Classical Covenant - Federal - Theology

Christians, intellectually-oriented ones especially, are ever learning and never able to come to understanding of the truth. Or they are petulant in not wanting to come to terminal understanding of biblical doctrine.

Covenant Theology is a good example of this. Some new pious soul always wants to reorder it or accuse it or make it the servant of some specially-preferred doctrine. It is just basic, powerful Federal Theology. When you understand regeneration by the word and the Spirit (rather than ritual and man), when you see the types and the fulfillment of the types, when you have the whole and can see the parts in relation to the whole, you don't argue endlessly over a detail or eternally wring your hands that every last detail isn't as you demand it to be. It is complete. It's there. It's simple. It's elegant. Demanding unbiblical doctrine is what messes it up and complicates it and defiles it. But you should get there, in full understanding of it, if you are an elect of God, in time. If you desire more to squabble eternally and defile everything then that's another matter.

With Covenant Theology it is best to keep it simple. The outlines are set. The mechanics are fixed. Everything is framed in biblical warrant.

The Covenant of Redemption from eternity, the Covenant of Works in the Garden, the Covenant of Grace in history. The two Adams mechanics of fall and salvation. The distinctives of Federal Theology: five solas, doctrines of grace, all that is classical apostolic/Reformation era systematic theology.

Having this foundation is what is necessary. Operating upon this foundation. Standing upon the Covenant of Redemption (the Pactum Salutis) as the Magna Carta, the very constitution of the Kingdom of God, and our legal standing in the Kingdom of God. Standing upon this against all devils and all men. Fearing God alone and not fearing man.

The practice of spiritual warfare and of holiness (Christ formed in us) take place upon this foundation, in the Kingdom of God now.

Christians who walk from book-lined studies to pulpits and back to book-lined studies don't value the concrete, the terminal understanding of biblical doctrine, and they communicate that lack of valuation to those they lead and teach. The same with Christians in the academy. In fact the very way they teach, their sermonizing, to a passive audience, their impractical commenting on Bible verses and passages (like reciting a phone book), they know this is self-indulgent and doesn't deliver understanding, but they don't value delivering real understanding.

Education happens when the Holy Spirit is in us. We desire understanding. It will get done because real Christians are self-motivated and active in getting it done. But real Christianity occurs on the street. You're just screwing around until you are a Christian on the street.

The precious Christianity of the pulpit and the pew, and the shallow Christianity of the ivory tower are only worthy of mocking from where real Christianity and real Christians reside which is the street, the Way, the King's Highway, the spiritual battlefield, everyday practice of the faith.

Kingdom, warfare, holiness. The gratitude of being in God's Kingdom now, and the ability to fight the spiritual battle in Christ's army and to increase in holiness to ultimately be able to withstand in the evil day, in the full armor of God, and to stand...