It absolutely takes two parties to make a covenant. A covenant, by its very nature, is an agreement or contract between two distinct parties. That’s true in both the Old and New Covenants.
So who are the two parties in the New Covenant?
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (Gal.3:16-18*)
1. God the Father
He is the initiator of the covenant. It was His plan from the beginning to redeem mankind through a perfect and everlasting covenant.
2. Jesus Christ, the Son
Jesus is the other party—and He represents you. He stood in your place as the perfect man, the second Adam. This is key: the covenant was made between the Father and the Son, not between God and you directly. That’s why it cannot fail—because it’s not based on your performance, but on Christ’s obedience.
Hebrews 7:22 – “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.”
A surety is a guarantee. Jesus guaranteed the covenant on your behalf.
Then How Do You Receive It?
You don’t earn your way into the New Covenant—you enter it by faith. The moment you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are joined to Him. And because the covenant was made between the Father and the Son, the blessings of that covenant flow to you through your union with Christ.
Galatians 3:26-27 – “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
This union is what makes you a full participant in everything the covenant offers—righteousness, peace, forgiveness, adoption, and eternal life. You didn’t negotiate the terms. You simply step into what Jesus secured by grace through faith.
It’s not based on your works, your performance, or your ability to keep laws. It’s based entirely on your position in Christ.
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.”
The New Covenant is a gift. And like any gift, you don’t pay for it—you just receive it.