Jason,<br><br>I disagree that the covenant is more closely associated with the administration rather than the establishment of it. The administration serves the establishment and not the reverse. I would suggest that the all the promises are directed toward the people of God, and to them alone. God promised Adam that the Seed would crush the serpent’s head. He promised Noah that He would preserve the world (in order that He might redeem the world). God promised Abraham that He would be the father of many nations and that redemption would come to his (spiritual) offspring through the one singular Seed, who is Christ. God promised David that a King would come to rule over the hearts and minds of Abraham's offspring and that the laws given to Moses would be etched upon the hearts of His people; and that they would walk in His statutes and keep His commands (not perfectly of course). All of these covenants of promise are without condition. Accordingly they are made to the people of God, who receive the one promise by faith through the administration of the covenant. The promise is that God will be the God of His people. Christ's vicarious life was His covenantal-life; His intercession is His covenantal-intercession; and His atonement is His covenantal atonement. There is no universality about it. The covenant is as particular as election is.<br><br>You state: <blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Without going into great exegetical detail, I would suggest that the promise to be God to Abraham and his descendents is just that, the promised blessings of the covenant, but not necessarily the covenant itself. The covenant is identified with circumcision (what we have called the external administration of the covenant)….Again, the covenant is more closely connected with the outward administration here, though I would agree with you that the establishment of the covenant, or the realization of the promise connected with the covenant are only fulfilled in the elect. There are other places in Scripture where the covenant would be closely associated with the outward administration, such that God is said to make a covenant with a group of people that is clearly mixed with elect and non-elect, for instance:</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>It seems as if you are trying to draw some distinction between the “promised blessing” and “the covenant itself.” What do you think the covenant itself is? The covenant is a mutually binding compact that is sovereignly transacted by the Lord, wherein a promise is made that calls for trust on the part of those who are intended to receive the covenant-promise. The promise, in other words, is contained within the covenant. It’s a covenant of promise, not of condition. That’s the point! Since the promise is particular, the compact must be made with those to whom the promise is made. As you know, Paul reminds the gentile believers at Ephesus that prior to receiving the gift of Christ, they were strangers to the covenants (plural) of promise (Singular). There were many covenants pertaining to one Promise – Christ. Since the covenant is a covenant of promise we may not pit the promised blessing against the covenant itself. <br><br>Simply because God determined to have the church administer the covenant to the children of professing believers does not nullify the fact that the covenant is one of promise. We agree that only the children of the promise receive what the covenant contemplates. When people within the visible church do not exercise faith and receive the promise, it is not because the promise has failed but rather it is because such people are not the children of the promise! The administration of the covenant cannot nullify, change or alter the promise of the covenant, which is made with the elect in Christ. <br><br>I must say that I’m having a difficult time interacting with your position because it seems a bit vague at least to me. I feel as if I’m trying to put into words what you might mean, and then trying to interact with your position. <br><br>Sorry if I missed your point.<br><br>Blessings,<br><br>Ron<br>
