Now this relationship, of course, is undeserved in the strict sense. And there is nothing about Adam that requires God to do this. But notice also there is no demerit in Adam either. There is no demerit that needs to be overcome in him. He is created. He is good. He is righteous. Just because he is created, doesn’t mean that he deserves these blessings. God gives them to him anyway.
As we said last week, we distinguished that kind of activity of God from grace, simply because sin is not present here. Later when he shows this kind of goodness in condescension, it will be grace-based. Why? Because sin is present and grace is for the purpose of overcoming sin. There is no demerit, there is no sin here to overcome. What God is doing is not merited. Adam has not merited this. We use the phrase Covenant of Works, not to say that man earned these blessings, but to express the fact that this original relationship had no provision for the continuation of God’s blessings if disobedience occurred. So it was a covenant contingent upon Adam continuing in his obligations. [emphasis all in the original].
Dr. Ligon Duncan on merit & the covenant of works.
