All Articles For Veldman, Herman

We concluded our previous article with the observation that God’s covenant with His people constitutes the very essence of eternal life. We must not identify the idea of the covenant with a promise. God, then, establishes His covenant with man merely by bestowing upon him His promise of eternal life. And, according to the late i rof. Heyns, this promise must be understood as intended for all the children of the covenant, as given to all without distinction. This, of course, is the Arminian conception of salvation.

In this article we would continue our discussion to confirm Scripturally our conception of the living God with man. God’s covenant with His people is not a promise, or a contract, or an agreement, or an alliance, but the relationship of living friendship of the living God with His own in Christ Jesus. In support of this conception we have until now established, in the first place, that Adam was created in a living relationship of friendship with the alone blessed God.

God’s Covenant with Man Unilateral

God’s Covenant, Unilateral and Unconditional. In our previous article we emphasized the unilateral character of the establishment or origin of God’s covenant with His people. We noted that this monopleuric, unilateral character of the origin of God’s covenant has been advocated by Reformed theologians in the past. We also quoted freely from the Scriptures in support of the contention that God’s covenant is of the Lord alone. We now purpose to continue where we left off.

God’s Covenant, Unconditional.

God’s Covenant and The Promise.

God’s Covenant and The Promise. (Rom. 9)

In an editorial of the April 15 number of our Standard Bearer, the Reverend G. Vos deplores the action of Classis East because the Classis did not accompany her rejection of Creston’s proposals with a single ground. To deny this fact as such is, of course, not the intention of the undersigned. However, we would call the attention of our readers to the following observations.

* Paper delivered at the Ministers’ Conference held April 9, at the First Church. INTRODUCTION

And that this truth as expressed in this didactic part of our Baptism Form also applies to the children is evident from the Thanksgiving Prayer. We read: “Almighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise Thee, that Thou hast forgiven us, and our children, all our sins, through the blood of Thy beloved Son, and adopted us to be Thy children, and sealed and confirmed the same unto us by Holy Baptism. .