Covenant Theology for Kids: A Beginner’s Guide

When we send our kids to Sunday school or VBS, what are we hoping they will receive? How can we help them connect seemingly obscure Bible characters to the big picture? What exactly are the essential truths that have radically transformed the lives of Christians?

Ligonier Ministries’ new children’s curriculum, Growing in God’s Word, unpacks the basics of the Bible in a yearlong study, uniquely written from the covenantal framework of Scripture that gives us the big picture of God’s plan of salvation and dealings with humanity. We don’t need to wait until our kids are older to share the foundational truths of the Bible or to introduce them to theology. This resource seeks to make the key elements of covenant theology accessible with developmentally appropriate activities and questions.

Churches, parents, and teachers are solemnly called to follow Jesus’ command: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). Here are just a few themes we can begin with as we seek to consistently and faithfully make the Bible accessible to our children in their early learning.

1. Creator

When we introduce children to covenant theology, we can simply begin with the beginning. God is the creator. God spoke creation out of nothing. He is revealed in His creation, but it is only in His Word that we can understand the significance of life, death, sin, and the person of Christ. Martin Luther said, “If I do not know the works and power of God, I know not God himself; and if I know not God, I cannot worship, praise, give thanks to, or serve him.”¹

God made all things and sovereignly cares for His creation through covenant (see Rom. 5; 1 Cor. 15). A covenant is a promise with blessings and commitments.² God’s covenants are not arbitrary or transactional; rather, they display the self-revelation of His holiness and His works in His creation. He acts consistently with His triune nature and not erratically from passions, convenience, or pragmatism. The Bible reveals three foundational covenants: the covenant of redemption, the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace.

2. Christ

All of Scripture points to Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of diverse stories, and together they weave the tapestry of the greatest story ever told—God’s grace to His creation as ultimately revealed in the work of Christ. Covenant theology connects the Old and New Testaments to reveal the holy God in both His law and the once-for-all work of Christ (Gal. 3:24–29). Rather than forget the law, Christ has fulfilled the covenant of works by His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection from the grave, leading all who follow Him into the covenant of grace (Matt. 5:17).

Truly man and truly God, Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between perfect God and broken humanity. It is by the Father’s sending His only begotten Son; the Son’s atoning life, death, and resurrection; and the power of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that we receive all the benefits of the covenant of grace. Being united to Christ through faith, Christians can now call God “Father” and know the peace, assurance, and perfect rest found in this relational God.

3. Church

The covenant of grace is for a community of believers from every tribe, nation, and tongue. There are no lone rangers and there are no favorites. To understand the church, we must understand covenant theology and the importance of a historic faith where corporate worship is the priority. The gospel unites a covenant people under one banner: Jesus is the only way (John 14:6). It was in the first Adam that humanity died in sin and in the last Adam that we are made righteous in faith (1 Cor. 15:45). This faith brings us out of the dominion of darkness and into the light where all who call on the name of Christ will never be separated or alone again.

While this is an immediate reality, we still live in a broken world until Christ returns or calls us home. Sunday worship is not simply about preferred weekend activities but is a bigger picture of what we were made for: to grow in the knowledge of our creator God and the Trinitarian rest in which He invites us to participate in Christ.

4. Call

Covenant children—like all who hear the gospel proclaimed—are given a unique privilege and blessing, a repeated call to continue in the way of the Lord. When we teach our kids covenant theology, we provide a framework for life built on eternal truth. But if our instruction stops at memorization or behavior modification, we will not call them to abide in the Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to call our children to respond to Jesus in faith and to grow in the Vine through the means of grace. This call in the context of the local church is exactly what those diverse stories of the Bible are made of: the call of faith to believe the promises of God.

There is an urgency to this message that we can express to our children all the while patiently training and admonishing them to seek the Lord while He may be found (Isa. 55:6). When we teach our children covenant theology, we point them to the ultimate journey where they can be fully known, secure, and led by still waters for this life and the life to come.