theo 10

I have been looking at different confessions. I fall outside of westminister but arguably not very far. I am within dordt. There seems some viabilty in shifting Covenant of Works on merit. There is some on dominion but new testament sources do not discuss it much. Nor does the bible clearly establish without allegory on Christ's final reign of revelation without reference to Adam. Such requires allegory that arises from Christ being called second Adam. The only appropriate allegory are the ones used by the apostles. Possibly justified but not substantiated. This is the problem with such fitting structures into scripture. Even for exegisis of any other Covenant theology. Now I see something else at work in the new testament on God's image that needs discussion.

The new testament includes love, holiness, righteousness, and imitation as primary attributes to God's image. There remains a link to First Adam in rule but this is tenuous. It seems that christ aught to rule instead of Adam or us. This covers the lack of emphasis for believers, but does not provide closure.

Something else has eluded me on image something in 1 John. The command that has existed since the begining. Not the begining of the law but from the begining. It is love. How does this play into the covenants? Covenant of what amounts to 'love' rather than works. It seems like an oxymoron for Adam. Why is that

I am getting to the point which I see that Adam could not fulfill the terms, whereas Christ could perfectly. Adam could not love God as he aught. Adam could not keep the essence of keeping a covenant because he had not love as he aught. Christ abounded in it. The legal construction is begining to mean less and less. The exact imprint, Christ himself, begins to look more and more like the standard to which Adam had to maintain. This includes excellence in love. Adam could have been made perfect, good, and kept to it as clockwork. Yet, this is not love. Love includes going as far as possible away from disobedience and destruction. Even in that which is not sinful. I cannot say that Adam had this in him, for he was weak and of the flesh.

It is true that Adam was but an image and in no way comparable to the real thing. I am surprised that Adam was not shown to be counterfeit sooner in the far surpassing the excellencies of Christ. Now, What is man that you are mindful of him. Or son of man that you care? We know not an answer but that Christ has exhalted us by sharing in our humanity. He has exhalted us in our union with him. He has exhalted us by election and eternal life. We dare not deserve of it, but he has crowned us with grace. He has given us worth where there was none.

I am hindered by the flesh. I fall short everyday. I fall short in every action. The worth of unfallen man was nothing special for it's price was not Christ. Christ stands to give worth by his blood to this fledgling form. This is suffiecent because I know that it is outside of myself and cannot change. It is a firm anchor beyond the veil. I do not lose heart. There is no value in anything without looking at the price tag. Christ himself.