The Covenant of Redemption

To the Ruled Church Podcast. This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. He is honored, and I get the glory. And by the way, it's even better, because you see that building in Perryville, Arkansas?

You see that one in Pechote, Mexico? Do you see that one in Tuxla, Guterres, down there in Chiapas? That building has my son's name on it.

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Baptist Covenant Theology and the Covenant of Redemption

Three words, Baptist, covenant, theology. On today's episode of the Ruled Church Podcast, we are featuring a teaching from our Wednesday night series at Providence Baptist Church on Baptist covenant theology.

This particular episode covers the covenant of redemption. This is something that we're working through as a church, understanding how the Bible fits together. Some people call this Baptist covenant theology, some people call it 1689 federalism.

It comes from chapter seven of the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. And so this is my attempt, Alan Nelson, one of the pastors at Providence Baptist Church, to help our church understand these grand realities.

Couple of things I wanna mention about this episode before we dive in. One, it's recorded a little bit differently than we normally do, and so the audio may be a little bit different than normal. Also, it's kind of rushed in some spots, so I do just want to read a couple of definitions that I didn't get to in the lecture.

So one, I want to read from Nehemiah Cox, 17th century Baptist Nehemiah Cox. Many believe he was the main editor of the 1689, the main writer. Says, the infinitely wise and gracious God who from eternity foresaw the fall of man had also from eternity a gracious purpose in himself, according to the counsel of his own will, to redeem and save a remnant of lost mankind from their lapsed and fallen state.

And by his all-powerful grace, through the merits of Christ, to recover them from misery, to the inheritance of a kingdom in glory far greater than that set before Adam in his integrity. And these eternal counsels that were hid with himself were transacted in a way of covenant between the Father and the Son, even in a covenant of redemption now revealed in the scriptures of truth.

So there is the idea of the covenant of redemption. Now, not all Baptists agreed necessarily that it was a distinct covenant. So Benjamin Keech said, I cannot see that they are two distinct covenants, but both one and the same glorious covenant of grace, only consisting of two parts or branches, for as that blessed compact doth peculiarly respect Christ's person as mediator.

So there, a stumble over Benjamin Keech. But the point is, all Baptists have understood, or I shouldn't say it that way, all Reformed Baptists, all Covenantal Baptists have understood that before time began, God had a plan to rescue unworthy people from their sins.

The Father giving the Son of people, the Son agreeing to be their surety, and the Spirit agreeing to apply the redemption accomplished by Christ. Anyway, that's what we're talking about. And so now let's get into the lecture.

Salvation Promised Before the Ages Began

A servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with Godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began, and at the proper time manifested in His Word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.

Now, we're gonna talk about this a lot tonight, but let me just ask you this about verse two. Who did God promise eternal life before the ages began? Who did He promise that to, right? So perhaps, and I think in light of the rest of the verses we'll look at tonight, I think perhaps we can understand this idea of God's promise of salvation even before the ages began, even in inner Trinitarian promise, if you will.

What you need to know tonight, what I want you to walk away with tonight is not the fancy names and all that. What I want you to walk away with tonight is an understanding that salvation began before the world began, not an afterthought or anything like that.

Now, briefly, I want to discuss this outline. Now, this handout was made by a friend of mine, so I didn't make it. If I would have made it, it would look so much better. Right, no. I didn't make this, but I thought that I would pass it out because maybe it'll help you a little bit.

It just kind of distinguishes between some of the systems. Now, when we talk about covenant theology, Baptist covenant theology, we're trying to think about how does the whole Bible fit together? That's what we're thinking.

And so there's different systems out there. There's dispensationalism. You can kind of walk through that, but basically you have each one of the dispensations that are maybe loosely connected, but there's various dispensations, chronological.

And you see the brick wall between OT, new T, that's a hard cut between the Old Testament and the New Testament. And you can just read about that. Then you have Westminster covenantalism, which Westminster is who?

Who uses the Westminster Confession of Faith? Yeah, Presbyterians, but also you've got, they don't use this, but it'd be similar as the Dutch Reform. You're talking about basically patal Baptist covenant theology.

There's a lot of similarities, but the problem is, if you look down there at the bottom, the Old Testament equals the New Testament, right? There's one covenant, and if some of this is over your head tonight, it's okay, that's why we're having a class, but there's one covenant of grace with different administrations in the Old Testament.

So the covenants in the Old Testament, they're all the covenant of grace, well, except for the endemic covenant, but anyway. And then you have, by a distinguished distinction, our system, which we could call whatever, 1689 covenantalism is what it's called here, Baptist covenant theology, reform, whatever, however you want to call it.

But you see a lot of similarities, and we'll explain this as we go along. So maybe keep that. You see the difference between the Old Testament and New Testament there? It's kind of like a fence because there are some differences and there are some similarities, but we'll talk about that as we go on.

So this is not my graphic, so I don't really feel a burden to make sure everything on there makes sense because I didn't make the graphic, but it's a good, it's a helpful little tool. But if you notice at the top there under Westminster covenantalism and 1689 covenantalism, what do you have as the first covenant there?

Yeah, the covenant of redemption. That's what we're gonna talk about tonight, the covenant of redemption. So let me read to you, if you want to turn there you can, Hebrews 13, 20. Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good, that you may do his will, working in us, that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, amen.

So there's that phrase there, the blood of the eternal covenant. Sinclair Ferguson says this, yes, this means that the covenant will endure forever, but in light of the rest of the letter, it also means that this new covenant has foundations that are old, indeed, older than the old covenant, reaching back into eternity, all right?

So last week, we referenced chapter seven of the 1689. This chapter is on God's covenant, and it is an important chapter explaining our view of covenant theology. I read to you the first two paragraphs last time.

Let me read to you paragraph three. You can look at this as chapter seven, paragraph three. The covenant is revealed in the gospel. It's talking about the covenant of grace, which we'll get to that, okay?

That'll be a few weeks. Well, that'll be, actually, covenant of grace will be later on because we've got to get through the covenant of works, and then we're gonna walk through all these covenants. We're eventually gonna get to the good news.

But right now, just know that the covenant of grace is revealed in the gospel. It was revealed, first of all, to Adam in the promise of salvation through the seed of the woman. After that, it was revealed step-by-step until the full revelation of it was completed in the New Testament.

But this is what we need to know tonight. This covenant, this is what our confession says, this covenant is based on the eternal covenant transaction between the Father and the Son concerning the redemption of the elect, okay?

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the marker, all right? So I don't know how great this is. I hope that it's helpful. This is what I'm trying to get at. Genesis 1 .1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

So these are kind of supposed to be laying on top of each other, but I don't know how to do that. So you have these three squares. You have, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. You have time, space, and matter, right?

You have, so in the beginning, which is time. Time is not eternal. Actually, some things I'm about to say are going to, they always hurt my brain when I start talking about it. God is outside of time.

Explain that, right? Work through that. Time is created in the beginning. So that's when time begins. God created the heavens, space, and the earth. Matter. God created all this. Now, what I'm trying to illustrate here is this is a moment in time.

It is literally, I guess, the first moment in time. Time, space, matter, Genesis 1 .1. Okay, what's going on before that? Well, I'm going to use some language, but it's not even, it's really inadequate.

Because you say before that, you're almost kind of speaking in temporal language, right? But you have over here, just bear with me, because we have weak, finite ways to think about this. We're trying to grasp God, but what you have is God from all eternity.

God is eternal, existing in eternity, forever, and outside of time, before the world began, God had a plan for his creation. God had a plan for salvation. This is what we're trying to get at. So I've just noticed, so this plan comes by some different names.

So if you like Latin, the pactum salutis, so the agreement of salvation, the pact of salvation, the covenant of redemption, that's what we're calling it. That's what most people call it. It's just helpful.

And the covenant of peace. So that's really, if you call it covenant of peace, you're like living in the 17th century, but that's what some call it.

Covenant of redemption, covenant of peace, pactum salutis. This is all what we're talking about.

It's going, I don't know. I was trying to draw that, and it's not helping. But anyway, you have the triune God who exists for all eternity in trinity. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Father. The Son is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's not the Father. Yeah, you don't have three gods. You have one God who eternally exists in three distinct yet co-equal persons.

And within the trinity, you have this plan that we're calling the covenant of redemption. Now, if you look in your Bibles, if you have a concordance in your Bibles, and you go up and you say, you know what?

He was talking about that covenant of redemption. I'm going to go look up covenant of redemption in my Bible, and I'm gonna try to find a verse that says covenant of redemption. How many verses are you gonna find?

None. There's not a verse that says covenant of redemption. But if you will allow me, it is okay. Don't be nervous about this. It is okay to use words to describe concepts in Scripture. We do this with other things.

So give me an example. Is there any concept about anything in the Bible that we use a word for, but the word itself is not in the Bible? Yeah, trinity. Is the concept of trinity biblical? One God in three persons?

Yes. Right, we sang that tonight. What a beautiful song. Holy, holy, holy. Yes, it is. Is it okay that we use the word trinity even though the word trinity is not in the Bible? Yes. Is it okay if we use the phrase Baptist church?

Is that okay? Yes. Yes, it is. You will not find the phrase Baptist church in the Bible. Now, you do have John the Baptist, but I mean, that's really a stretch for us to be like, yeah, he was a Baptist.

Like, we're a Baptist. No, he's a forerunner to the Messiah, right? Well, he certainly wasn't John the Methodist, amen. I'm with you, okay? But you don't have the phrase Baptist church in the Bible, and yet we call ourselves Baptist church.

You don't have the phrase providence, right? Well, you have the concept. So don't be scared to label something a concept. It just makes it easier for us to describe covenant of redemption. So what I want to do now, though, is I want to prove to you the concept of the covenant of redemption is, like, we've got a lot of verses.

So this is what I did tonight. I printed these out for you. Do I have a copy of this somewhere? Yeah. I printed these out for you because I was thinking about saving time. Like, I want you to see them, but I put on there even, please look up context in your own time.

So, you know, I don't like just ripping Bible verses and, you know, that's not a really healthy way, but it is one way that we do theology. And so I want you to go back and read over these, and I'll kind of walk through these with us tonight.

But George Whitefield said this, would to God, this point of doctrine was considered more and people were more studious of the covenant of redemption between the father and the son. We should not then have so much disputing against the doctrine of election or hear it condemned even by good men as a doctrine of devils.

I want to just tell you, there is, as we talk about these things, like redestination and election and these things, there are some people who get really, really mad about it. Now I've tried to tell you before, that is a doctrine that's supposed to be a comfort to the Christian, not a doctrine that we beat someone over the head with or try to argue about with unbelievers.

But if we understood this concept that we're going to get to tonight, I think it would be, I think I agree with Whitefield. I think it would be, I think it would be easier to understand because what we're saying is that before time began, God had a plan and he's sovereign and he doesn't just know all things, but he has decreed all things.

He is in complete control. There is nothing that exists outside of God. What I mean is that stands over God. I mean, I'm not, obviously creation is distinct from God, but what I mean is there's not something that forces God into this or that paradigm because God is God, right?

You understand what I'm saying? So let's walk through. So I would just want to walk through some scriptures tonight because I think it'll help you. And it might, it might stretch your mind a little bit because some people I think have this concept of, well, you guys, you know, y 'all got Romans nine or Ephesians one and that's all that you, everywhere else in the Bible, it talks about man's free will, but you pick out, you cherry pick verses and it talks about God's sovereignty and you just try to force everything into that.

No, no, no. God's sovereignty is all over the Bible and God's plan for redemption is all over the Bible. And really, I pick, I've got these numbered funny, so I don't know how many I've picked, so I can't even tell you because some are together.

I picked just a smattering of verses. We could have picked so many more. So let me just walk through some of these together. So the first is Psalm chapter 40, verse eight. Now that's an interesting text, but I'm telling you it is a messianic text.

That is, it has application in the immediate, but it's ultimately pointing to Christ. I delight to do your will, oh my God. Your law is within my heart. Okay, what, how this verse fits in is that Christ came to do the will of God.

Now, how many, ooh, let's see if there's any here. Be sure and say your name before answering this question. No, how many wills are in God? W-I-L-L-S, yeah, one will, one will, right? We passed the heritage test, right?

One will, and yet there are three distinct persons carrying out that one will. Does it make sense? The Spirit, the Son, the Father. So when Christ says I've come, now how many, now here's another one, how many wills are in Christ?

So very good, the divine will and the human will. When he says I come to do your will, I'm doing your will, God. He is submitting in his human nature to the will of God, right? I delight to do your will, oh my God, your law is within my heart.

Now, this verse by itself doesn't make a lot of sense from the rest of the verses, but I think it'll fit in here in just a minute when you understand that Christ came to carry out the will of God and plan of God.

So just keep that there in your mind. Okay, here's some other verses. We're gonna get into the meat in just a minute. Here's some other kind of verses to know, Isaiah 46, nine and 10. God says, remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other.

I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose. Quick question, we can't do this with all of them.

Quick question, how does God declare the end from the beginning? Yeah, and he's already got it planned. And so he does whatever he pleases, Psalm 115 .3, and he's already got it planned. That's how he can declare the end from the beginning.

Like I could say, I know what's gonna happen tomorrow and I could make a good guess. I could say, I think this person will win the election, but I can't declare that because I don't know, but God can declare because he's planning.

Isaiah 53 is important, I'll leave that to you. It's a plan, you can read that. Zechariah 6, 12 and 13 is important because that's where they get the council of peace or the covenant of peace or the council of peace.

The idea there is between the roles of the king and the priest are gonna become one. Let's leave that together. I wanna get into some of these meatier ones. So Matthew 11, 27 says this, all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the father except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him.

I bought his interesting comment here from Tom Askell in this verse. He says, this reflects the eternal covenant of redemption in which God in his good purposes pledged to the Lord Jesus Christ to give into his hands all of the created order in reward for his obedience, in his saving work, in his fulfilling of the covenant works on our behalf.

So in other words, God's given all things over to the son. Okay, press on. Luke 22, 29. Jesus says to his disciples, and I assign to you as my father assigned to me a kingdom. Now why this is important is because the word for assign there in the ESV, it comes from a word that bears the idea of covenant.

So it wouldn't be really inaccurate to read this verse like this. I covenant to you as my father covenanted to me a kingdom. That's the idea there. Okay, again, we're gonna press on. This is all gonna tie together.

John 6, 37. All that the father gives me. Now we're starting to get somewhere, especially in John, you see several of this. All that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out.

Got a twofold thing there. The father, so, oh, I don't have my, man. I don't have my markers, so I can't do any more damage. So the father gives the son a people. When does this happen? All that the father gives, when is that going?

Yeah. Before this, before this, you have this. Yeah, the father gives his son a people, okay? Where are we at? John 8, 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. This is Jesus talking to the Pharisees.

What does it mean that Abraham rejoiced to see the Messiah's day? He means in the Old Testament, there's promise. The Old Testament is about who? Yeah, if you get nothing else out of this class, just get that, we'll be done.

Dismissed, okay. You all get A's. The Old Testament's about Christ, and Abraham was looking, how was Abraham saved? By looking forward to Christ. Now, do you say, well, does he know everything like we know?

Well, that can be debatable. I think he knew more than what is led on. Nevertheless, there are some mysteries there that fully revealed in the gospel, but this is what he was looking forward to. Okay, John 10, that's another important chapter.

Very similar to John 6. Jesus says, verse 14, I'm the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for who? The sheep, and I have other sheep that are not of this fold.

That tells you right there that sheep doesn't mean just everybody, right? Because he says, I'm laying down my life for the sheep, and I've got some sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason, the Father loves me because I laid down my life that I might take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

This charge I have received from my Father. When did he receive this charge? Yeah, it's eternity past. There's this plan. Okay, now, I skipped here just to keep us on track, and so I just skipped a few verses.

Down in verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Listen to this. My Father, who has given them to me.

When did the Father give these sheep to the Son? Right? I know it's a broken record, but let's drill down. Let's understand it. In eternity past, right? We're gonna make all the connections here. John 15, 26, I needed to include this one because I think some theologians err when they try to talk about the covenant of redemption, and they talk about between the Father and the Son.

I mean, it's not like a huge error, but I want to keep, even the 1689 talks about the Father and the Son, but I want to keep within our minds that we can't really talk about an interaction here between the Father and the Son without including the Holy Spirit.

So in John 15, 26, you have this plan. It's obvious, already in motion. When the Helper comes, that is, there's this idea that he's going to come in a special way, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about.

Okay, so you have the Spirit promise. John 17, six. John 17 is this high priestly prayer. So let me read 6, 12, 20. I've manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to.

They have kept your word. Verse 12, while I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction. Who's that?

Judas. Well, God didn't see that. No, it says that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And then verse 20, just in case you're like, well, the sheep must just be his disciples. No, he's praying in verse 20.

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. So who's that? That ultimately gets down to us, doesn't it? Jesus prayed for us, believers, okay? Now, here's a big one.

Ephesians 1, four through eight. I want you to notice prepositional phrases, okay? Even as he chose us in him, in him. Chosen in him. What does that mean? I don't have my money. In who? In, yeah, in Christ.

Chosen, okay, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Anytime you kind of make a model of the Trinity, it's not great, obviously, but it's just something to kind of understand. So Father chooses us in Christ. That's what the text is saying.

When did this happen? Don't answer that. Let's let the text answer. Even as he chose us in him, what's the text say? Before the foundation of the world. Now, some people look at this text and say, well, no, no, he just chose Christ.

So here's the idea. He just chose Jesus as the vehicle of salvation. So he chose the airplane. I've literally heard this illustration. God chose the airplane, but he didn't choose those who get on the airplane.

He just chose the airplane. Well, that's neat. That's cute. It's a nice illustration. Only one small problem is not in the Bible, right? It doesn't align with what the text says. Even as he chose who?

Us in Christ, okay? Before the foundation of the world 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 what?

The purpose, to the purpose of his will. To the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the blood. In him, that is in Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight.

Okay, it's taking a long time. I can't have Jacob make fun of me. You can look at 2 Thessalonians 2, 13 yourself. You can look at 2 Timothy 1, 9, really the second half there. He saved us because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus, when?

At the very last line there. When is that? He gave us grace in Christ Jesus, when? Before, okay, here's the ages, right? Before the ages, okay. Hebrews 10, seven. Then I said, behold, according to the Psalms, I've come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.

This is Jesus coming to fulfill the will of the Father, or the will of God, it's all together there. But again, it's a part of a plan. First Peter, you can look, there is the mention of the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 1, 2.

Now let me just mention one more. Revelation 13, eight, this is interesting because no matter how you take it, it's helpful for us. It says, and all who dwell on earth will worship it. That's the image of the beast.

Everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. Now the King James translates a little bit different, and either way, this is a helpful thought.

So the King James, I think, translates it, whose name has not been written in the Lamb's book of life, who was slain before the foundation of the world. You've got the new King James, don't you, Connell?

What's it say? Revelation 13, eight.

Whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. Depending, and we can argue about it,.

It doesn't really matter, okay? Because either the text is saying the Lamb's book of life was written before the foundation of the world, or that the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. Which is it?

In my opinion, theologically, they're both true. Jesus is as good as slain before the foundation of the world because of this plan. It's the same with the Lamb's book of life. Okay, what is it that we're taking away?

This is a lot, go back and read it. By the way, please, let me appeal to you again. Don't just take this and be like, yes, well, that's what Bartrow taught, I guess that's what I'm supposed to, but no, read the Bible, read the Bible.

Study the scriptures, understand these. What are we supposed to get from all these scriptures? We're supposed to get, clearly, that before, in eternity past, even that's lame the way you talk about it, but in eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God had a plan to save a people for Himself.

The triune God covenanted together, if you will, made an agreement, made a plan, an eternal plan to rescue fallen sinners through Christ. So the Father gave a people to the Son to rescue, the Son accepted this gift, agreed to become legally or covenantally obligated to them, that is, to be our representative, to be our federal head, to be our surety, that's what the Son is agreeing to, and what's the Holy Spirit agreeing to?

He's agreeing to apply the redemption that is accomplished by Christ to the elect in time. You need to understand that everything in the world today flows out of the eternal decree and plans and purposes of God.

Now, I can't, and we've talked, this is a little bit different subject, but I can't go and pinpoint every single thing and explain to you God's purpose in it. I don't know why Joe Biden is president, well, maybe other than God's judgment, right, upon a nation that continues to reject Him, and basically, you want your own king, kind of like 1 Samuel, right, here.

So, you know, maybe we could point, but why did the ice cream fall off the cone and land in the concrete? Why did the child, you know, have to suffer? I can't go back, I can't point each and everything and say, well, this is what God's doing here, but from the big picture, I can say this, I know that everything that God is doing is for the glory of His name and for the good of His people, even though it can be difficult on the ground level sometimes.

But that's a little bit beyond what we're talking about. What we're talking about specifically here is the idea of salvation. Now, I should have made these, I should have made these, I should have given you these prints too, because I have some definitions that are a little bit better.

Here, let me read to you one from, Nehemiah Cox is good, except it's a little antiquated language. Let me read to you one from Lewis Burkhall. Scripture clearly points to the fact that the plan of redemption was included in the eternal decree or counsel of God.

We find that in the economy of redemption, there is, in a sense, a division of labor. The father is the originator, the son, the executor, and the Holy Spirit, the applyer. This can only be the result of a voluntary agreement among the persons of the Trinity so that their internal relations assume the form of a covenant life.

Now, listen, what we're saying here is that God is a covenantal God before the foundation of the world, who, this is a different topic too, but only the Christian worldview makes sense because only the Christian worldview has a triune God.

He's not just up there by himself, unable to love. We have perfect love flowing between the members of the Trinity, perfect glory, perfect agreement, perfect harmony. God doesn't need you and he doesn't need me.

Don't have this view of God's like,.

Well, I'm just, I'm lonely. No, God's not lonely, he's Trinity.

Not lonely, perfect love, eternal love, infinite love between the persons of the Trinity. Yet as an overflow of that love the Trinity has for one another, there is this plan to bring glory to the Godhead through the redemption of unworthy sinners for the glory of God and the exaltation of Christ.

Think about that. Listen, you wanna talk about application? Think about that for just a moment. The only reason you're saved is because the Father chose you, the Son died on the cross for you, and the Holy Spirit applied that to your life.