Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. This is not going to be a strict exposition of Hebrews 10. We're going to read verses 5 to 10 and then our study tonight will be more topical in nature.
This morning we considered the purpose of the incarnation as found in John 18 where Jesus said, for this cause I was born and came into the world. Tonight I wanted to locate the Incarnation in its covenantal context, and there would be a couple of different ways we could do this. We could look at the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7, where God promises that from David's line, one would rise up and sit on the throne and administer that rule of righteousness and justice forever and ever. I want to go even a step back and look at the covenant of redemption, and I'll explain what I mean. as we proceed tonight.
So this is a theological study, specifically the covenantal context of the incarnation, specifically the covenant of redemption. So I do want to read beginning in chapter 10 at verse 5. Therefore, when he came into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure.
Then I said, behold, I have come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do your will, O God. Previously saying, sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and offerings for sin you did not desire, nor had pleasure in them, which are offered according to the law. Then he said, behold, I have come to do your will, O God. He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for the Word of God.
We thank You for the theology it yields. And we pray tonight that your spirit would guide us and help us to understand what one man calls the covenant before the covenants. Help us to be encouraged that the incarnation was not an afterthought, but it was according to the eternal purpose and plan of God Most High. We bless you, Father, Son, and Spirit, for this glorious work that you have undertaken on behalf of your people.
May we respond with worship and praise and with adoration. And may we give all glory and honor to you, our great God. May the Spirit lead us now. May you again forgive us for our sins and transgressions.
And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well,
Introduction
I want to do two things this evening. First, identify the biblical covenants, the three primary ones, not the historical covenants. That's a whole other study. And then look specifically at the biblical data in support for the covenant of redemption.
As I said, it will be a more topical message tonight, more theological in nature. Again, I think it's always helpful and it does cause us to have reason to praise and worship our God. when we see these doctrines placed in their larger theological category, when we see that the Lord God, prior to the foundation of the world, had purpose to save us by Jesus Christ. It really does, hopefully, blow our minds as we consider just how awesome our God really is. So when we come, first of all, to the identification of the biblical covenants, there is, first of all, the covenant of works.
That is found in the book of Genesis, specifically in Genesis chapter 2, where God tells Adam, He gives him a prohibition against eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil upon the pain of death. There is a prohibition, there are promises, there are stipulations, there are curses, there are blessings associated with Adam's response to that particular command. The second place, there is what's called the covenant of grace, that is that activity by which God the Lord saves His people from their sins. Again, it is by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The covenant of grace is essentially what God the Father and the Son work out in the covenant of redemption applied in history through the work of our Lord Jesus, through the preaching of the gospel, through the application of redemption, the covenant of grace. And then as I said, this covenant before the covenants, that's actually the title of a helpful essay on this subject by David Van Drunen and R. Scott Clark in a book called Covenant justification and pastoral ministry, which is an excellent book through and through, but this particular chapter dealing with the covenant of redemption. Additionally, if you're interested, you can read The Covenant of Redemption Between the Father and the Redeemer, Isaiah 53.12 by John Flavel.
I'll be quoting that later on this evening, at least a portion of that. But what is the covenant of redemption? One man defines it this way, in-reformed federalism. That simply means in-reformed covenant theology.
The pre-temporal intra-planetarian agreement of the Father and the Son concerning the covenant of grace and its ratification in and through the work of the Son incarnate. Now, I'll try and unfold or unpack that as we move along. The first thing that Moeller notes is that it's pre-temporal. That means it's before time.
When we consider the covenant of redemption, it certainly is a covenant before the covenants. It is what the Father and the Son engaged in. Our confession describes it this way. It says that the Covenant of Grace is founded in that eternal transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect.
So the Covenant of Redemption, also called the Council of Peace, is here referred to as that eternal transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect. In other words, our salvation is not effectual because we wake up on a particular day and we decide to follow Jesus. It's not the case that we exercise our free will and thus institute or initiate these blessings that flow to us. No, it is about God.
It is about this eternal transaction. It is about this covenant of redemption. Because the Father and the Son and the Spirit covenant together, that is the reason why any of us will ever come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Very often we obscure the biblical data and we put the emphasis upon man and his response.
The Bible always and everywhere asserts and highlights and sets forth the supremacy of God in the matter of salvation. Jonah was not kidding when he says salvation is of the Lord. The saints in heaven are not kidding when they stand before the throne of God and the Lamb who sits upon the throne and they cry, salvation belongs to our God. It comes from the Father, through the Son, applied by the Holy Spirit.
And as the Confession says, it is that eternal transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect. That's why it's pre-temporal, prior to time. God created time. God is not confined by time.
God is not located in time. God is from everlasting to everlasting. In the beginning, God created. This covenant precedes that.
As well, it was intra-Trinitarian. That means it's compacted by the three persons of the Triune God. The Father elects, the Son agrees to be surety, and the Spirit applies those benefits secured by our Lord Jesus Christ. In Second London Confession, Chapter 8, Paragraph 1, It does refer again to this.
It says, "...it pleased God in His eternal purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both, to be the mediator between God and man." So you see, we are really going behind or going to that covenant before the covenant. prior to the covenant of works in the garden, prior to the institution of the covenant of grace, we see this covenant of redemption. And again, we're going to tease this out and flesh it out with many texts tonight to show the biblical warrant for maintaining that there is indeed a pre-temporal, intra-Trinitarian agreement of the Father and the Son concerning the covenant of grace. As well, as the Confession pointed out, it is founded in that eternal transaction. So the Covenant of Grace is founded in that eternal transaction.
So we can say the Covenant of Redemption is foundational. It is the place, or it is that transaction, wherein the Father promised to redeem and elect people. The Father chose us in him before the foundation of the world. The Son willingly undergoes the office of mediator, the role of mediator, specifically prophet, priest, and king, in order to secure their salvation.
He volunteers to secure the covenants, rather, to secure the salvation of the lack, and he does that by his incarnation. You see, the Incarnation is located in this larger construct. The Incarnation is not an afterthought. The Incarnation is the means by which the second person of the Trinity executes his obligation as the covenant mediator and surety who would indeed save the elect given to him by the Father.
So he is incarnate. He acts as the surety of the covenant of grace, and he serves as the mediator of the covenant of grace to the elect, from Van Drunen and Clark. They say, in His active and passive obedience, Christ fulfills the conditions of the covenant of redemption and fulfills His guarantee, ratifying the Father's promise, because of which the Father rewards the Son's obedience with the salvation of the elect. And because of this, the Holy Spirit applies the Son's work to His people through the means of grace.
Now all this to say, before we get into the particular text, sometimes you see a nice meal on your plate. It looks beautiful, it looks lovely, it looks delicious. If you were to ask the question, how did it get there? That's what the covenant of redemption does.
It explains how this glorious redemption got here. We didn't just, as I said, decide for Jesus on one fair day. God has been working. God has established.
God was pleased to enact this covenant with His Son for the salvation of the elect. So
Biblical Data for the Covenant of Redemption
let's look specifically now at the biblical data in support of the covenant of redemption. There are three categories here that we're going to look at. First, the relationship between the Father and the Son. Secondly, the covenantal language used with reference to the Father and the Son.
And thirdly, we'll note in closing, the pre-temporal foundation of the work of the Son.
The Father-Son Relationship
Note first the relationship between the Father and the Son. Four sub-points here. In the first place,
Father Gave the Son a Definite People
the Father gave the Son a definite number of people. The Father gave the Son a definite number of people. As I said, we'll turn to several texts. Look at John 6.
John 6, verse 37. Some of these passages will indeed be familiar to you, but we ought to see them in their connection to this covenant of redemption. John 6, 37. Jesus says, all that the Father gives me will come to me.
When does the Father give these to the Son? In this eternal transaction, in this covenant of redemption, in this Ephesians 1.4 scenario, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. It's not the case that in the first century God snapped His cosmic fingers and all of these people just come running to Jesus. No, when he says, all that the Father gives me will come to me, it is with reference to this eternal transaction.
Notice in John 10, verses 27 to 29. John 10, verses 27 to 29, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.
Now note the practical import of the covenant of redemption relative to our peace, relative to our security, relative to our stability, relative to our perseverance in the faith. Note how Jesus indicates, verse 29, my father who has given them to me in this eternal transaction, called the covenant of redemption, my Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. If by the grace of God you have believed the gospel of God, that is in accordance with the eternal purpose of God, and as a result you are safe, you are secure, you will not lose your salvation, you will not fall away, you will not finally be lost. You will not apostatize.
You will not defect. The Father and the Son hold you in their sovereign and blessed hand. The covenant of redemption secures this for the elect of God Most High. Notice in John 17, in verse 2.
John 17, in the high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus. Verse 1, Father the hour has come, glorify your Son that your Son also may glorify you. As you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. So Christ has comprehensive sovereignty over all flesh, doesn't he?
Christ is the second person of the triune God. Christ is mediatorial king, has all authority in heaven and on earth. Christ has been exalted to the right hand of the Father. He has absolute authority.
But note, there is this subset of persons. Note that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him. In this eternal transaction wherein the Father gave to the Son a specific number for whom Jesus died. We consider the relationship between the Father and the Son.
We notice, secondly, the conditions imposed upon the Son. In every covenant there are conditions. Adam was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was the condition in that covenant of words.
Well, for Christ, there are conditions in the covenant of redemption. John Owen, Volume 12, speaks of three. The first place, that He should take on Him the nature of those whom He was to bring to God. You see, that is primary.
Jesus must be incarnate. Jesus must assume our nature. Jesus must take on the likeness of sinful flesh. accepting sin. Hebrews 2, 16 and 17 indicates this.
He does not give aid to angels. The give aid there, rather, is he doesn't take on angels. Rather, he takes on the seed of Abraham. The idea behind that is he assumes our nature.
He becomes one of us, accepting sin. He becomes a man. He becomes, as I mentioned this morning, a baby. He crawls, he toddles, he eats, he weeps, he is weary according to the form of a servant.
Christ identifies wholly and fully and completely and totally with us in the incarnation so that he can execute this role as covenant mediator according to the promise given by Christ to the Father in this eternal transaction. The second condition, that in his body or human nature he should be a servant or yield obedience. We saw that in the reading at the outset of worship in Isaiah 42.1. Jesus is the servant of Yahweh.
Philippians 2.7 tells us that he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. So the Lord Christ, in his body, he was a servant to yield obedience. And then the third thing, he should suffer and undergo what injustice is due to him that he was to deliver. In other words, Christ must take the punishment that is due for these elect.
Isaiah 53 and verse 10. Isaiah 53, verse 10, showing again the relationship between the Father and the Son. We've seen the Father gave the Son a definite number of people. We're concerned now with the conditions imposed upon the Son.
In Isaiah 53, 10, it pleased Yahweh to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief. When you make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. as well in the section that we read before the sermon in Hebrews chapter 10. You may turn there.
Hebrews chapter 10, where these things are seen, citing Psalm 40, Christ the mediator speaking in terms of this particular Psalm. Verse 5, sacrifice and offering you did not desire but a body you have prepared for me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure. Then I said behold I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will O God.
And then in verse 10, by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Jesus in his death satisfied divine justice, satisfied the Father's justice, and thus rendered an acceptable sacrifice to God on behalf of all of the elect. So the Father gave to the Son, the conditions imposed upon the Son, thirdly, the obedience of the Son to the Father. Scriptures everywhere testify that Christ did, in fact, obey His Father.
And incidentally, several of the texts that we'll look at in just a moment come from John. I would submit every text where Jesus refers to being sent by the Father. You ought to hear that covenantally. You ought to hear that in terms of this covenant of redemption.
He is sent by the Father. Why? To be a great example? To be a new religious teacher?
To be just another faithful rabbi in Israel in the first century? No, to execute the obligation that is His by virtue of this eternal transaction. So the son obeys the father. The servant of the Lord prophecies in Isaiah foretold that he would obey the father.
But then note, in John's gospel specifically, the son's affirmation of his obedience to the father. Again, there are several here. We probably won't look at all of them. John 2, 16 and 17, when he cleanses the temple, the outset of his ministry, verse 16 in chapter 2, he said to those who sold doves, take these things away.
Do not make my father's house a house of merchandise. Then his disciples remembered that it was written, zeal for your house has eaten me up. What moved Christ? What was Christ about in His earthly ministry?
Zeal for the house of God moved Him. Zeal for the house of God ate Him up. Zeal for the house of God consumed Him. The glory of His Father, obedience to His Father, the honor and the exaltation and the majesty of His Father protected.
We can certainly learn in these several passages how we likewise ought to pursue these things. Jesus Christ took obedience to his father seriously, and we ought to be very thankful he did. John 6, 38 and 39. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
This is the will of the Father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day." Chapter 8, verse 29, showing and demonstrating the Son's obedience to the Father in this covenant context, the covenant of redemption. John 8, 29, and he who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone.
Notice, for I always do those things that please him. You know why you're going to heaven? Because Jesus always did what pleased the Father. We don't always do what pleases the Father.
We, as God's people, don't always do what pleases the Father. We can't get out of bed without having displeased the Father. It is because of Christ's obedience to the Father, which we will call His active obedience during His earthly ministry, that is why we go to heaven. You see, this has been said many times in this pulpit.
We not only need the blood of Jesus Christ to wash us from our sin and bring forgiveness, but we need the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, which is received by faith alone, so that we are fit to stand in the presence of God. It is this covenant of redemption that provides the arena for the outworking of the active obedience of Jesus Christ. Notice in John 8, 55. There will later be a quiz, by the way.
That's what you're going to do when you have your soup and your sandwich. Before we go to Linwood, you'll get a 100-question quiz to make sure that you're paying attention and you're getting all of these texts. Notice in John 8, 55. Yet you have not known him, but I know him.
And if I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you. But I do know him and, get this, he keeps his word. Christ obeyed the Father. Christ did what He was called to do.
Christ, in accordance to this eternal transaction, always does what the Father has commanded. Notice in John 10.18, John 10.18, no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself, speaking of His life. I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father.
John 12, 27 and 28, Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
And John 14 and verse 31. You get the point? Jesus is sent by the Father. This whole idea of being sent by the Father smacks of covenantal arrangement.
But when he's sent by the Father, he obeys the Father. He does what the Father says according to this eternal transaction, compacted by the members of the Trinity for the salvation of God's elect. 1431, but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, so I do. You can notice 1510 and 1704 as well. And then the apostolic testimony concerning the son's obedience.
Back to Hebrews 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Prophetically in the Psalter, Psalm 40, it spoke of Christ in this particular mission of redemption. And here this is cited, applied to Christ by the author.
And note the specific emphasis in verse 7 on what is the active obedience of our Lord Jesus. Then I said, behold, I have come, in the volume of the book, it is written of me, to do your will, O God. Christ does this because we did not. Christ's death, his passive obedience is certainly essential for the cleansing of our sins.
The forgiveness is wrought by that sacrificial act of our beloved Lord. But we need a righteousness. We need to receive that wedding garment. We need to be clothed.
God always demanded, demands righteousness. And this is what Christ provides in this covenantal context of the covenant of redemption. And then
The Father Rewards the Son
the father rewards the son for his obedience. The father rewards the son for his obedience. Just one text here. You can turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
Now that doesn't mean there's just one text, but because we need time for that quiz, we want to make sure we don't go too late. Ephesians chapter 1. Paul demonstrating what is the power and the greatness of God. It is displayed in the first place at the exaltation of our Lord Jesus.
Notice in 119, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." How does the Father view the work of the Lord Jesus Christ? such that he exalts him to his right hand and gives him universal authority and universal dominion. The other text obviously is in Philippians chapter 2, therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name. So that relationship between the father and the son is biblical data in support of this doctrine of the covenant of redemption.
The second place, covenantal language is used with reference to the Father and the Son. Back to Hebrews. Notice in Hebrews chapter 7, specifically. The word oath is covenantal in nature.
Certainly it has other applications, but it's certain, or it is the case that within covenant, oath-bound promises. Promises that have teeth are involved. And God swore with an oath, or God made an oath, that it was His Son that would be the mediator. Notice in 720, and inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath, for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath, by Him who said to Him, the Lord is sworn and will not relent.
You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. By so much more, Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. So oath within the various passages that deal with the Father and the Son bespeak of this covenant of redemption. As well, Jesus oftentimes in his ministry refers to God as God.
He refers to his Father as God. John Owen notes specifically, Ferguson commenting on Owen says, he argues that wherever the Father is called God by the Son, a covenantal relationship is indicated. Over and above the eternal relationship between the first and second persons of the Trinity. There are several passages, of course, where Jesus refers to the Father as God.
Thirdly, covenantal language, covenantal concepts are seen in the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 6, the reference to the Council of Peace. Two ways to take this particular statement. Certainly the one way evidences or confirms our understanding of the covenant of redemption.
Notice in Zechariah 6.12, behold the man whose name is the branch. From his place he shall branch out, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Yes, he shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne.
So he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. This council of peace between them both, Yahweh and the branch, Yahweh and the son, Yahweh the father, and this covenant mediator who would be the temple builder in this new covenant setting. As well, covenantal language in Luke 22. Luke 22.
Jesus covenants a kingdom to his children. Remember, he was, before this cause, I was born, Jesus says, to be a king. We'll note at the last supper in Luke's Gospel. Luke 22, 28.
But you are those who have continued with me in my trials, and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me. The word bestowed there is the word oftentimes translated as covenanted. In fact, Witsius, in his economy of the covenants between God and man, translates it this way, and this is accurate, and I engage by covenant unto you a kingdom as my father hath engaged by a covenant unto me. You see, the point here in this second heading is there is covenantal language used with reference to the Father and the Son.
This bespeaks of this covenant of redemption, this counsel of peace, this eternal transaction compacted by the persons of the Trinity about the salvation of the elect. And then the last aspect of covenantal language is obedience, the obedience of Christ. Isn't that what Paul specifies, highlights, indicates, and demonstrates over and over in Romans 5? It is through the one man's disobedience, Adam the first, that we die.
It is through Adam the second, Christ the Lord, through his obedience, the many live. In fact, you can turn there, Romans chapter 5, verses 12 to 19. Actually, let's just pick up at verse 18. Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
For as by one man's disobedience, again this is Adam the first, in the garden with the covenant of works, By one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. Now, the made isn't necessarily transformative. The idea is imputed. The idea is legal.
The idea is forensic. Notice what he goes on to say, so also by one man's obedience, many will be made or constituted righteous. Why stress this, Paul? Because Paul was a federal theologian.
Because Paul held to and taught covenant theology. Because Paul saw life and saw the universe relative to two men, Adam the first and Adam the second. And it's because of the obedience of Adam the second that all in him have life. They are made or they are constituted as righteous. in his life offered up obedience to the Father and that in accordance with this covenant of redemption." Burkhoff has a very interesting statement here, a very blessed statement.
Listen to what he says. He says, though the covenant of redemption is the eternal basis of the covenant of grace, And as far as sinners are concerned, also its eternal prototype, it was for Christ a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace. You see, Christ is obeying in accordance with the covenant of redemption. We benefit from the covenant of redemption in terms of the covenant of grace.
But we need to remember that for Christ, as Burkhoff says here, the covenant of redemption was a covenant of works. He must obey. He must go to the cross. He must die.
He must be surety. He must be priest. He must be victim as well. Burkhoff says, for him, the law of the original covenant applied, namely that eternal life could only be obtained by meeting the demands of the law.
As the last Adam, Christ obtains eternal life for sinners in reward for faithful obedience, and not at all as an unmerited gift of grace. You see, we oftentimes affirm that salvation is by grace apart from words. apart from our works, but not apart from Jesus' works. Jesus paid it all. Jesus obeyed the Father.
Jesus never disobeyed his parents. Jesus never stole. Jesus never lusted upon a woman in his heart. Jesus never coveted.
Jesus never lied. Jesus never engaged in idolatry. Jesus never had a blasphemous thought, let alone say a blasphemous word And Jesus never broke the Sabbath. It was a covenant of works for Him, the covenant of redemption.
So when we talk about salvation apart from works, always realize we mean apart from our works. Somebody worked, and somebody worked well, and somebody worked perfectly in order to secure for us salvation by grace through faith. in that one who worked." Burckhoff says, and what he has done as the representative and surety of all his people, they are no more in duty bound to do. The work has been done, the reward is merited, and believers are made partakers of the fruits of Christ's accomplished work through grace. blessed observation and one that we ought to keep at the forefront of our mind, that the covenant of redemption was in fact a covenant of works for our Lord Jesus. And then in the final place, the pre-temporal foundation of the work of the Son.
We only need to go to one place, Ephesians 1, for this particular statement. Ephesians chapter 1, verses 3 to 14. I won't read the whole text. You'll remember that Mike Kirkpatrick preached on that when he was here during his summer internship.
I'm sure that's all very familiar in your head and mind. What's Paul doing? He's praising the Father, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Why?
Because he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. That is the pre-temporal foundation. That is the covenant of redemption. That is this eternal transaction.
Note Paul's statement in Ephesians 3. Specifically, verses 10 and 11, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Lord. So those are several lines of biblical data that support this theological construct called the Covenant of Redemption that has confessional status in the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 7, Paragraph 3, Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.
That eternal transaction, that compact, that covenant between the persons of the of the triune God to save his people from their sins.
Application: Practical Benefits
In terms of the practical benefit as we close, I've already mentioned that it has rightly been said that salvation is apart from works. The Bible teaches that. Paul teaches that. He highlights that.
But Paul expects you to understand your works, not Christ's works. We need Christ's work. We need the fact that that Psalm 40 man, that Hebrews 10 man says, I came to do your will, O God. We need that act of obedience imputed to us and received by faith alone.
We need what Christ accomplished at the cross so that we may stand before the Lord God most high. As Burkhoff says, it was for Christ a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace. So with reference to the Incarnation, the Incarnation was the means by which Christ assumed our nature. You see, it's really glorious when you start to piece it together like this, you start to see it.
You know, persons outside of the Church, and unfortunately at times some in the Church, don't see how the Bible gels together. They don't see the big picture. They see individual trees in the forest, but they never fly over the forest in the helicopter. and go, wow, it's massive, glorious, beautiful. Look at how the pieces hold together.
Look at how they relate to one another. Look at how we have movement from eternity past into the present. Look at when a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and he comes to the Savior in surety. That is according to the eternal purpose of God.
It is good to connect these theological dots. It is good to see the comprehensive plan of God. It is good to move from a warm time in December to the reality that the incarnation was the means by which our Lord assumed our nature in order to carry out His role according to that eternal transaction enacted by the persons of the triune God. It was in that role, it was in our nature, it was in that state of humiliation under the law That provided the arena for Christ's active obedience to the law of God.
And as well, it was in that nature that Christ died. It was in that nature, according to His humanity, our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross suffered. Our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross bled. Our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross gave up His spirit.
In the resurrection, the exaltation of Christ, therein is the demonstration that the Father is well pleased with the Son's obedience. He confers upon him this position of authority, and it's as a result that the Spirit comes. and blesses and brings these things to bear upon the elect of God. Ferguson says, in the covenant of redemption, therefore, the wisdom, justice, and grace of God can be seen as well as the reason for the special honor and exaltation of Christ as mediator. Now those who know me, you know me well, this is one of my favorite quotes of all times by John Flavel.
I'll close here. I call this head the Flaval Inspired Worship Dew. The Flaval Inspired Worship Dew. In other words, after you hear this quote, you reflect upon the various lines of data that we've offered tonight.
As you go home tonight, as you think about this tomorrow, as you think about this in your week, as I hope you will, not because I preached it, but because it's concerning our beloved and blessed Trinity. You will consider these things and be moved to worship, be moved to honor God, be moved to glorify Him, and to live in light of this blessed reality that you find yourself in. Flavel comments concerning the covenant of redemption. He personifies the Son, he personifies the Father.
First is Father. This is how he reckons it went in this eternal transaction. My son, here is a company of poor miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lie open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them.
What shall be done for these souls? And thus Christ returns. Oh my father, such is my love to and pity for them that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their surety. Bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee.
Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after reckonings with them. At my hand shalt thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it. Upon me, my father, upon me be all their debt.
But, my son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite. Expect no abatements. If I spare them, I will not spare thee. Content, father, let it be so.
Charge it all upon me. I am able to discharge it. And though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, Yet, I am content to undertake it. Amen.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for this eternal transaction. We thank you that you've ordained the Lord Christ as covenant mediator. We thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit and applying what Jesus accomplished to the elect.
And thank you and we praise you that you've included us in this blessed number. God, help us to meditate upon these things. Help us to see our salvation. relative to your comprehensive plan, and may it humble us and may it cause us to stand in wonder and in awe and with worship and adoration and praise to our great God. We ask that you would go with us now.
We pray that you'd watch over us in this coming week. We pray, Lord God, that you would be glorified in our lives. And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.