Reformed Theology Pt. 1 | Covenant Theology | Confessionalism | The Covenant of Redemption

Reform Theology Part One. Let's pray. Glorious God in heaven, you who all authority in heaven and earth has been given to, Jesus we praise you. Lord, please, I beg you to use me, to speak through me. I pray throughout this week, Lord, as I continue in my study that you will teach me, that you will cause me to be teachable, Lord.

That when I stand before your people, that I can speak boldly on this on this matter. Use me now, I pray in Jesus name. Amen. So Reform Theology, we will be taking a look at it from a particular Baptist perspective.

So before Reform Baptists were called Reform Baptists, we were known as Particular Baptists. And so that's why I add in there, from a Particular Baptist perspective. So Theology means God's Word. We want to understand God's Word.

We want to understand Theology. Theo, God. Logos, Theology. Logos, Word. Theology. We want to understand God's Word. And I want to come to you, this this series, bringing to you six different topics. At least for right now.

Something could be added, okay? I'm So right now my plan is to bring six different topics. One of them will just be an overarching topic. We're going to be looking at confessionalism, covenantalism, Calvinism, law and gospel distinction, the ordinary means of grace, and the five solas.

So covenantal, confessional, Calvinistic, law and gospel distinction, the ordinary means of grace, and five solas. And by the time we get through all of this, we're going to have a deep and rich understanding of Reformed Theology.

Now I like to think that I understand Reformed Theology, but even as I study this, I'm hoping to be teachable. That God can teach me through His Word and through history, so I can stand before you with confidence.

Confessionalism will be the overarching umbrella of all the topics. We, as Reformed Baptists, we hold to the confession of 1689. So the confession of 1689, as we study this topic, will be our overarching umbrella.

So the question arises, what is a confession and why do we need one? What is a confession and why do we need one? Well, we've been studying in our Sunday school through the 1689, the London Baptist confession of faith.

And we've already touched on this in that class, so we won't go too deep into it, but a confession of faith is a body of doctrinal beliefs that are to be confessed, believed, and taught in the local church, particularly a confession from the 17th century.

And there are good confessions. We have the Augsburg Confession, the Belgic Confession, the Heidenberg Confession, the Westminster Confession, and the London Baptist Confession. Of course, as a London Baptist confession of faith is what we represent, that is what we'll, again, be highlighting.

The reason for a confession is needed is this. Holding to an historical confession will ground the believer in Scripture and keep him from falling into heresy. And I've gave this analogy before, I believe, that, you know, I could go bowling, and I'm not a great bowler.

I really look good bowling, though. Like, I got the whole movement down, you know. After bowling, my wrist hurts for a while, so I try not to do it much, but I think I look good bowling. But when I'm bowling, I sometimes, that ball will land in the gutter, and I won't hit a single pin.

But there's sometimes when I'm bowling, I'll look over and I see a party, a kid party, a birthday party, and their lanes will have those blown-up tubes that go into the gutter that keeps you from throwing gutter balls.

Now, if I had that, I'd be a much better bowler. I'd be as good as bowling as I look. At least, I think I look when I'm bowling. That's what the confessions and the creeds do for us. They keep us on path.

They keep us from going in the gutter. They keep us from going into heresy. And as a pastor, as a pastor of a 1689 church, I am obligated to hold up the doctrines that are found in the London Baptist Confession of Faith.

Earlier, we were speaking before service started, and we were talking about accountability, and that how, as our church functions, is that we are accountable to one another. Kyle and myself, as elders, there's no hierarchy of elders.

We are equal. We have the same standing. But in that, when it comes to, so the way that service is led. But in that, whenever we vote for something, we have the same vote as everyone that's a member of this church.

Our vote, my vote, doesn't matter more than anyone else's vote. If you're a member of the church, your vote matters just as much as my vote. Like it's an equal vote. All right? This confession that we have keeps us accountable to its doctrines.

So if you're a member here, but you are against the 1689, it's mine and Kyle's job to come to you. It's your fellow brother and sister that's a member of the church to come to you and to use that confession to hold you accountable.

But it's also your job to hold me and Kyle accountable to this confession. We believe that this confession teaches, it has orchestrated the doctrines in such a way that it gives us a clear picture of what the Bible teaches.

So as a 1689 church, I am obligated to hold myself, you are to hold me to these doctrines, and I am to hold you to these doctrines. A confession of faith is not, listen, is not to be placed in equal standing with Holy Scripture.

It is not to be placed in equal standing with Holy Scripture. No, but it is as a companion. The one is breathed out by God, while the other is words of man explaining the teachings that has been breathed out by God.

Covenant Theology and the Threefold Structure of the Covenants

Ecclesia Semper Reformanda. The church always reforming. I believe as particular Reformed Baptists, we kept reforming. I named off a bunch of confessions earlier. I believe that the London Baptist here is the only one that kept reforming, that was always reforming, that is set in a way that you can reform.

I believe that the the framers of our confession formulated their covenant theology different from the Westminster. The particular Baptist wanted to be known as covenant theologians, but they saw issues with the Westminster form of the covenants.

So the question is this, what is a covenant? What is a covenant? Well, we know that a covenant is made between two parties, and the Bible explains to us covenants that are conditional and unconditional.

An unconditional covenant will be such as the Noahic covenant, where God made a covenant that he would not destroy the earth. This is an unconditional covenant made from God to us, that he is not going to destroy the earth.

That is unconditional. A conditional covenant would be like a marriage. So if you're here today, you have a wedding ring, you and your spouse made a covenant with one another to be faithful, to be faithful, to hold up your agreement.

That is what a covenant is. You are committing yourself, you're promising yourself to hold up your part of the agreement, and that is a conditional covenant. You are to do your part. Your spouse is to do their part.

They are to be faithful to you. They are to be with you sickness and health. That is a covenant that the two of y 'all made before man and before God. As Reformed people, we behold to covenant theology, and we believe that God has made covenants, and that's what we're going to be digging into.

We do, however, agree with Westminster, with Westminster, excuse me, when it comes to the three main covenants. Now we don't agree with the view of the covenant, but we agree that there's three main covenants, and this will be our outline.

The covenant of redemption, the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace. This week we will only focus on the covenant of redemption, and my sub points are as follows. Point number one, God the Father purposed to save a people.

Point number two, God the Son accomplishes that purpose. And point number three, God the Holy Spirit applies that purpose. This is probably the most important covenant. Understanding this covenant is vitally important when it comes to understanding the Bible.

Nothing else is going to make sense if you do not understand this covenant. So again, our sub points are God the Father chose, I mean, God the Father purposed to save a people. God the Son accomplishes that purpose, and God the Holy Spirit applies that purpose.

And our text for this Lord's Day is found, my favorite verse, John 3 16. John 3 16. If you will turn there, read with me, John 3 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I believe the covenant of redemption is the overarching covenant of Holy Scripture. The covenant of redemption is the covenant made between the Godhead and eternity past. So if you could picture this the same way that when a man proposes to his wife and he is promising her, he is vowing to her, that he is going to be celibate and faithful to her only.

He's only pursuing her. The covenant of redemption tells us that God the Father purposed to save a people, and that it would be done through his Son, and it can only be done through his Son, and that this Holy Spirit was going to come and make sure that this covenant was applied to the people that God chose to save.

And we need to understand one thing before this begins, is that this covenant took place before the beginning. This covenant took place before the beginning. So we go to Genesis chapter 1 and we read, in the beginning.

The end of beginning is not the beginning of the story. The beginning of the story that includes you and I is the covenant of redemption. That's the beginning of the story. Now there is no beginning for God.

He is eternal. He does not live in time and space, but the beginning for you and I is not Genesis 1 .1. It's when God the Father purposed to save a people in his Son, and that the Holy Spirit would one day come to make sure that it would be accomplished, that it would apply to us.

If I could get you to turn to your Bibles, to the book of Ephesians. So we're going to be kind of going back and forth today between John and Ephesians, because Ephesians right here is going to explain to us what took place before Genesis 1 .1.

So Ephesians 1, 3 through 14, is before Genesis 1, and it reads, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.

Even as he chose us in him, listen, before the foundation of the world, before Genesis 1 .1, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will.

To the praise of his glorious grace with which he blessed us in the beloved. In him, speaking of Jesus, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, the forgiveness of our trespass. So our redemption through his blood is the forgiveness of our trespass according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight.

Making known to us the mystery of his will according to the purpose which he set forth in Christ. As a plan, listen, as a plan for the fullness of time. To unite, what is the fullness of time? When Christ came into this world.

To unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have attained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

Verse 12, so that we who were first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him, speaking of Christ, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promise Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory.

The Father Purposed to Save a People

Now to our first point. I forgot to grab my water, so just give me one second, sorry. Sorry. Now to our first point. God the Father, purpose to save a people. Again we're in John chapter 3 verse 16. Now see if you can put this together as I'm going through it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Our text in the context is a conversation between Jesus and a teacher of Israel, speaking of Nicodemus.

The subject is salvation. How is a person justified before God? We will go deeper into this in the weeks to come, but in short, the only way anyone can see the kingdom or enter the kingdom, or I would add believe in Jesus, is that they must first be born again.

The Young's literal translation translates this as being born from above. That this is something that is outside of you. This is something, whatever it is that Jesus is talking about, this being born again, it is something outside of you.

Now look back at our text. It says, for God so loved the world. So the word here in Greek for God is theos. And often when you just read the word God, we need to understand who God is. And the Bible describes God, that there's only one God.

We're monotheists. But as Christians, we're Trinitarians, so we believe that God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That there's one God, this one God has revealed himself in the three persons as Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And we'll get more into that in just a second. And it says that this this one God, this triune being, so loved the world. The word world here is cosmos, and it's speaking of all of earth. So this one God loved earth in such a way.

Now because of the wording here, we know that the word God, this theos, is referring to the Father. So right here where it says for God, you can just say the Father. This is not speaking about the Son.

You say, well how do you know that Jeff? Well read the text. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. So God here is referring to the Father. For God the Father so loved all of earth that he gave his Son.

The purpose of the Father in the covenant of redemption was to redeem a people through his Son. Now let's read that again all together. For God the Father so loved the world, all of earth, meaning not just the Jews, whether you're red, yellow, black, or white, that's not, you're precious in his sight, that he gave his only Son, that whoever, all those that are believing in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

That it was the purpose of the Father, that he loved the world, that he sent his Son, that whoever believes in him, those that he has purpose to save will not perish, but they will, who, the people that he purposed to save will not perish, will not be destroyed, but they will have eternal life.

And as we transition, go back to Ephesians chapter 1, and we'll just go to verse 6, 3 through 6. Now understand what we just went through. For God the Father who loved the world, all of earth, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes, the believing ones that God purposed to save is the believing ones, will not perish, but have eternal life.

Verse 3 of Ephesians, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundations of the world.

Before earth was created, that we should be holy and blameless in him. In love he has predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will. What was his will?

His will was to save a people through his Son. And this would be to the praise of his glorious grace which he has blessed us in the beloved. Point number two, God the Son accomplishes that purpose. We're still in the same text, John 3, 16.

For God, we'll just go ahead and put it in there, the Father, for God the Father so loved the world, all of earth, that he gave his only Son who is Jesus Christ, that whosoever, all those who believe, the ones who he's purposed to save in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Now remember the purpose. The purpose of the Father in the covenant of redemption was to redeem a people through his Son. The question is, is how does the Father, how does the Son of God, Jesus Christ, accomplish this purpose?

So God the Father purposed to save a people. Question, how does the Son of God accomplish the purpose? Now when I say this, you're gonna say, duh, by taking on flesh. I say it all the time, the Creator entered creation, the infinite became finite.

Hebrews chapter 3 says the builder of the house entered the building, and it was as by the eternal covenant, the agreement that was made between the Godhead, that God before ages, before all eternity, made a covenant.

The Godhead made a covenant to redeem a people, and as by this eternal covenant, this agreement, God the Father sent his only Son, sent him to become a man, the hypostatic union, to obey the earthly covenant of works and the law that was added to it, and that is the act of obedience of Christ.

We've talked about this several times. What is the act of obedience of Christ? Remember Adam was given a covenant, the covenant of works, and we'll look at that next week. Adam could not keep that covenant.

Another covenant was given, the Abrahamic covenant. Because of sin, the Mosaic covenant was added to the Abrahamic covenant. The Mosaic covenant is the covenant of the law. The law was added to the Abrahamic covenant because of sin.

Jesus comes, he keeps the covenant, and he keeps the law. Because he has done that, that's what's called his act of obedience. He obeyed the very thing that we could not obey, and we'll go real deep into that in the weeks to come.

I'm really trying not to give anything away that I've learned these last few weeks. And in taking on flesh, he was to subdue the world, not by conquering it like an earthly king. He was not battling up, he was not gathering up an army like we see in these movies, like you see Vikings coming in and they're, you know, destroying their rival armies.

This was not a conquest of a king such as a war, but he was to subdue the whole world by taking on flesh. He was to subdue the world through his suffering death. And if you remember, we preached on this, but I want to kind of just read over it, give a little commentary that will be fresh in our mind and the understanding of where we're at today.

Hebrews chapter 2 verse 5. Now have this in mind, how does he conquer? How does Christ accomplish this purpose? By becoming a man, by taking on flesh. It says, verse 5, for it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come.

Subjected here means to subdue, the Greek word hapataso. The word world is oikomene, the oikomene, to come, that the world was going to grow. The world to come of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, what is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him.

You made him, this is speaking of Jesus, for a little while lower than the angels, you have crowned him with glory and honor. This being made lower than angels is him taken on flesh. Putting everything, listen, putting everything in subjection under his feet.

Did he just put some things? Putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now listen right here, this is where we live in then and where we're living at now. Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside of his control.

Right here, at present we do not see everything in subjection to him. We do not see everything in subjection to him, but listen to me, everything is in subjection to him. Just because you don't see it in subjection to him, doesn't mean that it's everything is not in subjection to him.

Verse 9, but we see him who was for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus crowned with glory and honor because, why was he, this is going to tell you why he was crowned with glory and honor, because of the suffering of his death, so that by the grace, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone, all those who are believing in him.

For it was fitting that he, Theos, for whom and by whom all things exist and bringing many sons to glory, that he should make, speaking of Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our salvation, the founder of our of their salvation perfect through suffering.

So Jesus through his suffering was made perfect, the Greek word teleos. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have one source, and that is why it's not a shame to call them brothers, saying I will tell of your name to my brothers, and in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise, and again I will put my trust in him, and again behold I and the children that God has given me.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook the same things that through death, listen right here ladies and gentlemen, listen, you look outside in this world you say, oh it's so, it's so terrible, the Christians are losing, the Christians are losing, we don't see everything in subjection to him, but right here listen, verse 14, since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook in the same things that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil.

John chapter 12, Jesus says now the ruler of this world is judged. 2 ,000 years ago the ruler was judged when Christ was on that cross, and delivered all those who through the fear of death were subjected to lifelong slavery.

For surely it is not that angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham, therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become the merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation, to pay the payment for wrongdoing, for the sins of the people, for because he himself has suffered when tempted he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus has hypotassoed the world that the Father loved by being made perfect through his suffering death that destroyed the devil. Ladies and gentlemen, the devil has been defeated, though we do not see it right now.

We don't see it, we see chaos. We're in here worshiping Christ around a midst of chaos, but the Bible says he's already subdued the world. It's his. Jesus said, all authority in heaven and earth has, past tense, has been given to me.

It's already taken. This is of speaking about his passive obedience. His passive obedience is him, even though he's kept that covenant, even though he's kept that law, he was treated as if he lived my life.

He was treated as if he did not keep that covenant, as if he did not keep that law, and in doing so he was made perfect. That Christ did not mount up an army and come and destroy all the wicked and to raise up the righteous, no, but he became a man and he died in my place.

That all those whom the Father purposed to save, that judgment that should fall upon them, because it should, fell upon Jesus. That's how he saves, that's how he accomplishes the purpose, because judgment is coming.

The day of the wicked is coming. Their day is coming, but for all those who were predestined, all those whom God the Father purposed to save, then his beloved, he sent his beloved to accomplish a purpose, and that was to live the life they could not live, and to die the horrendous death that you do deserve to die.

And that's how Jesus Christ accomplishes the purpose. And as we transition, turn back to Ephesians, we'll read verses 7 through 12. Have everything that I said in mind, I know it's hard, but have it in mind as I read this passage.

In him, speaking of Jesus, we have redemption, how? Through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his glory, which he lavished upon us, and all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.

This is speaking about the covenant of redemption. Verse 10, as a plan for the fullness of time, whenever Jesus came into the world, that's the fullness of time. He was born of a woman, he was baptized by John, this is the fullness of time.

He started his earthly ministry. And what was he to do in this moment? To unite all things in him. Things in heaven, things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

Verse 12, so that we might be the first to hope. Did I say verse 12? Yeah, verse 12. So that we who are the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. Point number three, God the Holy Spirit applies the purpose.

John 3 16, for God the Father so loved the world, all of earth, that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ. That whoever believes in him, speaking of the, all those who believe, all those whom he purposed to save, should not perish, should not die with, should not suffer, that when the day comes that he will punish the wicked, but will have eternal life.

So we have here before us, in this covenant of redemption, we have God the Father purposed to redeem a people through his Son. His Son accomplishes the purpose by living the life we could not live and dying the death that we should die.

Now the question is, how does the Holy Spirit apply the purpose? How does the Holy Spirit apply the purpose? God the Father purposed it, sent his Son, his Son died, lived the life we could not live, died the death that we should die.

He took over, he subdued the world in doing so. Now how does it apply? How does this, how does what he, how is it that what he has done gets to us? I know I'm not saying that right, okay, I'm sorry, but how does it get to us?

How are we clothed in this? Well it takes us back to the conversation that Jesus was having with Nicodemus. The conversation of how is one justified before God. Our text says whoever believes, but if you look at it in the Greek, it can mean whoever.

The problem is, is interpreters always calls it to mean something that it wasn't intended to mean. A more accurate way to interpret this would be everyone believing. Everyone believing that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son that everyone believing will not perish.

That would be a more accurate interpretation. Now the Greek word, you can put whoever, it's not, you know, we're not anti-whoever, but it's what, the way people have caused this word to mean something that it ain't, that I mean, that it doesn't mean.

But we know that the text says for all those whoever believes, all those who are believing him, believing in him, should not perish, but that they will have eternal life. We know from John 3, Jesus makes it clear to Nicodemus that you cannot see, this is speaking about with your eyes, the kingdom of heaven.

You cannot enter the kingdom. You cannot see the kingdom. You cannot enter the kingdom unless you're born again. And I, like I said earlier, I would add, this is speaking of or believing in Christ unless you are born again, born from above.

Now as particular Reformed Baptists, we believe that regeneration must precede faith. That regeneration must precede belief. All right? If you don't, if you cannot see the kingdom of God, how can you believe there is a kingdom?

If you cannot enter the kingdom of God, how can you enter if you can't see? How can you see if you don't believe? Something must happen first. Something has to take place before the person is able to believe before the person is able to see.

When I walked in this room earlier this morning, all the lights were off. I could not see. I wasn't able to see until a light was cut on, so I flipped the switch and the lights came on. Someone has to flip the lights on so we can see.

And that's what Jesus is speaking about in the context of our of our verse. That unless a man is born again, he cannot see with his eyes, much less enter the kingdom of God. Every Lord's Day we read from the the Nicene Creed.

Nicene Creed paragraph 3 starts like this. It says that, and we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son. You ever think about that when I'm reading it?

The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. You were dead in your trespasses and sins until God made you alive. How? By giving you the Holy Spirit. And it says that the Holy Spirit proceeds. He comes from God the Father and the Son.

Now real quick, let's look at some verses to point us here. So you can turn there if you want to, but John chapter 14 verses 25 and 26. John 14 25 and 26 says this. These things I have spoken to you while I am, this is Jesus speaking to his disciples, these things I have spoken to you while I was still with you.

But the helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. So right here we see clear Jesus saying that the Father is going to send the helper, the Holy Spirit, in Jesus's name.

Now turn to Luke chapter 24. Luke 24 verse 49. Jesus again speaking to his disciples says this. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father to you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

So the promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit. So we have one verse saying that the Father is going to send the Holy Spirit. Second verse I gave is that Jesus is going to send the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father.

One more verse, back to John, this time chapter 15 verse 26. John 15 verse 26, again Jesus speaking to his disciples. But when the helper comes, who is the helper? The Holy Spirit. But when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, he proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about all things.

So this verse tells us that Jesus is going to send to us the Holy Spirit from the Father, who proceeds from the Father. We know in Scripture that faith comes by hearing and hearing of the Word of God.

That when someone is properly preaching the gospel, you can have a man who does not believe that he can hear the gospel articulated and he goes from shaking his fist at God to loving the God he once hated.

Through the preaching of the gospel, he is given faith. That the same way that God opened Lydia's heart to hear the message and receive it, it's the same way that you and I today. If you're a Christian, there was a time in your life where you did not believe, and rather you read the Bible and got faith, or you heard the gospel preached and received faith.

The Word of God came to you and you went from not believing to believing. And we know that a person receives the Holy Spirit by hearing in faith. So you receive faith by hearing the Word of God and you receive the Holy Spirit by hearing in faith.

Hearing what in faith? The Holy Spirit. The moment that a person is given faith, that is when they are given the Holy Spirit. This is when you are born from above. This is when you are made a new creation.