Speaking of salvation by grace, a minister has been heard to say: "It is good that man cannot save himself, for if a man could only work his own way to heaven, you would never hear the last of it. Why, if a man happens to get a little ahead of his fellows and scrapes a few thousand dollars together, you'll hear him boast of his accomplishments. I've heard so much of this sort of talk that I am tired of the whole business. I am glad that through all eternity in heaven we will never hear anyone bragging of how he worked his way to get there."

How does salvation through the Covenant of Grace do away with all boasting on the part of man? How is God exalted to the highest and man abased to the lowest in the Covenant of Grace?

The Covenant of Grace includes the following two aspects:

1. The Covenant of Grace from eternity (also referred to as the "Counsel of Peace" or the "Covenant of Redemption")

2. The Covenant of Grace in time.

The Covenant of Gracefrom eternity (or the Counsel of Peace or Covenant of Redemption) refers to the agreement from eternity within God Himself to save His elect church through Christ its Covenant Head. In this agreement, God the Father represented and included the entire Trinity and God the Son represented and included His entire church (all His elect children or true believers).

The Covenant of Grace in time refers to the performance or execution of this agreement in time; the actual saving of the church through Christ its Covenant Head.

Being born as children of wrath, God's elect are ingrafted into the Covenant of Grace in time by regeneration through which they are adopted to be children of God and actually receive the rich benefits this covenant relationship includes.

How does the Covenant of Grace exalt God to the highest and abase man to the lowest?

Read Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." How do these verses teach a practical truth of, and outcome from, the doctrine of the Covenant of Grace?

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

- I Peter 1:2-3

And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

- Ephesians 2:1