
in Isaiah 64 6
that all
our righteous deeds
are like
a polluted
garment.
No matter
what we try
to put on
to cover
our guilty soul
it looks like
rags
because it's
tainted by
our own sin.
Since Adam
broke the covenant
of works
all mankind
is now
utterly exposed
as being
spiritually sick
dying
isolated.
And it doesn't
just stay
in Eden
in the book
of Genesis
this is
all mankind
in Ecclesiastes
7 20
we read
for there is not
a single
just
or righteous
man
upon the whole
earth
who does
good.
and does
not
sin.
How is
your guilty
soul
clothed?
If you are
not in the
covenant of
grace
through the
work of
Jesus
as your
mediator
then you are
still under
the curses
of this
broken covenant
between God
and Adam
and your
instinct and
mine will
always be
I have to
work to
cover up
my guilt
and shame.
as guilty
sinners
we work
to cover
ourselves
because
we know
our sin
deserves
death.
The second
truth I want
to put in
front of you
is this
the fall
of Adam
it was
devastating
it bound
the will
of each
person
under
Satan
to be
naturally
incapable
of repenting
the fall
of Adam
bound
the will
of each
person
under
Satan
to be
naturally
incapable
of
repenting
let's
read verses
8-13
after they
sinned
Adam and
Eve heard
the sound
of the
Lord
walking
in the
garden
in the
cool of
the day
and the
Lord God
called to
the man
and said
where are
you
and he
said
I heard
the sound
of you
in the
garden
and I
was
afraid
because I
was naked
and I
hid
myself
he said
who told
you that
you were
naked
have you
eaten
of the
tree
which I
commanded
you
not
to
eat
can you
imagine
that
terrifying
feeling
as a
child
we've
all played
hide and
seek
and you
find a
good
spot
and you're
hiding
and at
night
kids
often will
feel a
little bit
scared
they're
thinking
something
bad
could
happen
and it's
that
combination
they're
hiding
and they're
afraid
and I
get afraid
when I
hear something
walking up
the steps
it's a
mere human
and I
don't know
what it
is
they hear
the sound
of God
entering
his temple
presence
this is a
penetrating
exposing
presence of
God
the holy
God
who fills
his temple
and pushes
everything
out of
its way
and that's
how Adam
fell from
being good
to being
an effaced
image bearer
of God
he not only
failed to
merit heaven
by his
obedience
but he has
also now
demerited
communion
and fellowship
with God
for himself
and for
all mankind
and the
foil is
set
Adam
in darkness
hiding
in fear
he's a
disgraced
prophet
priest
and king
Adam
the king
let the
enemy
infiltrate
the dominion
God had
put him
to steward
as ruler
Adam
the priest
failed to
worship God
and instead
robbed fruit
from God's
garden temple
for his
stomach
and Adam
the prophet
let Satan's
lies rule
over himself
and his
wife
instead of
the authority
of God's
word
now look at
verse 12
the man
said
as God
comes to
judge
I want you
to see how
he's incapable
of repenting
the man
says
it was the
woman
that you
gave to
be with
me
she gave
me fruit
from the
tree
and I
ate it
there's no
repentance
naturally
in fallen
man
let's see
if Eve
is any
better
look at
verse 13
then the
Lord God
turned to
the woman
and said
what is
this that
you have
done
well at
least Eve
can now
blame
Adam
who did
she learn
this
blame
shifting
from
she says
it was
the serpent
who deceived
me
and I
ate
neither
Adam
nor Eve
by nature
under the
curses
of the
fall
repent
you and
I are
no better
either
under the
curses
of sin
and death
in the
words of
Micah
3
2
we hate
the good
and we
love
the evil
that's the
bit of
our heart
see how
if we are
left in this
natural state
under the
fall
there is
no way
back
there is
no hope
Fred Malone
even pointed
out further
God
was not
morally
obligated
to give
Adam
or his
descendants
another
covenant
this is
what we
deserve
this state
fallen
broken
unrepentant
and incapable
of turning
back to
God
is that
how your
soul is
still
clothed
today
the fall
of Adam
it bound
the will
of each
person
under
Satan
to be
naturally
incapable
of repenting
well here's
the good
news
the third
point is
this
that God
promised
way back
in the
garden
to Adam
and Eve
God
promised
to change
the hearts
of his
people
not by
their work
but by
God's
sovereign
grace
God
promised
to change
the hearts
of his
people
not by
their work
but by
God's
sovereign
grace
I want to
make sure
we don't
take this
for granted
still
see by
nature
you and
I
in the
words of
Psalm
52
3
we love
evil
more than
good
and we
love
lying
more than
speaking
what is
true
but we
see the
good news
in
Genesis
chapter 3
verse 15
that's how
we are
but God
gives this
promise
in Genesis
3
15
he says
I
will put
I
will put
enmity
between you
and the
woman
God
will make
the seed
of Eve
hate
the serpent
God
will make
sin
loving
sinners
hate
their sin
this is
something
no sinner
can naturally
work into
their own
heart
this is
an early
kernel
version
of
regeneration
and it
happens by
the power
of the
word of
God
it's
word
act
God
said
let there
be
light
and there
was
light
God
said
and it
happened
God
said
I
will put
enmity
in your
heart
against
sin
and
Satan
and it
happened
we sang
this hymn
long
my
imprisoned
spirit
lay
fast
bound
in sin
and
nature's
night
that's
how we
should
be
but
God's
eye
diffused
a
quickening
ray
I
woke
the
dungeon
flamed
with
light
my
chains
fell
off
my
heart
was
free
I
rose
went
forth
and
followed
thee
this
is a
promise
of
justification
second
london
chapter
11
paragraph
6
says
that
justification
of
believers
under
the
old
testament
this
includes
adam
and
eve
it
was
in
all
respects
one
and
the
same
as
the
justification
of
believers
under
the
new
testament
how
can
that
be
Christ
hadn't
even
entered
history
see
God
applied
Christ
future
work
to
regenerate
all
those
elect
ordained
to
eternal
life
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
it
was
God
all
along
who
was
making
every
believer
in
every
generation
willing
and
ready
and
able
to
believe
in
God
through
the
mediated
work
of
God
our
confession
again
says
although
the
price
of
redemption
was
not
actually
paid
by
Christ
until
after
his
incarnation
yet
the
benefits
of
union
to
Christ
by
faith
were
communicated
to
the
elect
in
all
ages
from
the
beginning
of
the
world
we
know
this
from
passages
like
Romans
4
22
it's
God
counting
faith
receiving
the
promise
he
gave
by
faith
counting
that
as
righteousness
if
you
receive
Christ
by
faith
it
is
because
God
gave
unto
all
those
he
ordained
unto
eternal
life
his
Holy
Spirit
so
it
was
the
Holy
Spirit
in
a
different
way
it's
not
it's
not
the
church
it
was
the
Holy
Spirit
working
differently
to
cause
them
to
believe
and
to
trust
this
promise
and
the
glorious
promise
to
Adam
and
Eve
and
to
everyone
they
passed
it
on
to
is
that
God
will
change
the
hearts
of
his
people
not
by
their
work
but
by
his
sovereign
grace
has
God
changed
your
heart
in
that
way
you
know
that
naturally
you
would
not
love
God
you
would
hate
God
you
know
naturally
you
would
spend
your
Sunday
morning
any
other
way
why
are
you
here
it's
because
God
promised
to
put
enmity
in
your
heart
against
sin
and
Satan
to
speak
life
and
breathe
life
into
you
regenerate
you
and
give
you
the
gift
of
faith
in
Jesus
Christ
the
mediator
between
you
and
the
holy
God
your
creator
so
you
don't
get
any
credit
for
it
all
glory
goes
to
God
here's
the
fourth
truth
I
want
to
put
in
front
of
you
by
this
same
sovereign
grace
God
he
claims
a
people
in
every
generation
as
his
army
against
Satan
doesn't
this
remind you
of the
covenant
of
redemption
we
saw
this
in
psalm
110
his
troops
shall
be
willing
we
saw
this
in
Isaiah
53
and
notice
how
this
same
promise
in
the
covenant
of
redemption
is
given
words
in
Genesis
3
15
I
will
put
enmity
between
your
seed
your
offspring
and
her
seed
how
does
this
play
out
in
redemptive
history
well
let's
take
let's
take
this
exact
line
these
next
chapters
that
follow
in
the
book
of
Genesis
and
if
we're
reading
them
with
this
promise
in
mind
here's
how
it
plays
out
how
does
God
with
his
sovereign
grace
claim
a
people
in
every
generation
as
his
army
against
Satan
Cain
is Adam
and Eve's
son
he's a
child
of
Satan
he will
kill
Abel
who is
also
the
seed
of
Eve
but
he
will
not
kill
the
promise
God
will
give
Seth
to
preserve
the
promised
seed
a
bit
later
in
redemptive
history
it's
Pharaoh
that
great
reptile
of
the
Nile
who
tries
to
kill
the
male
seed
of
Abraham's
line
but
God
preserves
his
people
he
preserves
an
army
these
slaves
he
raises
up
out
of
Egypt
and
takes
them
to
teach
them
you
belong
to
me
later
on
under
Elijah
the
prophet
it
was
wicked
queen
Jezebel
in
first
kings
18
4
she
was
a
pawn
on
satan's
chess
board
and
she
tries
to
kill
off
all
of
God's
prophets
but
God
preserves
a
remnant
remember
the story
of
Esther
wicked
Haman
he
orders
to
wipe
out
all
the
seed
of
Abraham
through
whom
deliverance
would
come
the gospel
would be
over
God
would
have
no
seed
to carry
out
this
promise
to
Adam
and
Eve
but
God
uses
the
providence
he
places
Esther
in
the
courts
of
the
king
and
he
preserves
his
people
in
the
gospels
we
read
of
wicked
evil
king
Herod
who
killed
the
baby
boys
in
Bethlehem
trying
to
wipe
out
any
male
seed
who
would
become
the
king
and
threaten
his
throne
but
God
preserved
his
seed
God
will
win
the
war
our
confession
states
that
God
communicated
faith
to
every
generation
in
and
by
the
promises
like
this
one
and
also
the
types
and
that's
the
shadows
that
are
pointing
to
a
greater
substance
and
even
by
the
sacrificial
system
he's
showing
them
look
forward
I
will
fulfill
my
promise
God
preserves
and
saves
for
himself
in
every
single
generation
an
army
that
will
go
to
war
against
Satan
the
fifth
truth
I
want
to
put
in
front
of
you
is
that
God
saves
his
people
from
the
curses
of
sin
and
death
by
the
costly
victory
of
his
promised
seed
capital
promised
capital
seed
it's
a
person
God
saves
his
people
how
does
he
do
it
by
the
costly
victory
of
his
promised
seed
the
last
part
of
Genesis
3
15
says
that
he
the
promised
seed
shall
bruise
your
head
Satan
and
you
shall
bruise
his
heel
the
bruising
of
the
heel
speaks
to
the
cost
the
suffering
of
Jesus
but
the
bruising
of
the
serpent's
head
speaks
to
the
victory
of
Jesus
Christ
through
his
suffering
see
dear
friends
the
Bible
teaches
us
that
your
faith
in
that
work
of
the
promised
seed
that's
the
only
hope
you
and
I
have
for
our
guilty
souls
to
be
clothed
the
promised
seed
of
woman
would
go
to
battle
a
great
battle
between
the
promised
seed
Jesus
Christ
and
the
serpent
Satan
himself
whom
God
would
use
to
deliver
the
promised
people
Revelation
describes
who this
serpent
is
describes
in
Revelation
12
verse 9
it's the
great
dragon
that
was
thrown
down
that
ancient
serpent
who
is
called
the
devil
and
Satan
notice
this
description
from
Revelation
12
he
is
the
deceiver
of
the
whole
world
he
was
thrown
down
to
the
earth
and
his
angels
were
thrown
down
with
him
and
that's
how
in
Genesis
3
13
he
comes
to
deceive
Adam
and
Eve
it
was
Eve who
said
the
serpent
deceived
me
and
I
ate
so
now
all
those
under
the
curse
of
Adam's
broken
covenant
of
works
are
still
in
darkness
they
are
blind
because
they
are
being
deceived
by
Satan
and
that's
exactly
how
we
were
before
God
regenerated
and
opened
our
eyes
to
behold
the
goodness
of
God
in
Jesus
Christ
when
Jesus
came
to
the
earth
his
mission
was
to
bind
up
the
strong
man
we read
in
Mark
3
27
he's
describing
Satan
as a
strong
man
the ruler
over
this
world
and
Jesus
bound
him up
to
rescue
the
souls
of
the
elect
the
work
of
Jesus
makes
it
so
that
the
strong
man
Satan
the
deceiver
can
no
longer
deceive
the
nations
any
longer
why
is it
that
we
believe
it's
because
Satan
has
been
conquered
he
can
no
longer
deceive
us
the
Holy
Spirit
is
poured
out
for
every
people
nation
tribe
and
tongue
whoever
has
eyes
to
see
be
deceived
no
longer
believe
in the
work
of
Christ
as
your
mediator
I love
how this
musician
put it
rhythm
and rhyme
the
woman's
seed
though
bruised
and
torn
did
conquer
and
defeat
the
ancient
serpent's
head
he
crushed
beneath
his
nail
pierced
feet
oh
hear
the
mighty
lions
roaring
shaking
hoary
trees
the
murdered
lamb
his
scarlet
blood
has
broken
winter's
teeth
we have
the promise
that when
Jesus Christ
returns
he will
according to
revelation
2010
throw
the deceiving
devil into
the pit
the lake
of fire
and sulfur
where Satan
and his
lying demons
will be
tormented
day and
night
forever
and ever
that's the
promise
in a
kernel form
in
Genesis
3
15
God
saves
his
people
from
the
curses
of
sin
by
the
costly
victory
of
his
promised
seed
the
sixth
truth
I want
to put
in front
of you
is this
that
those
whom
the
Holy
Spirit
regenerates
if you
are spiritually
dead
but God
has breathed
life and
caused
you to
see
and
believe
him
you
will
receive
his
covenant
of grace
with gratitude
those whom
the Holy
Spirit
regenerates
will
receive
his
covenant
of grace
by faith
with
gratitude
see
right now
Adam and
Eve have
a promise
how do
they respond
it's
shadowy
we can't
say with
absolute
certainty
but for
them to
be in
the covenant
of grace
there must
be a
response
Walt
Chantry
a banner
of truth
author
he wrote
a covenant
is a
sovereign
arrangement
of God
by which
we may
be blessed
here's how
Adam and
Eve respond
little hints
Genesis
3 20
the man
named
his wife
Eve
because
she
was the
mother
of all
living
well we
know from
Genesis
3 3
you shall
eat
and you
shall
die
but now
he hears
this glorious
promise
I hope
Adam's in
heaven
the only
hint we
get is he
named his
wife
Eve
and Eve
in Hebrew
is Hava
and it
means to
live
to give
life
living
Adam knew
I deserve
death
my wife
no line
for us
we all
deserve
death
but God
promised
life
by grace
I want
to hope
that in
believing
and naming
his wife
life
knowing they
deserve death
very well
they found
peace
it's interesting
the only insight
we get to Eve
also relates
to giving a name
Genesis 4
verse 1
look at that
Adam knew
his wife
in the biblical
sense
and she
conceived
and bore
Cain
I received
a man
she said
with the
help
of the
Lord
our line
deserves
to be
cursed
we deserve
death
stories over
with the
help
the mercy
the grace
of the
Lord
he gave
me a
baby boy
second
London
7
2
says it
God
was
pleased
God
was
pleased
to make
a covenant
of grace
God
delighted
to stoop
down
to save
sinful
souls
like Adam
and Eve
Genesis 4
4
we read
that
as they
raised
their sons
Abel
one of the
sons
he did
bring a
sacrifice
an offering
to the
Lord
we have
to ask
where did
he learn
that
what I'm
more interested
in is
the response
of God
if you have
it in front
of you
look at
Genesis 4
verse 4
we read
that the
Lord
he had
regard
the Lord
had respect
the Lord
accepted
Abel
and his
offering
it wasn't
the offering
that God
accepted
only
that was a
means
it was a
type
a shadow
something
pointing to
something
bigger
and we
have a
covenant
here because
the Lord
is accepting
sinful
Abel
under the
curses of
Adam's fall
the Lord
looked with
favor
Fred Malone's
comment on
our confession
chapter 3
paragraph
chapter 7
paragraph 3
was this
what we see
here in a
shadowy form
is the
covenant of
grace
the covenant
of grace
is the
progressive
revelation
of the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
by farther
steps
little by
little is
this being
unveiled
revealed to
us
through the
Old Testament
prophets and
the covenants
of the
promise
using the
language of
Ephesians
2
12
the multiple
covenants
of the
singular
promise
all the
way through
the full
revelation
of the
covenant
of grace
was completed
in the
New Testament
as the
new covenant
of the
Lord Jesus
Christ
but it's
being revealed
and God's
giving faith
and he's
mediating
the grace
that Christ
would accomplish
in time
and space
he's
mediating
it to
every
generation
not by
their works
but by
the finished
work
of God
the Son
how is
your guilty
soul
clothed
there's only
one way to
receive this
spiritual
clothing
and it's
at the
foot of
the cross
of Jesus
Christ
an old
English
pastor
named
Charles
Spurgeon
spoke of
the response
you will
have of
gratitude
if you
see God
for who
he is
and you
receive
grace
Spurgeon
wrote
we experience
that there
is no
place
for comfort
like the
cross
it is a
tree
stripped
of all
foliage
and apparently
dead
that's what
the cross
is
yet we
sit under
its shadow
with great
delight
and its
fruit
is sweet
to our
taste
and that's
because those
whom the
Holy Spirit
regenerates
they will
receive
this covenant
of grace
by faith
and gratitude
well the
seventh truth
I want to put
forward is
this that the
only hope
for your
guilty soul
today
dear friends
is to be
clothed with
Christ's
righteousness
through his
unbreakable
covenant of
grace
that's the
only hope
for your
guilty soul
today
be clothed
with Christ's
righteousness
through his
unbreakable
covenant
of grace
could you
put your
eyes back
on chapter
3 verse
21
notice how
in their
shame
Adam and
Eve got
to work
and they
made clothes
for themselves
but the
grace of
God is
extended
and it's
covering them
by God's
work in
verse 21
do you see
that
God
made
for Adam
and Eve
garments
of skins
and God
clothed
them
it's like
God was
saying
oh Adam
oh Eve
your sin
deserves
death
but I'm
here to
teach you
that your
sin
it requires
that innocent
blood be
spilled
yes you're
exposed in
your sin
and shame
you know
you are
naked
your guilty
conscience
accuses
you
by grace
I will
clothe
you
I will
cover
your shame
not by
your works
but by
the work
of my
hands
and I
will teach
you
with this
substitutionary
sacrifice
by the
work of
my hands
not yours
that I
God
alone
can clothe
your guilty
soul
he would
do this
by the
work of
Jesus
which the
son
willingly
took up
in the
eternal
covenant
of
redemption
God
the
son
would
take
on
flesh
he
would
fulfill
the
work
that
Adam
failed
to
fulfill
so that
anyone
who
receives
the grace
of God
it's
by the
finished
work
of
Jesus
Christ
in
their
place
it
would
be
based
on
the
obedience
of
God
the
son
not
the
obedience
of
the
sinners
like
me
and
you
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
did
not
come
as a
grown
man
age
33
simply
to go
to
Calvary
and die
on the
cross
he
first
lived
he
first
lived
for
you
putting
himself
under
God's
law
to
fulfill
all
righteousness
and
under
the
curses
of
Adam's
broken
covenant
our
guilty
souls
can
only
be
covered
with
shame
and
we
can
only
know
that
we
must
hide
from
the
presence
of
the
holy
God
now
many
of
us
might
think
that
once
God
justifies
me
I
now
have
to
go
out
and
work
for
it
but
no
amount
of
future
obedience
can
pay
off
the
eternal
debt
that
you
and
I
owe
to
God
creator
we
are
justified
for
Christ's
sake
alone
it's
his
work
from
beginning
to
end
so
that
no
man
may
boast
we
read
in
Romans
6
17
that
by
a
single
offering
Jesus
Christ
perfected
for
all
times
those
who
are
being
sanctified
in the
book called
the
sacred
bond
brown
and
keel
they
wrote
that
the
covenant
of
grace
what it
does
is it
applies
to
sinners
the
benefits
that
Jesus
Christ
earned
for
them
by his
obedient
fulfillment
of the
covenant
of
redemption
take a
glimpse
back
from
God's
perspective
in the
words
of
Isaiah
61
10
God
sees
you
in
your
sin
naked
and
exposed
and
in
shame
deserving
death
but
God
says
I
will
greatly
rejoice
in
the
Lord
my
soul
shall
exult
in
my
God
for
he
has
clothed
me
by
the
work
of
the
son
with
the
garments
of
salvation
he
has
covered
me
with
the
robe
of
righteousness
that's
what
it
brought
the
son
such
joy
to
accomplish
he
would
be
the
robe
he
would
be
the
righteousness
in
his
life
that
God
would
take
pleasure
in
applying
and
putting
on
to
you
and
to
me
John
Owen
wrote
that
it's
the
love
of
Christ
in
mediating
the
covenant
of
grace
that
most
reveals
to
us
that
God
is
love
God's
love
is
effective
and
fruitful
in
producing
all the
good
things
that
he
wills
for
his
beloved
John
Owen
wrote
God
loves
us
into
covenant
and
God
loves
us
into
heaven
if
you're
in the
covenant
of
grace
it's
because
God
has
given
you
a
new
heart
God
has
united
you
to
Jesus
Christ
God
has
clothed
you
with
the
righteousness
of
Jesus
Christ
and
he's
done
that
all
at
once
he
declares
you
are
justified
God
looks
at
you
and
he
sees
you
fully
clothed
in
Christ
in
that
same
moment
all
he
sees
is
the
righteousness
of
Christ
what
a
comfort
we
have
in
Jesus
that's
why
we
could
sing
no
condemnation
now
I
dread
Jesus
and
all
in
him
is
mine
alive
in
him
my
living
head
and
clothed
in
righteousness
divine
bold
I
approach
the
eternal
throne
and
claim
the
crown
of
Christ
my
own
dear
friends
respond
today
in
gratitude
for
Christ
for
his
work
in
your
place
know
that
by
faith
alone
he
loves
you
into
his
covenant
of
grace
it's
the
righteousness
of
Christ
alone
that
can
cover
our
guilty
souls
be
sure
that
you
are
clothed
in
Christ
today
let's
pray
in
the
words
that
John
Calvin
wrote
sin
to
clothe
us
with
his
righteousness
Lord
we
thank
you
for
this
gift
of
belonging
to
you
in
the
covenant
of
Jesus
Christ
by
grace
alone
through
faith
in
his
finished
work
in
our
place
amen