Covenant of Grace

When Abram was frightened by many dangers and enemies, God said (Gen. 15: 1): "Do not be afraid, Abram." I am your shield, your very great reward". A shield is used by soldiers to protect themselves against the spears, swords and arrows of the enemy. But Abram is shielded by the Lord. The Lord's protecting care is all around Abram. God is his refuge and strength.

The Lord is Abram’s reward: to know him and to be known by him, to love him and to be loved by him, to walk with him, to talk with him and to serve him. Abram's reward is a living, loving relationship with the Creator and King of heaven and earth!

God made a covenant of grace with Abram, vowing to be his God and the God of his descendant. It is called a grace covenant, because God not only agreed to take responsibility to maintain this covenant, but to also be responsible for the penalties if Abram, because of human weakness would lapse in keeping the covenant “to be God’s people”.

This means that from beginning to end the grace covenant that ensures God’s children of salvation, is one of grace. God makes the promises. God gives the guarantees. God puts himself under a curse, so to speak, if the promises are not kept.

The full significance of what God did for Abram is therefore not really seen until the New Testament or New Covenant in the blood of Christ.
There, in Christ, the covenant of grace reaches its highest expression. In Christ God keeps the covenant promises and suffers the covenant penalties. For it is Christ who perfectly kept the covenant to be God’s people in our place, and it is Christ who also bore the curse when we break the covenant, when he died in our place on the cross.

Do not be afraid – for the God of Abram, the Father of Jesus - is your shield and your great reward!