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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, 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 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. Note first the relationship
between the Father and the Son. Four sub-points here. In the
first place, 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 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. 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.
