Ask Ligonier – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Why Does God Make a Covenant with Us If He Already Knows How We’ll Respond?
Date: June 26, 2025
Guest: Dr. Michael Reeves (President and Professor of Theology, Union School of Theology, UK)
Host: Nathan W. Bingham
Location: Recorded live at Ligonier’s 2024 National Conference

Overview

This episode investigates a profound theological question: If God already knows how we will respond, why does He make a covenant with us? Dr. Michael Reeves joins Nathan W. Bingham to explore the biblical and relational depth of God’s covenant, using the analogy of marriage to reveal its purpose, security, and the grace embedded in the divine promise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding Covenant: Marriage as the Model

• Covenant Defined

  • “A covenant is a mutually binding relationship dependent on a promise.” (Dr. Reeves, 00:22)
  • The clearest scriptural illustration of a covenant is marriage.

• Marriage Imagery in Scripture

  • Scripture opens with Adam and Eve’s marriage and closes with the marriage of the Lamb—framing the entire biblical narrative with covenantal relationship.
  • “The marriage between Adam and Eve becomes a type, a picture of the relationship between God, Christ and His church. It is a marital relationship.” (Dr. Reeves, 00:40)

2. Nature of the Covenant Relationship

• Promises, Not Performance

  • The relationship’s security isn’t based on our ongoing actions or feelings but on promises exchanged.
  • “The nature of the relationship is built not on how we’re doing right now in terms of relationship. It’s built on promises that were made…” (Dr. Reeves, 00:55)
  • Dr. Reeves shares a personal anecdote: when traveling far from his wife, she can be secure in his faithful promise, paralleling how believers rest in God’s covenantal faithfulness.

• God’s Promise as Foundation

  • The covenant with God is not about mutual negotiation or human response.
  • "This relationship is not built on negotiation or performance or response. It is built on God's initial promise." (Dr. Reeves, 01:22)

3. Assurance for Christians

• Covenant of Grace

  • Believers’ standing before God is secured by His promise, not by the fluctuating “sweetness of our communion with Him every day.”
  • “Our standing before God is not dependent on the sweetness of our communion with him every day. It means built on the rock solid foundation of our union based in his promise, which he will never undo.” (Dr. Reeves, 01:40)

• Unilateral Act of Grace

  • The covenant's security stems solely from God's gracious initiative, offering believers “enormous good news.”
  • “The fact that the covenant is unilaterally imposed and given through a gracious promise is the very basis for all our comfort and assurance.” (Dr. Reeves, 02:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Marriage and Covenant:
  • “So the marriage between Adam and Eve becomes a type, a picture of the relationship between God, Christ and His church. It is a marital relationship.” (Dr. Reeves, 00:40)
• The Heart of Assurance:
  • “Our standing before God is not dependent on the sweetness of our communion with Him every day... but built on the rock solid foundation of our union based in his promise, which he will never undo.” (Dr. Reeves, 01:40)
• Why God Makes a Covenant at All:
  • “Covenant is not dependent on anything but God's own promise. And that is enormous good news…” (Dr. Reeves, 01:30 – 01:35)

Key Timestamps

• 00:04 – Question presented: Why does God make a covenant if He knows our response?
• 00:22 – 00:40 – Dr. Reeves defines covenant and introduces marriage as the model.
• 00:55 – 01:20 – Explanation of how the covenant relationship is founded on promises, not daily performance.
• 01:22 – 01:40 – Emphasizing God’s unilateral promise and the security it offers.
• 01:40 – 02:10 – Assurance for Christians in the covenant of grace.
• 02:10 – Summary and wrap-up of Dr. Reeves’ main point.

Summary Flow and Tone

Dr. Reeves uses approachable, relational language and vivid scriptural images to explain a complex theological subject. His analogy of marriage personalizes the doctrine, making it accessible and pastorally comforting. The tone is warm and reassuring, leaving listeners with a profound sense of God’s faithfulness and the unshakable foundation of His covenant.