Without the covenant of redemption, the only other covenant in this list that could exist is the first one: the covenant of works. The covenant of redemption was established before creation and is the pact between the persons of the Trinity in which the Father sends the Son to do the work of redemption, the Son submits to the Father’s will, and the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of the Son’s accomplished work to believers (Ps. 40:6–8). As a reward for his obedience, the Father gifts the Son with glory and an everlasting kingdom.

God always keeps his promises. In “2 Kinds of Covenants in the Bible You Need to Know,” we looked at the two main kinds of promises in the Bible: conditional and unconditional covenants. At first glance, these covenants can seem like strange practices from the long-ago past that have no relevance for us today, but nothing could be further from the truth. Following is a brief explanation of the eight significant covenants of the Bible—and what each one means for you personally.
1. The Covenant of Works (Conditional)
God made a conditional covenant with Adam in the garden of Eden. Adam was supposed to obey all God’s commands to earn the right to eat from the tree of life and merit eternal life. Adam rebelled against God and earned instead death and condemnation for himself and all his descendants (Gen. 2:17–18; Gen. 3).
What does this covenant mean for you personally? Because all humans come from Adam and were represented by him, they are all under this same covenant and guilty of failing to keep it (Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21–22). Because God is holy, you are at enmity with God based on your own imperfect works. Furthermore, because you have a sinful nature due to the corruption resulting from Adam’s fall, you commit more sins that heap more guilt upon you.
2. The Covenant of Grace (Unconditional)
We first find the unconditional covenant of grace in Genesis 3:15 where God promises that a savior will come who will crush the head of the serpent (i.e. Satan). In the covenant of grace, people are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone because of Christ’s perfect keeping of the law and his perfect and complete sacrifice once and for all for sin (Rom. 5:12–21; Heb. 7:27; 10:14).
What does this covenant mean for you personally? Because you are sinful, you can never keep God’s law perfectly and be pure in order to stand in his presence. Through faith in Christ alone, you are declared righteous in God’s sight, are forgiven of your sins, have peace with your Creator, and have been gifted all the rights and privileges as God’s child for eternity (Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 5:1; 8:15).
3. The Noahic Covenant (Unconditional)
In the unconditional Noahic covenant, God made a promise to Noah to never again bring a flood to destroy the earth (Gen. 9:1–17). God instituted the Noahic covenant to preserve the earth so that humans would not destroy each other, in order that the savior, Jesus Christ, could come at the appointed time in God’s redemptive plan.
What does this covenant mean for you personally? Since Christ has come and done his saving work, God “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 2:9).
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It is good and right to speak up about all women being respected in the church. It is good and right to acknowledge the many ways women contribute to the nurturing of the body of Christ. May Christian men continue to support and encourage their sisters in Christ in both large and small ways to use their gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, life experience, and efforts in all their vocations, including their calling in the church, to the glory of God alone.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about how to rightly love and respect women in the church. Here are nine ways Christian men can communicate to women that they are valued members of the body of Christ.

Let women know you care about them.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to let women know you care about them, and your efforts will almost always be appreciated. Women have a wide spectrum of interests that goes far beyond what are commonly considered women’s topics. Sometimes men can assume that women don’t care about theology, but this is often far from the mark. Women want to grow in theological knowledge, for theology is about life with God.
Both women and men are image-bearers of God and have many of the same concerns, anxieties, hopes, disappointments, and dreams. Women can tell if men are genuinely interested in talking with them. When a man shows interest in what a woman is saying and values her thoughts expressed, he is showing respect for her. Women want opportunities to care about their brothers in Christ in the same way.

Take women’s concerns with seriousness and respect.

A woman may approach you as a pastor, elder, deacon, or layperson in the church with a concern she has regarding the sinful behavior of someone in her family, church, or community toward her or someone she knows. Always give her the honor of taking her words seriously and with respect.
As you also take the necessary action to protect her and others from harm, keep in mind that the woman may need help going through the Matthew 18 process due to safety factors. While it’s possible that she could be lying, please remember that it often takes much courage for a woman to speak up. She or someone she knows may face retribution for bringing the problem to light. By reaching out to you a woman may be risking her own physical, emotional, and spiritual safety and that of all others connected to the matter. Don’t brush her off or devalue her concerns, hoping the problem will go away or be resolved on its own.

Encourage women to grow in theological knowledge.

It is often the case that women who love theology also enjoy teaching or mentoring other women. Perhaps they want to write about Christian topics and have their writing published. Even though women are not ordained as officers, growing in knowledge and wisdom in theology is for all the saints. Wonderful ways for women and men to grow in such knowledge are theological education in the church, robust reading, and even attending seminary (Col. 1:9-10; 3:1-2, 16). Point them to sound books and resources that will help them develop discernment on Christian doctrine and application.
If a woman is interested in studying theology at a more advanced level, encourage her to attend seminary to acquire a formal education. Being associated with a sound seminary brings with it the additional responsibility to represent the school honorably, both while in school and after graduation, and this is a good thing. This benefit of association is a blessing because it helps keep men and women safe within the confessional boundaries of the historical church. Furthermore, a seminary education benefits women in building professional connections in both academic and pastoral spheres that would be difficult to acquire otherwise.

Be open to opportunities to mentor women.

Women don’t have the same opportunities men have to connect with pastors and theologians (who are mostly male) on a casual level, such as meeting up at a local coffee shop to engage in robust theological debate. If you are someone with advanced knowledge of the Christian faith and nuanced theological matters, consider some God-honoring ways in which you could be of help to women.
It is clear wisdom that pastors cannot mentor women in the same way as men, but in group settings pastors and elders can create opportunities for women to participate in theological discussion. You could also take some time to review a woman’s written work to ensure her content is sound and a blessing to the church. It is far better to catch problematic teaching before it is published, especially when it comes to anything in print, as it is far more difficult to revise. While you don’t have to say yes to every request from a woman to advise her or review her writing, doing so now and then is a wonderful way to support a sister in Christ.

Treat women (and men) with grace.

It’s certainly in keeping with the golden rule to give people the benefit of the doubt where we can and show grace to them. For example, if someone has written something that concerns you, consider reaching out to the person personally before making a critical comment online. Just because the author is a woman, don’t rush to assume she meant to challenge the orthodox teachings of the historic church. It may be that her wording was not as clear as she meant it to be; it may also be that she is lacking in some knowledge.
While many people assume that anything posted publicly online is fair game for public criticism, that doesn’t mean it’s wise to immediately post your concerns. A significant problem with Christian blogging is that authors don’t always have their content adequately reviewed before posting it. While believers have liberty in Christ to publish God-honoring Christian content, they need to exercise much wisdom in doing so.
Women should be prepared to receive criticism when any content of theirs is published. If a woman wants to be respected at the same level as a man for her theological knowledge, she should expect to be treated the same in the public sphere. Still, we’re all human and make mistakes. Give her the opportunity to correct her error before pointing it out online. Most men would likely appreciate the same courtesy as well. This is one way to love one another in the church. Sadly, many online critiques are harsh and unnuanced, showing little or no effort made to pursue the truth in love. If you still think it’s best to criticize someone publicly, also pray for the person that your feedback would be received humbly with an open heart to correction.

Provide opportunities for women to serve.

It goes without saying that women can do a lot and do it well. Special officers in the church have only so much time to care for the congregation, and there are many opportunities for women to serve in the church in their general office (OPC BCO Ch. III). Women can build up fellow believers in the body of Christ by praying, gathering for group studies, and teaching children in Sunday School. They can meet practical needs by preparing meals, running errands for the sick and elderly, caring for expectant and new mothers, and being a trusted Christian sister to single and married women in the congregation.
If you hold special office in the church, ask the women in your congregation how you can support them in developing their gifts. Perhaps you could lead a Bible study for women or organize a group of congregants (women only or both men and women) to meet a particular need in the church such as hospitality. Encourage older women to mentor younger women by letting them know that their wisdom and life experience are valued by the church session (Tit. 2:3-5).

Protect women from sinning in their participation in the local church.

Women not only need protection from physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, but they also need protection in how they participate in the life of their congregation. In the pursuit of seeking to treat women and men equally in the church, it has become increasingly popular to hold the wrong belief that to love women is to ordain them. Permitting women to hold special office in the church or even perform some of the roles restricted to special officers contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture (1 Cor. 14:33-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; 3:1-13). To encourage and allow women to serve in the very areas God has forbidden women to participate is not loving them.
Some Christians have argued that there was no hierarchical authority structure in Adam and Eve’s relationship in the garden of Eden prior to their fall into sin. According to this line of thinking, if there was no hierarchy before the fall, then authoritative male headship was not God’s original design but rather part of the post-fall curse. Thus, husbands and wives are to equally submit to each other, and all those verses in the New Testament about wifely submission and women not being able to teach authoritatively in the church must mean something else.
While the meaning of Genesis 3:16b has been highly debated (“‘Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you’”; NASB), sound exegesis of the verse cannot contradict New Testament passages on authority and submission in marriage or the roles of women in the church. The Forty-Fifth General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America is helpful here regarding the cohesiveness of the book of Genesis and the New Testament in its Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Women Serving in the Ministry of the Church: “Paul’s whole discussion in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 is squarely based on Genesis 1-3. Eve was deceived, but Adam is responsible (Rom. 5:12, 19; 1 Cor. 15:21-22) because he failed in his role as covenant keeper and federal head” (p. 22:20-23).
As theologian Claire Smith points out in her book God’s Good Design: What the Bible Really Says about Men and Women, “our task is to sit under God’s word and have it critique our culture, our lives, our relationships, our prejudices and our fears. Not vice versa” (p. 18). Acquiescing to prevailing cultural demands for equality in roles in the church is not only unloving but also harms both women and men, their congregation, their denomination, and Christ’s church around the world.

Be a friend to women.

A Christian man and a Christian woman can be friends, but there are particular boundaries when either one of them is married. Except in professional communication, with rare exception this friendship will take place in the public sphere and not in one-on-one meetings. Men and women who are married can spend wholesome time together with their fellow saints in many group activities and engage in a variety of edifying topics. During this time they will hopefully encourage each other to faithfully live out the Christian life with joy, dedication, and purpose.
Anything men or women discuss with someone of the opposite sex should only be something they would say in the presence of their spouses. While friendship between men and women in the church is vital for the flourishing of the body of Christ, it must be approached with much wisdom, all the while being aware of our sinful natures, as we still live in a fallen world and have not yet received our glorified bodies.

Value the work of women.

While it has become commonplace to give acclaim to show we value someone, particularly on social media platforms, there is much in the Bible that encourages the quiet service that no one sees. Scripture teaches that we should not perform works to be admired by others (Matt. 6:1-4; Col. 3:23). Recipients of frequent public praise may subsequently struggle with pride and self-idolatry.
Christians are to boast not in themselves or others but only in the Lord (Jer. 9:23-24). Yet, we also read in Scripture how the apostle Paul took time not only to encourage his fellow saints and give thanks for their faithfulness, particularly in his epistle greetings (e.g., Rom. 16:1-13; Eph. 1:15-21; Phil. 1:1-11; 2 Tim. 1:1-7; 1 Thess. 1:1-10; 2 Thess. 1:1-4) but also to exhort them to “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thess. 5:11). Some thoughtful ways men can show they value the work women do to serve the body of Christ include offering an encouraging word to a woman as she pursues various God-honoring endeavors, writing her a kind note of thanks, praying for her, or showing support in some other practical way.
It is good and right to speak up about all women being respected in the church. It is good and right to acknowledge the many ways women contribute to the nurturing of the body of Christ. May Christian men continue to support and encourage their sisters in Christ in both large and small ways to use their gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, life experience, and efforts in all their vocations, including their calling in the church, to the glory of God alone.
LeAnn Trees is a member of Escondido Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Escondido, Calif. This article is used with her permission.

We cannot know what is in the hearts of fellow Christians as they seek to honor God in their daily lives, and we should not impose restrictions on believers where God has given us liberty. Although it is human nature to do so, we also should avoid comparing ourselves with other believers and thinking that they are better than we are—or that we are better than they are—for whatever reason, since all of us are sinners in need of God’s grace in Christ.

Do you ever feel like other people are better Christians than you are? Maybe they read their Bibles more, give more money to the church, pray more for others, are involved in church ministry, do more good deeds, or never seem to do anything really sinful. It’s easy to get discouraged when we start comparing our own Christian walk with other believers we know.
One of the big reasons this happens is that humans are geared to think that keeping rules is how we are right before God, and they are actually correct about this (see Lev. 18:5; Luke 10:25–28). The problem is that no one can keep God’s laws perfectly. This is why Jesus came: we need his perfect righteousness and perfect sacrifice to be counted to us through faith in Christ so we can be declared justified before God.
Some Christians can add requirements that the Bible doesn’t dictate.
Still, Christians are often prone to think that they will be closer to God by keeping certain rules and living certain lifestyles. The problem with this is that some Christians can add requirements that the Bible doesn’t command, or they may consider certain lifestyle choices to be more spiritual than others. What is a Christian to do when it comes to knowing how to live according to God’s word in this world?
The Westminster Confession of Faith gives us excellent counsel in this area in its chapter, “Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience”:

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to his Word; or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship. So that, to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience: and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also. (WCF 20:2)

Look at the phrase, “or beside it.” With these words, the Westminster Confession of Faith reminds Christians that they are not bound by any “doctrines and commandments of men” that are not found in God’s word. It is also true that believers must be considerate of their neighbors, not causing them to stumble (Rom. 14:13–23: 1 Cor. 8:7–13). The sixteenth-century pastor and theologian John Calvin reminds Christians to use their freedom responsibly and lovingly:

Nothing is plainer than this rule: that we should use our freedom if it results in the edification of our neighbor, but if it does not help our neighbor, then we should forgo it (The Institutes, 3.19.12)

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Redefining biblical doctrine to suit what we personally think is loving, gracious, or kind is wrong. Christians are called to love others. They are also called to kill sin in their lives and support fellow believers in godliness with all gentleness and compassion, not to give in to sin and pronounce it as good.

Many Christians today seek to love those who feel judged by the words they find in the Bible. People search the Scriptures in an attempt to prove that certain beliefs they want to hold—or certain actions they want to keep doing—are okay in God’s sight. Lifestyles Christians previously and universally viewed as sinful according to the Bible are now increasingly tolerated, accepted, and even celebrated.
Yet, things that make us feel good are not always good for us. In her Gospel Coalition article, “Love Your Neighbor Enough to Speak Truth,” Rosaria Butterfield writes:

The supernatural power that comes with being born again means that where I once had a single desire—one that says if it feels good, it must be who I really am—I now have twin desires that war within me: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:17). And this war doesn’t end until Glory.

The Christian life is a struggle, because now there is new spiritual life where there was once just the flesh. This flesh, which God originally made good, is now corrupted because of Adam’s disobedience and fall in the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:16–17; 3:1–19). The Holy Spirit now indwells all believers and is doing the work of sanctification in their lives. This is a lifelong process of dying to the flesh and living unto God.
It is not easy to give up the things in life that we love, but if they are opposed to God’s will, this is what Christ calls us to do:

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matt. 10:37–38)

Love and keeping Jesus’ commands go together. Jesus told his disciples:
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Sexual chemistry is extremely powerful, with effects that have been compared to that of taking highly addictive drugs such as cocaine. It is nothing to be dealt with lightly, as can be seen from the havoc and wrecked lives left in its wake.

Most Christians enter into marriage thinking neither spouse will have an extramarital affair, but it does happen, as we sadly know. Here is some practical advice for protecting and strengthening your marriage.
Countless affairs are ignited by “chemistry.”
Extramarital affairs can start because of sexual chemistry—and Christians should never underestimate the power of this kind of chemistry. We hear stories of pastors having affairs, and we wonder how that could happen. Of course he knew better—he is a pastor! What a hypocrite! Well, most of the time, it’s likely that sexual chemistry ignited the fuse.
It is helpful to recognize the role hormones play when it comes to the feelings of sexual attraction humans experience. According to the research institute ASDN (Atomic Scale Design Network),
First attraction, first “sparks” in the air followed by falling in love are caused by combination of three neurochemicals: phenylethylamine, norepinephrine and dopamine. Later stages of long relationships are guided by another two: oxytocin and serotonin…Phenylethylamine (PEA), acts as a releasing agent of norepinephrine and dopamine. The first attraction causes us to produce more PEA, which results in those dizzying feelings associated with romantic love. Large quantities of PEA increase both physical and emotional energy and at the same time release more dopamine.
Be acutely aware of the difference between feelings of friendship and sexual chemistry.
To be clear, this kind of chemistry is not a deep, abiding feeling of friendship for someone of the opposite sex. According to psychologist Dario Nardi in his article “PEA—The Hormone of Love,” the hormones involved in feelings of sexual attraction result in infatuation and produce sensations that include giddiness, “butterflies” in the stomach, sleeplessness, and a narrow focus on a particular person.
“Chemistry” can ignite suddenly and unexpectedly. What was once a nice friendship can become sexually charged in an instant.
Sexual chemistry can be even more powerful when the illicit relationship has appealing aspects that are missing in your marriage, because you may be starved for them and not even realize it. Yet, as Nardi explains, the effects of hormones such as phenylethylamine (PEA), norepinephrine, and dopamine don’t last forever:

For better or worse, after a certain period of eighteen months to four years the body builds up a tolerance to the effects of PEA and related hormones.

Even though the feelings of attraction that are produced by hormones such as PEA are likely to diminish over time, the destructive effects of an affair remain. Sometimes a marriage can still be saved at that point—but not always.
This reduction in certain hormones may also be a significant reason why married couples tend to struggle with feeling as romantic with each other as they did when they were dating. It’s good to be aware of this, so you don’t think there is something wrong because these feelings have diminished.
Flee from inappropriate sexual chemistry.
You should never play with fire and sexual chemistry is no different in that aspect, as both can produce disastrous results. If you find you have sexual chemistry with someone who is not your spouse—or the person is married and you are single—the best thing you can do is stay away from that person as much as possible. We find a good example of this in the Bible where Joseph had to repeatedly refuse the advances of Potiphar’s wife and eventually had to flee from her presence to avoid committing sexual sin (Gen. 39).
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