Covenant, Parts 1 and 2

Genesis 6:18; Romans 10:9
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, February 07, 2021
Copyright © 2021, P. G. Mathew
Language [Japanese]

Many churches today are antinomian. They practice and preach a false theology that a sinner can be saved without repentance, without the obedience of faith, that is, without regeneration.

The prophets spoke about repentance. John the Baptist spoke about repentance. Jesus preached repentance. The apostles preached repentance. But wicked churches preach that no repentance is necessary and you can go to heaven with all your sins. Few churches preach the true and most correct theology. This church is one of them. We preach TULIP theology, that is, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement (i.e., limited to God’s elect), irresistible grace, and perseverance by living in repentance and saving faith.

Covenant theology is the most correct theology. The Westminster Confession of Faith preaches about covenant theology. A minister has to be pious and learned to preach about covenant theology.

Introduction

The first reference to God’s covenant with man appears in Genesis 6:18, where God said to Noah, “I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.” These eight were saved by God’s grace from the destruction of the world by flood. Amazingly, only eight were saved. It was a universal flood and destruction.

Genesis 17 has fourteen references to covenant. Altogether, I counted about three hundred references to covenant in the Bible.

Man can never negotiate the terms of the covenant with God. God himself chooses sinners, elect sinners, descendants of Adam, and makes a covenant with them. All descendants of Adam are conceived in sin, born as sinners, to go to hell unless they are saved. That is why, in the acronym TULIP, the T means total depravity. And, thank God, you are elect.

Adam represented all who descended from him in the covenant of works, as we read in Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, . . . in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” in Adam.

But Jesus represented all the elect of God in the covenant of works, as we read in Romans 5:19: “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus Christ] the many will be made righteous.” “The many” there means the elect.

God’s Covenant

Through God’s covenant of grace, God relates to his elect people to save them. It is not a covenant between equals. It is between the eternal, infinite, holy, personal, triune God and elect sinners. That is why I like it but I do not understand it. I do not understand how God chose me and sent me to the other end of the earth to preach the gospel.

This covenant is binding on both parties. The heart of the covenant is this: “I am your God who saves you forever, and you are my people who love me and obey me.” We read about this in 2 Corinthians 6:16: “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” This is the heart of the covenant.

There are two kinds of covenants: the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Adam failed to obey God in the covenant of works (Gen. 2:16–17). In Hosea 6:7 we read, “Like Adam, they have broken the covenant—they were unfaithful to me there.” Adam and Eve obeyed the devil, and all their descendants died. They died first spiritually, and later, physically, as God threatened.

In Genesis 2:17 God said to Adam and Eve, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, [because] when you eat of it you will surely die.” Adam and Eve disobeyed God and they died.

Jesus obeyed the covenant of works, which became the basis of the covenant of grace for the elect sinners whom he represented (Rom. 5:12–21). What does that mean? Jesus never sinned. He always obeyed his Father. Exodus 20 is a covenant of grace. God takes a people to be his, and redeems them from eternal death, and demands obedience of faith. Whom you obey is your covenant Lord (Rom. 10:9).

1. Biblical Covenant Consists of These Things

1. The name of the great king. He is the one who makes a covenant with his vassals, with his bondslaves. All the elect are God’s vassals. So in Exodus 20:2 we read, “I am the Lord your God.”
2. Historical prologue. This is what the Lord has done for us in the past. Again, in Exodus 20:2 we read, “who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” The whole world is in slavery to the devil (1 John 5:19); the Lord brings us out from under his dominion.
3. Stipulations to the covenant. What does God require of us? We read the following stipulations in the Ten Commandments (see Exod. 20:1-17):
   1. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” We cannot serve God and money, God and idols.
   2. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.”
   3. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
   4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
   5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” In Leviticus 19:3 we learn that this is the first commandment especially for children. If they do not honor their father and mother, it will not go well with them.
   6. “You shall not murder.” Abortion is murder, and it promotes immorality.
   7. “You shall not commit adultery.”
   8. “You shall not steal.”
   9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” That means we must not lie.
   10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

4. Sanctions. We experience blessings or curses, depending on our obedience or disobedience to God’s covenant. These include the blessing of eternal life or the curse of eternal punishment in hell (Matt. 25:46).
5. Dynastic succession. In Acts 2:39 we read, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call,” effectually. And in Isaiah 59:21 we read, “‘As for me, this is my covenant with them,’ says the Lord. ‘My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,’ says the Lord.” This is the promise of household salvation. However, there is an exception. In Romans 9:13 God says, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” I do not understand it, but I believe it. This shows election. Jacob and Esau had the same father and mother, they were born at the same time, and both were sinners. Yet God chose only Jacob for salvation.

II. The Heart of the Covenant of Grace

Grace enables us to obey God’s covenant. In Jeremiah 7:23 the Lord said, “I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.” The phrase “that it may go well with you” means the blessing of eternal life.

This life has one purpose: It is not that we make a lot of money. It is that we may believe in Jesus Christ and be saved.

In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” And in Revelation 21:3 John writes, “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and [God] will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” This is the covenant of grace.

All these covenants that God made with man (prediluvian, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and so on) pointed to the covenant of grace, or the new covenant, based on the covenant of works, which Jesus obeyed perfectly. Jesus never sinned. He learned obedience by the things he suffered and, being made perfect, he became the author of salvation for all who obey him (Heb. 5:8–9). A person is damned if he does not obey Jesus Christ. But, thank God, when we repent, he forgives all our sins.

Adam represented all his descendants. In Romans 5:12 we read, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” But Jesus represents his elect, as we read in Romans 5:16–21:

Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation [to all], but the gift [of grace] followed many trespasses and brought justification [from all sins]. For if, by the trespass of the one man [Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those [elect sinners] who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness [Jesus] reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings [eternal] life for all men [the elect]. For just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus] the many [the elect] will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.

Our salvation in Jesus is a gift of God. It is a gift of grace. It is a gift of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. It is a gift of justification. It is a gift of eternal life. And this gift comes to us at the highest cost: the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the highest price to redeem us.

Jesus always obeyed. He never sinned! So we read of the double transaction in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.” This is called the double transaction, and, by grace we got the best deal! We give to Jesus our sin, our guilt, our punishment, and our hell, and he gives to us his perfect righteousness. When God looks at us, we are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 5:8–9 we read, “Although he was [eternal] Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” That is what the Scripture says. The Scripture does not promote antinomianism. If anyone does not obey Jesus, that person is not saved. We must live by repentance and the obedience of faith. Yes, we are not perfect, but that is why I said that we are to live by repentance and the obedience of faith.

Jesus always obeyed God. He said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish it” (John 4:34). Jesus was the poorest person who ever lived on the face of the earth (Luke 9:58), yet he did God’s will. He also said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone because I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29). And he said, “The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (John 14:31). He did exactly what the Father commanded. We must not add to or subtract from the word of God. We must interpret it correctly.

In his high priestly prayer Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). What was that work? It began with his incarnation (the virgin birth). He completed the work of redemption by his death and resurrection. So we read, “When he had received the drink [on the cross], Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). The covenant of works was finished by Christ’s obedience to the Father. Jesus obeyed his Father perfectly, so that we can be saved by grace.

III. The Covenants of Grace

All the following covenants (prediluvian, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic, and so on) are grace covenants, foreshadowing the work of Jesus and the new covenant of grace.

Prediluvian Covenant

In the covenant with Noah, only eight people were saved (Gen. 6:18). We do not deserve to be saved. It is not something that is based on a vote. Salvation of the elect is God’s eternal purpose, and I am glad we are included.

Abrahamic Covenant

In the Abrahamic covenant, the condition was faith in God’s word, and the sign was circumcision. Circumcision stands for a holy life. “Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Abraham is the father of all believers in Jesus—Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 4:11). The Lord told Abraham, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants” (Gen. 17:7).

Only elect people are saved. When they hear the gospel, they repent and believe in Jesus, proving they are elect. So Abraham and his seed were saved—not Ishmael or Esau, but Isaac and Jacob and all who believe and obey the Lord. The condition for our salvation is faith in Jesus. And, notice, “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved” (Rom. 9:27). In other words, the saved are few.

The Abrahamic covenant especially shows a self-maledictory oath on God’s part. In Genesis 15:17-18, only God is passing though the space between the cut animals, not God and Abraham. This is pointing to Jesus Christ’s perfect obedience of the covenant of works. Christ alone died for our sins.

Unlike Adam, Jesus died for our sins, perfectly obeying the covenant of works. Paul writes that through Christ’s sacrificial death, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Cor. 5:19). We sinned, but Jesus died. It is a good deal for us. Paul also states, “God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Yes, we gave our sin, our guilt, our punishment, and our hell to him, and he paid the price. That is why we praise God.

Abraham and his seed must obey. In Hebrews 11 we read that by faith God’s people obeyed. When antinomian preachers tell you that you do not have to repent or obey, and that you can keep your sin and go to heaven, do not believe them. These are demon-possessed people who are lying to you.

The sign of the Abrahamic covenant is circumcision, which stands for a holy life that leads us to enjoy communion with God. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper weekly. When we repent of our sins, the eternal God forgives our sins, and we can have communion with him.

The Lord declared to Abraham, “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. . . . Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant” (Gen. 17:10–11, 14).

There are two sacraments under the new covenant: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism means union with Christ. We died with Christ, were buried with Christ, were raised with Christ to live a new life, an obedient life. That is not repeated. But the Lord’s Supper is repeated. It reminds us of the price Jesus Christ paid for our sins, the double transaction.

Mosaic Covenant

The Mosaic covenant is a covenant of grace. Professor John Murray defined the covenant of grace this way: “The covenant is a sovereign administration of grace—divine in its origin, disclosures, confirmation and fulfillment.”^[1] God is the author.

God chose the elect of Israel in love for salvation. Israel must keep his covenant. In Romans 9:27 we read, “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.’” Only a few will be saved. Are you included in the few, in the remnant?

Leviticus 11:45 says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And 1 Peter 1:15 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” We are going to be like Jesus. That is what predestination is, to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 12:14 we read, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness no one is saved. And in Isaiah 35:8 we read, “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.” It is straight and narrow, leading to eternal life. “The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.” And Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to [eternal] destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7:13–14). Few and many. The square feet of your house will not define you. The new kitchen will not define you. Only a new heart will define you, which is a unique work of the Holy Spirit.

The sign in Mosaic covenant of grace is circumcision. And the true meaning of circumcision is the obedience of faith (see Romans 1:5). There is no covenant of grace without repentance and obedience of faith.

Davidic Covenant

Then there is the Davidic covenant of grace. It is messianic in its ultimate reference. The sign is circumcision and the condition again is faith, the obedience of faith.

In Isaiah 42:1, 6 the Lord says, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. . . . I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.” In these verses, Jesus is called “covenant” and “light.” He fulfilled the covenant of works. Adam disobeyed the covenant of works and brought us condemnation and eternal damnation. But Jesus fulfilled the covenant of works and brought us justification and eternal life.

Jesus said about himself, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). And Jesus said about us, “You are the light of the world.” We are not darkness. So Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14). This is speaking about evangelism as light.

New Covenant

Finally, there is the new covenant. Jesus shed his blood, as we read in Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24. Christ died in our place for our sins. He paid the highest price by his blood. Christ loved us and paid the highest price. No one can buy salvation. The price is too high.

In Matthew 26:39, 42 we read, “Going a little farther, [Jesus] fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ [He taught us, “Thy will be done.”] . . . He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’” The Father answered, “It is not possible.”

It was the Father’s eternal will that his eternal Son die in our place for our sins. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [that is, the cross], so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:24). By the Holy Spirit who dwells in all true believers, we can kill sin and obey God.

Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). And Paul writes, “In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me’” (1 Cor. 11:25).

We sinned; he died, that we might be saved by grace. Christ’s obedience secured our eternal salvation. What must we do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. There is no other savior.

IV. What Adam Failed, Christ Obeyed. So the Elect Obey Jesus by Grace.

Where Adam failed, Christ obeyed, so the elect obey Jesus by grace. There is no covenant of grace where obedience is optional. Some people say, “You do not need to repent or obey. When you die, you can still go to heaven.” That is not true.

Jesus said, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:10). In Hebrews 5:8–9 we read something very important about Jesus Christ: “Although he was [eternal] Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” If you do not obey Jesus, you are not saved.

How can we obey God? We obey by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. By that Spirit, we can kill sin and obey Jesus (Rom. 8:11–14). James said, “Submit to God and resist the devil, and he shall flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). The first thing we do is to submit to God.

In 1 John 2:3–6 we read, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” Did you know that God does not beg? No, he commands. (PGM) John continues, “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” And Jesus tells us, “Follow me in the straight and narrow way to eternal life.”

Jesus obeyed God perfectly in the covenant of works unlike Adam so that the elect can be saved by grace. In Ephesians 2:8 we read, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

In Romans 5:15–17 we find five times our salvation described as a “gift.” Salvation is God’s gift to the elect sinners, that is, to everyone who believes in Jesus. In Ephesians 1:4 we read, “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

V. The Covenant of Redemption

This took place before the creation in eternity past, to redeem God’s elect whom the Father chose from all sinners. There was voluntary agreement among the three Persons of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father chose certain sinners and gave them to his Son to accomplish redemption for them. This is also part of TULIP. The letter L stands for limited atonement. The atonement of God’s Son is limited to the elect only. It is sufficient for everyone, but limited.

In John 17 Jesus said, “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him” (v. 2).  In eternity, the Father gave us to the Son. . . . “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word (v. 6). . . . I pray for them.” Jesus Christ is interceding for us. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us. And Jesus Christ is interceding for us in heaven. Jesus continues, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours (v. 9). . . . Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (v. 24). Redemption is limited to the elect, those who believe in Jesus. And all of a sudden, when the preacher preaches the gospel, the elect will believe in Jesus.

The Son agreed to accomplish redemption for the elect in eternity by his perfect obedience to the covenant of works through his incarnational life and death and resurrection, which is the basis of the covenant of grace. And the Holy Spirit in eternity agreed to apply Christ’s redemption to each elect person.

In Romans 8:29–30 Paul writes, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called.” This is speaking about effectual calling. When God calls, we come. Paul continues, “those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Paul is speaking about us, the elect. The Holy Spirit applies Christ’s redemption to each one of us, beginning with regeneration. We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.

VI. More on the Covenant of Grace Based on Christ’s Sinless Obedience

In 2 Timothy 3:16–17 we read, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s covenant of grace comes in written form in the whole of the Bible which the elect of God will read and obey by special grace from God through the Holy Spirit. They alone are members of the new covenant in Jesus Christ, sealed by the blood of Jesus (see Genesis 3:15). The highest price was paid for our salvation. We cannot buy salvation. We receive this as a gift.

In 1 Corinthians 11:25 we read, “In the same way, after supper [Jesus] took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” We must not forget the Lord, who loved us and died for us. And in Hebrews 9:15 we read, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

The new covenant can be summarized this way: “I am your God who saves you, and you are my people, who love and obey me.”

In Jeremiah 31:33 we read, “‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” This is speaking about regeneration.

One of the important covenants is your personal covenant, “that if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). This is our covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our King of kings and Lord of lords, and I am his bondslave.

Do you know the word “slave” (doulos) is used in Philippians 2:7 to refer to Jesus Christ? Paul also calls himself a slave of Christ Jesus (Rom. 1:1), as does Peter (2 Pet. 1:1). We are Christ’s obedient servants. We hear and do his will.

Our wills are surrendered to his will. Never break that covenant you made when you said Jesus is Lord. Don’t break this covenant, because if you break it, he will deal with you severely. John says in 1 John 2:19, “They went out from among us because they were not of us.”

The beginning sign in the new covenant is baptism, that is, union with Christ. We died with Christ, were buried with Christ, were raised with Christ to live a new life, an obedient life. Whom we obey is our master. Adam and Eve chose to obey the devil, as we read in Genesis 3. They did the most evil thing, spitting on God’s face and obeying the devil.

The continuing sign is the Lord’s Supper. The condition is faith in Jesus Christ. In Romans 1:17 we read, “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Hebrews 11 speaks of the obedience of faith twenty-seven times.

In Ephesians 2:8 we read, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  The ground of salvation is the righteousness of Christ. The means of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ.

In this covenant of grace, God enables the elect sinners to meet the covenant demands of obedience by regeneration and by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. So we read in Philippians 2:12–13, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to do according to his good purpose.”

VII. Characteristics of the Covenant of Grace

Professor Berkhof describes the following characteristics of the covenant of grace.^[2]

I. It is a gracious covenant (Rom. 8:31–34). Consider the following:
a. Christ is our security to meet our obligations.
b. Christ meets the demands of justice for us (Rom. 6:23). Christ died in our place.
c. Through the Holy Spirit, the elect are able to meet their covenant responsibilities (Eph. 2:1–10).
II. All persons of the Godhead are involved in the covenant of grace.
a. The Father elects sinners to salvation. As I said, I don’t understand it, but I like it. It is a miracle. I don’t  understand it, but I believe it.
b. The Son dies for their sins.
c. The Holy Spirit applies redemption to each elect sinner. Oh, you thought “I” believed. But the issue is, God chose you from eternity, before time began.
III. It is a particular, not universal, covenant. Only the elect are saved (Eph. 1:4).
IV. Essentially, the covenant of grace is the same in all dispensations. The covenant of grace operated essentially in all dispensations. There is only one gospel. What is the gospel? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. There is no change.
V. The mediator of the covenant is Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ can save us. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). His name is Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). He saves all his people, Jews and Gentiles, from their sins.
VI. The Holy Spirit regenerates elect dead sinners to repent and trust in Jesus Christ.
VII. They are given the gifts of repentance and saving faith to persevere to the end. The last letter in TULIP stands for perseverance. God’s people will not walk out. They will not practice divorce.
VIII. Christ’s merit is given to all who trust in him. “God made him who had no sin to become sin for us so that in [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). We are clothed in God’s righteousness. While billionaires walk around naked, we are clothed in God’s righteousness.

Conclusion

Jesus obeyed perfectly the covenant of works so that the elect may be saved by grace (see Phil. 2:6–11). And in Acts 20:28 Paul says that God gives godly pastors to care for his elect sheep: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Jesus paid the highest price—his own blood—for our salvation.

In Isaiah 55:1 we read, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you have who have no money, come, buy and eat!” That means that we must realize the cost of salvation. It is free, but you must realize the cost.

In Revelation 3:17–18 the Lord says to the Laodicean church, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” They were not clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Jesus continues, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” “Buy” means to trust in Jesus Christ. No one can buy salvation. The price is very high. Each must realize that the cost is infinite. And when we believe in Jesus Christ, we will be clothed with the righteousness of God—not our righteousness, but the righteousness of God.

May God help us to say with Samuel, “Speak, Lord, your servant heareth. Your servant is your slave. I will hear and do what you say.” If this is not true of you, you are not saved.

Adam sinned by disobedience and brought us eternal condemnation, eternal death. Christ obeyed and brought us eternal salvation. Jesus alone gives us grace, forgiveness, justification, his own righteousness, salvation in its fullness, holiness, eternal life, glory, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Aren’t you glad that you are saved? I don’t understand election, but I believe it. I marvel that I am an elect.

May God help us to understand and keep our personal covenant with him. He is our King of kings and Lord of lords, and we are to hear and do his holy will and persevere to the end. Thank God for saving us!

 

^[1] New Bible Dictionary, edited by J. D. Douglas et al (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 265.

^[2] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949), 278–283.