COVENANT-REDEMPTION
Simply stated, the covenant
of redemption is a covenant God the Father made with God the Son before the
foundation of the world was laid, that is the Son would offer Himself up as and
offering for sin, the Father would give Christ all those for whom He would die
as a love gift.
Redemption Planned, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 9, Used by
Permission.
Here is what God the Father laid
down as the conditions of the covenant of redemption: The Son must assume a
true human nature, however, without sin (Heb. 4:15; 10:5). Emmanuel must become their Substitute,
remove their sins from them, and take their sins onto His account as if He Himself
had committed them (Gal. 3:13). On
their behalf, He must bear all the punishment which their sins had merited, and
He must suffer, die, and rise again (Jn. 10:18). On their behalf, He must fulfill all righteousness in order to
make them righteous (Rom. 5:19). He
must make the elect to be partakers of this merited salvation by declaring the
Gospel to them, regenerating them, granting them faith, preserving them,
resurrecting them from the dead, and ushering them into heaven (Jn. 6:39).
Don Kistler
Redemption Planned, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 10, Used by
Permission .
This covenant reveals a love
which is unparalleled and exceeds all comprehension. Think of what a blessing it is that you and I have been
considered and known in this covenant, to have been given by the Father to the
Son. Think of what a blessing it is
that you and I have had our names written by the Son in His Book of Life. Think of what a blessing it is that you and
I have been the objects of the eternal mutual delight of the Father and the Son
to save us.
Don Kistler
Redemption Planned, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 11, Used by
Permission.
Neither God nor Christ were
moved by necessity or compulsion, but by eternal love and volition. Jeremiah 31:3 states, “Yea, I have loved
thee with an everlasting love.” Love
moved the Father and love moved the Son.
It is a covenant of love between those whose love proceeds from within
themselves.
Don Kistler
Redemption Planned, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 11, Used by
Permission.
In his systematic theology,
Charles Hodge lists eight promises the Father gives to the Son in (the covenant
of redemption) made in eternity.
Briefly they are: that God would form a purified church for His Son;
that the Son would receive the Spirit without measure; that He would be
ever-present to support Him; that He would deliver Him from death and exalt Him
to His right hand; that He would have the Holy Spirit to send to whom He
willed; that all the Father gave to Him would come to Him and none of these be
lost; that multitudes would partake of His redemption and His messianic
kingdom; that He would see the travail of His soul and be satisfied.
R.C. Sproul
The Blueprint of Redemption, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 7,
Used by Permission.
Before all time; prior to
all worlds; when there was nothing “outside of” God Himself; when the Father,
Son and Spirit found eternal, absolute and unimaginable blessing, pleasure and
joy in their Holy Trinity – it was their agreed purpose to create a world which
would fall, and in unison – but at infinitely great cost – to bring (some to)
grace and salvation.
Sinclair Ferguson
Salvation, Past, Present, and Future, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004,
p. 36, Used by Permission.
Each of the Persons of the Trinity
plays a unique role in the salvation of the elect. The Father elects to save His people in Christ (Eph. 1:4). The Son is appointed and willingly offers
Himself as Savior and Mediator (Lk. 22:29; Heb. 10:5-7). The Holy Spirit furnishes Christ with the
gifts necessary to accomplish His saving work (Lk. 1:32; 3:21-22; 4:18), and
also applies the benefits of Christ’s work to those whom the Father gives to
the Son (Jn. 6:38-39; Jn. 17:4). Thus,
in a delightful harmony of mutual love and purpose, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit eternally covenant to redeem an elect community.
Cornelis Venema
Redemption Applied, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 17, Used by
Permission.
We can find our firm
foundation in a covenant contracted among the three Persons of the Triune God,
even before time began. This plan to
rescue and re-create damaged and guilty bearers of the divine image was
initiated by the Father, to be executed by the Son, and to be applied by the
Spirit to those very persons on whose behalf the Son would keep covenant.
Dennis Johnson
Redemption Accomplished, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 13, Used
by Permission.
The question is whether
man’s salvation is held up as the great goal of the covenant of redemption, or
whether God’s glorification is the primary goal of the covenant of
redemption. If the benefit of man were
allowed to become the ultimate purpose of the church, it would actually be a
failure. Man was created to have a
higher purpose than himself. If the
blessing of man becomes the ultimate motivation, then he is living far below
and for far less than that for which God created him.
Mike Chastain
The Goal of Redemption, Tabletalk, Feb. 2004, p. 54, Used by
Permission.