Many today are denying that such a covenant was ever made with Adam as it mentioned in the title here: "The Essential Meritorious Covenant of Works." In this program, we will see from Scripture that without this covenant, there is no need for the gospel. All who have denied the meritorious covenant of works with Adam and all of Adam's posterity in him in the Garden of Eden, wherein Adam, because of God's covenantal arrangement, could have earned eternal life by his works, will, in the end, destroy the gospel. That is precisely what many have done who deny the meritorious covenant of works, particularly the Federal Vision movement. In this program, we will also defend the biblical concept of merit - that the works of man, because of God's covenantal arrangement in the Covenant of Works - could have earned in themselves a legal right to take from the tree of life and live forever. Those who deny this or insert "grace" into their covenant with Adam will inevitably make the gospel "legal." And, they will deny that Christ's righteousness, the righteousness of God, is imputed to the believing sinner as the sole grounds of their justification - and faith as the sole instrument and condition of their justification. That is exactly what all of them have done. This program may seem a bit esoteric and laser focused on a small point. I assure you, it is not. This is essential to a right understanding of the gospel and to a right understanding of the true primary grounds of the Christian's assurance of eternal life with God.