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BRUSHFIRES | WEEK 8

A Discipleship Series from Brushwood Press | BrushwoodPress.com

Core Doctrine: God’s Redemptive Plan – Covenant Theology

Verse: Hebrews 9:15 (CSB)

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“Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

Book Context:

The book of Hebrews was written around A.D. 60–70 to a group of Jewish Christians who were tempted to return to Judaism due to persecution. Its anonymous author (likely influenced by Paul’s teaching) presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament system. Chapter 9 highlights Christ’s role as both perfect High Priest and final sacrificial Lamb. This verse captures the heart of the gospel: Christ mediates a new covenant—one built not on law, but on grace, secured by His own blood.

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Core Doctrine:

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The doctrine of Covenant Theology teaches that God has worked throughout all of redemptive history through covenants—binding promises that reveal His plan to redeem a people for Himself. These covenants are not disconnected episodes but one unfolding story that finds its fulfillment in Christ.

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Hebrews 9:15 draws the line between the first covenant (given through Moses) and the new covenant (sealed through Jesus). The first covenant revealed sin and pointed to the need for atonement through sacrifice. But it was temporary, symbolic, and incomplete. The new covenant is eternal, effectual, and rooted in better promises. It is not written on stone, but on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). It is not sustained by the blood of animals, but by the blood of Christ.

Jesus didn’t come to abolish God’s redemptive plan—He came to fulfill it. The Bible isn’t two stories. It’s one covenantal narrative centered on the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world.

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Danger of Not Holding to the Core Doctrine – Week 8: God’s Redemptive Plan – Covenant Theology

If we don’t see the Bible as one unified story—one covenantal plan of redemption unfolding through history—we risk turning it into a disconnected collection of moral tales, cultural moments, or isolated doctrines. And when that happens, we lose the wonder of God’s consistency and the beauty of His promises fulfilled.

The danger here is not always open rejection. Sometimes it’s a quiet assumption that the Old Testament is outdated or that God changed His mind in the New. But God does not change. His justice, mercy, sovereignty, and love remain the same from Genesis to Revelation. To misunderstand the continuity of God’s covenants is to risk misunderstanding God Himself.

Without covenant theology, we can wrongly divide God’s character—fearing the God of the Old Testament and loving the God of the New, as if they were different beings. We might reduce salvation to an individual decision rather than the fulfillment of a divine promise. We may even think grace began at the cross, forgetting that it began in eternity.

But covenant theology reminds us that the same God who walked with Adam, covenanted with Noah, chose Abraham, delivered Israel, and spoke through the prophets—is the God who sent His Son. Jesus didn’t start a new plan. He fulfilled the plan. He is the true and better Adam, the offspring of Abraham, the greater Moses, the eternal Davidic King, and the mediator of the New Covenant.

To reject this view is to miss the richness of redemption’s thread through all of Scripture. But to embrace it is to see your salvation not as random, but as rooted—from eternity past to eternity future—in the unbreakable promises of a covenant-keeping God.

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Conversational Evangelism:

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People often see the Bible as a disjointed mix of rules, miracles, and sayings. Try asking, “What if the whole Bible is telling one story—and you're part of it?” That question opens the door to explain how God’s covenants point to Jesus.

Many think Christianity is about earning favor, but covenant theology shows it’s about receiving a promise. God didn’t leave the world in chaos—He made covenants. He initiated a plan. He sent a Mediator. When you explain this, you’re not just sharing doctrine—you’re inviting someone into the most beautiful rescue story ever written.

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Call to Action:

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This week, read the Bible with covenant eyes. See how every page whispers Christ’s name. Reflect on the fact that you are living under a covenant Christ Himself signed with His blood. You don’t relate to God through fear and sacrifice, but through mercy and grace.

Let this truth stir your worship and your witness. You are part of a covenant people—so live like it. Invite others to know the safety, security, and eternal inheritance found only in Jesus, the Mediator of a better covenant.

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Fire Starter Question:

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When did you realize that the Bible wasn’t just a collection of commands, but a covenant story—and how can that change the way you share your faith with others?