24th February 2026

24th February 2026


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Genesis 3v14-15)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


If someone ever wrongs you then common wisdom says that you learn your lesson and never allow that person to get the better of you again. "Fool me once" we say "then shame on you. Fool me twice, then shame on me." Today we can be thankful that the Lord did not adopt this approach. 


Throughout Scripture we see the Lord willingly lowering Himself to our level and dealing with us by way of covenant. To understand the Bible you must understand covenant and as Presbyterians we recongise two covenants. The Covenant of Redemption is a promise made in eternity past between the three persons of the Trinity. The Father chooses a people, the Son dies for them and the Spirit draws them to the Son. This covenant should be considered as part of the Covenant of Grace.


The Covenant of Works was made between God and man whereby eternal life was promised on the basis of Adam's obedience. Adam had the ability to keep the terms of the Covenant of Works but decided instead to disobey God with sin and death entering into the world as a result. 


Amazingly the Covenant of Grace was proclaimed in the aftermath of the fall. The Covenant of Works was in tatters and Adam and Eve's relationship with God was broken. Soon they would be put out of the garden and soon murder would enter their family dynamic. Sin and death entered the world and God's perfect creation was utterly marred as a result. 


None of us could argue if at this stage, the Lord decreed "We're finished. I'll never be fooled again. I will have nothing further to do with sinful humanity." But thanks be to God because His response to our fall was a proclamation of grace. In today's passage we meet the Covenant of Grace and stunningly it was first preached to the Devil himself. 


God told the liar and father of lies that there would be constant trouble (enmity) between the children of God and the children of the devil. In just a few short words the rest of history was mapped out. We shouldn't be surprised when the world wages war against the church. In the world today Christianity is the world's most persecuted religion. We may not yet see it in the West, but ask a Christian in Saudi Arabia how easy life is and you will see the scale of enmity between the offspring of the woman and the devil. 


This enmity would continue until a child would arrive. Jesus was the offspring promised and would would wage war against Satan and his minions. The Lord would be beaten and bruised and would ultimately lose His life, but in victory He would stand again on the earth. Christ's heel would be bruised or in other words a non-fatal blow would be struck against Him. Not so for Satan. The Lord told the enemy that his head would be crushed. 


At Calvary the offspring of the woman, Jesus Christ, would utterly destroy the enemy. Today Satan still rages for he knows his time is short but he is not and will not be victorious - he is a bound and defeated foe who will know the punishment of eternal hell.  


The Covenant of Grace was declared in Genesis 3 and in Jesus Christ it was fulfilled. All those who believe in Jesus will be set free from Satan's chains and the one who Christ sets free is free indeed. 


Pray (acTS) 


Sing 


WSC 


Q106 What do we pray for in the sixth petition? In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
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