I believe I mentioned this in a prior post and perhaps you've addressed it elsewhere and I just haven't gotten to that post yet, but I think either you might be misreading or misunderstanding WLC 20, or I might be misunderstanding your posts. WLC 20 does not state Adam (and Eve) were working to earn righteousness. The "estate in which they were created" was a state of obedience. Thought should be given to the qualifiers "perfect" and "perpetual," especially in contrast to the premise of "pledge." I obedience had to be maintained perfectly and perpetually then A&E would never be able to eat from the tree of life if the pledge is to be understood as "You may eat of the tree when you have obtained that perfect and perpetual obedience." In their mortal state there was no such thing as "perpetual." I'm fairly confident the authors of the WLC knew and understood that. Not only would that a works-based reward reading of WLC 20 be illogical, it would also be contrary to scripture (as I have already pointed out, A&E were free to eat of the tree of life anytime - Gen. 2:16), and since nothing in the Genesis creation narrative conditions that eating upon perfect and perpetual obedience the WLC authors would be adding something enormous to God's word.
I'd argue eating the tree of life is what would keep them in the created state, what would enable them to the condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience.
In other words, if WLC 20 is read to say the perfect, perpetual obedience is a work that earns the reward of eating from the tree of life then that is the cart before the horse.
I think I understand your position, but it conflicts with what apologists/theologians I have read say about WLC 20. Also, it sounds to me that you are saying a complete lack of sin merits eternal life.
Regarding a period of "probation," I think we agree. But again, then we both disagree with the theology behind the C.O.W. There are other theologians who disagree with probation - Fesko's book begins with a history of the positions of various theologians and their interpretations of the C.O.W. He points out that Andrew McGowan and John Murray are two, among others that were critics of the C.O.W. and some of the criticisms included a probationary period.
How the WLC/WCF defines preconditions is essential, as I demonstrate in my future Rebuttal to Conclusion #4, theologians equate and define the obedience of Jesus to earn righteousness as being the same as what was expected of Adam. A lot hinges on how the personal, perfect and perpetual obedience is defined.
Many have speculated what would have happened had Adam and Eve not eaten from the forbidden tree, and instead chose the tree of life. I have my own thoughts, but it all boils down to speculation influenced by our underlying theologies.
If WLC 20 is intended to argue A&E could not eat from the tree of life unless and until they lived their entire life (the only perpetuity mortal creatures possess) in perfect obedience WLC 20 is wrong. Logically, the dead don't eat. They'd have to eat with their last breath. In turn, logically, that would be a works-based salvation from death, and a works-based salvation from death while still in a good and sinless state. Now I say this in light of, in the context of a position many here have read me post multiple times = the believe sin is not the only reason Jesus came, lived, died, resurrected, and ascended. Some CCCF members disagree with me and have taken up vigorous debate on the matter. For now, the point is that Adam and Eve were physically mortal, and because they were mortal they were always in need of the tree of life (Jesus) whether in their original, created, good and sinless state, or their not-good, sinful state. The only historical difference between the two states is that the tree of life was freely available prior to Genesis 3:6 and not freely available afterwards. Still necessary, but no longer as accessible.
That last part is important because salvation from death (and the subsequent condition of sin) is by grace. The tree of life exists in the garden solely by grace. God did not have to make the tree. The tree of life that is Jesus is also available solely by grace. Now, after the tree has been cut down for our behalf, and raised up again, the tree covers sin and not just death. The salient point is that salvation has always been by grace through faith and not by works (or faithfulness).
Salvation by grace through faith and not by works is a position ardently asserted and firmly held by the Reformers, and I am confident you will find it stated thusly in the WCF and WLC. I note this because the neither should be read in contradiction to itself.
I agree with the idea that salvation and eternal life has always been by the grace of God. Paul says in Rom. 6:23 that eternal life is a gift from God. It cannot be earned by good works.
Reformed theologians I have read, including Calvin say otherwise. I go into great detail in my rebuttal to Conclusion #2 on the use of Lev. 18:5 by Calvin and many others. He is pretty explicit that perfect, personal obedience earns perfect righteousness and the debt by God to be repaid with eternal life.
Again, in my rebuttal to Conclusion #4 I will document the widespread teaching among Reformed theologians and apologists that Jesus earned eternal life to be imputed to us by His perfect, personal and perpetual obedience - His perfect righteousness. They use Adam and the WLC/WFC as their model for what constitutes sufficient righteousness to earn the reward/have the debt paid by God of eternal life.
I think it is a huge contradiction - but it is all over the literature.
While I disagree with Fesko, he accumulated a lot of historical writings on the topic. He summarizes what earlier theologians have said pretty succinctly (quoted here to save you time in looking it up ...) Fesko is working from the writings of many Reformed theologians ... These are not just his words.
Fesko, writing in his book “
Adam and the Covenant of Works” states:
“… Fourth, in the covenant of works
God promised eternal life as the reward for perfect obedience …”
"When God formally administered the covenant, He placed Adam and Eve
under a temporary probation. Once Adam and Eve fulfilled the mandate, were fruitful, multiplied, filled all the earth, and subdued it, they would have secured God’s promise of eternal life. It is, however, also possible
that their probation could have had a shorter duration and,
once passed, God would have allowed them to eat of the tree prior to the completion of the dominion mandate.”
“... When God, however, commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge (Gen. 2:16-17), the threatened curse of death
implies that life was the reward for perfect obedience. When God says, ‘For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,’ Adam would have lived had he obeyed the command.
At some point he would have been permitted to eat from the tree of life. To eat from the tree of knowledge was to choose death. To obey God’s command was to choose life.”
“While Adam lived in the garden, he enjoyed life and possessed righteousness by virtue of being an image bearer of God, but the life he had was mutable and his righteousness was unproven.
If Adam was obedient to the command and passed the covenantal probation, he would have
entered a confirmed state of eternal life and his righteousness would have been proven.”
From Fesko, J. V., Adam and the Covenant of Works (Divine Covenants Book 1) (p. 350, 421-2). Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
NOTE: Fesko reiterates the Westminster Larger Catechism regarding
eternal life being a reward of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience.
Further, observe that Fesko endorses the teaching of a
probationary period of time where Adam had to live in perfect righteousness:
“… that their probation … once passed, God would have allowed them to eat of the tree …” and “At some point he would have been permitted to eat from the tree of life.”
NOTE: Fesko clearly states that access to the tree of life
was restricted until Adam passed his probationary period of works by demonstrating those works of perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience to God.
