Three characteristics of the Covenant of Grace.
I want to continue tonight with the same text we looked at on Last week - 2 Samuel 23:5. My subject tonight is The Character of The Covenant. I am bringing these messages on the covenant of grace because I want you to understand the teaching of Holy Scripture regarding the covenant of grace so that you may find the same strength, comfort, and satisfaction in it that David did when he was dying. "These be the last words of David, the sweet psalmist of Israel…Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, all though he make it not to grow." Happy is the man who can, from his heart, speak with such confidence of God's covenant!
The covenant of grace is a compact, an agreement, a contract between the three persons of the Holy Trinity concerning the salvation of God's elect.
1. The words translated "covenant" in the Old and New Testaments give a broad meaning to the term "covenant."
The Old Testament word "covenant" [berith] means, "to create, to choose, and to dispose of." In the covenant of grace God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, having created a scheme of grace, chose a people, and disposed of all things in sovereign predestination to accomplish the salvation of those chosen.
The New Testament word for "covenant" [diatheke] is sometimes translated "testament" and some times "covenant." It is the word we would use when describing a person's will. It means "to appoint" and "to dispose."
In the covenant of grace, the triune God appointed the people he would save to the obtaining of eternal salvation, appointed Christ to be our Savior, and disposed all things to secure the accomplishment of his covenant purpose.
2. The covenant of grace is called by various names in the Word of God.
We sometimes call it the "covenant of grace" because all grace flows to us from this covenant (Eph. 1:3-14). Sometimes we call it the "covenant of redemption" because it is the covenant by which our redemption was secured; but in the Word of God it is called by four specific names.
1. A Covenant of Peace (Isa. 4:10; Mal. 2:5). In this covenant the Lord God laid down the terms of peace and reconciliation and Christ agreed to them.
2. A Covenant of Life (Mal. 2:5). It contains in it the promise of life which God, who cannot lie, made to Christ as the Representative of his people before the world began.
3. A New Covenant (Jer. 31:31). It is called a new covenant" in the sense that it is newly revealed in the gospel, and in the sense that it is constantly new and never grows old.
4. An Everlasting Covenant (Heb. 13:20). The covenant of grace is an eternal covenant. It was made in eternity. It deals with eternal matters; and it shall stand throughout eternity. It is a covenant that can never be broken. Not one promise of the covenant shall fall to the ground.
Proposition: In our text David shows us the Threefold Character of the Covenant of Grace. There are more characteristics to the covenant than these three; but staying with this one text, I want to show you three aspects of the covenant of grace that gave comfort to a ransomed sinner's heart as he anticipated meeting God face to face.
Divisions:
David says, "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant." When David speaks of God making a covenant with him, he is talking about God doing so representatively. He made his covenant with Christ our federal head and representative, the Surety of the covenant (Heb. 7:22). When the Lord God promises to make a covenant with repentant sinners, the meaning is, "I will manifest my covenant to you" (Isa. 55:3). An everlasting covenant could only be made with one who is everlasting. That means it was made with Christ in eternity and is manifest to God's elect in time.
Nothing can be more comforting and delightful than the knowledge of the fact that the covenant of grace and all the blessings of grace are from everlasting to everlasting! I am talking to you about a covenant that bears the date of eternity upon it, a covenant that shall continue to eternity! It is the everlasting covenant!
A. It springs from the everlasting love of God for his elect.
"God hath loved his people with an everlasting love; not only with a love that shall abide forever; but with a love which was from all eternity" (John Gill).
Jeremiah 31:3 "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
John 17:23-24 "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (24) Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
Psalms 89:2-4 "For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. (3) I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, (4) Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah."
B. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Mediator of this everlasting covenant of grace.
As such, he was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth was.
Hebrews 8:6 "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."
Proverbs 8:11-31 "For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. (12) I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. (13) The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. (14) Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. (15) By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. (16) By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. (17) I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (18) Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. (19) My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. (20) I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: (21) That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. (22) The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. (23) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (24) When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. (25) Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: (26) While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. (27) When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: (28) When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: (29) When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: (30) Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; (31) Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men."
1. The promise of the covenant, the promise of eternal life to all the elect, was made with Christ the Mediator before the world was made (Tit. 1:2).
Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."
2. The salvation secured by the covenant was given to God's elect in their Surety from eternity (2 Tim. 1:9; Rom. 8:29-30).
Romans 8:29-30 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
2 Timothy 1:9-10 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (10) But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
3. All the blessings of the covenant were freely bestowed upon God's chosen in Christ, God's Son, our Covenant Head, before the world began (Eph. 1:3).
Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
C. As this covenant of grace is from everlasting, so it is to everlasting.
It is written, "God hath commanded his covenant forever; Holy and Reverend is his name" (Psa. 111:9). That simply means that God has ordained and established his covenant so that it will continue forever. Nothing shall ever be able to subvert it, or make it null and void. No matter what is done to his elect, no matter what is done by them, God will not break his covenant, nor alter the thing that has gone out of his lips.
1. When we sin, he chastens us; yet his lovingkindness will he not take from us, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail (Psa. 89:30-35).
Psalms 89:30-35 "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; (31) If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; (32) Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. (33) Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. (34) My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. (35) Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David."
2. Though we provoke him, yet his lovingkindness shall not depart from us, neither shall the covenant of grace be removed.
3. The covenant of grace is an everlasting covenant. It will never wax old. It will never fail. It will never be replaced (Heb. 8:13). It lasts forever!
Hebrews 8:13 "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."
Hebrews 10:9 "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second."
II. THIS NEW COVENANT, THE COVENANT OF GRACE, IS "ORDERED IN ALL THINGS."
Not only is it an everlasting covenant; it is a well ordered covenant, "ordered in all things." That simply means that everything in the covenant is ordered and orderly, being designed by God to fulfil a specific purpose, or purposes.
A. It is "ordered in all things" to advance the glory of the triune God.
1. God the Father for his purpose of grace (Eph. 1:3-6) - (v. 6).
Ephesians 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
2. God the Son for his purchase of grace (Eph. 1:7-12) - (v. 12).
Ephesians 1:12 "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ."
3. God the Spirit for his performance of grace (Eph. 1:13-14) - (v. 14).
Ephesians 1:14 "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
B. This covenant of grace is "ordered in all things" for the security and salvation of God's elect.
1. All the elect were trusted to and put in the hands of Christ, our Surety, (John 6:37-40; Eph. 1:13; John 10:29-30), who alone is able to keep us, save us, and present us faultless before the presence of the Divine glory.
John 6:37-40 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Ephesians 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"
John 10:29-30 "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (30) I and my Father are one."
2. This covenant is ordered and filled with all spiritual blessings, all grace; and all things pertaining to life and godliness. In a word, all things needful for our salvation here and our eternal glory hereafter are ordered by God in the covenant from everlasting!
C. In the everlasting covenant of grace everything regarding the grace of God was ordered, fixed, and established from eternity, irrevocably and immutably ordered and established by God himself!
1. In the covenant of grace it was eternally settled who would be saved (John 15:16; Eph. 1:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:13).
2. It was also settled and fixed who the Author of eternal salvation must be. None other than the Son of God (Psa. 89:19; 1 John 4:10).
3. The method of God's grace, the method by which God would save his people was also settled and fixed from eternity.
Ezekiel 36:37 "Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock."
4. Moreover, all the blessings of grace were provided and settled, predestinated and bestowed upon God's elect in Christ in this everlasting covenant! (Eph. 1:3; Rom. 8:28-30; 2 Tim. 1:9).
III. ONE LAST THING - OUR TEXT DECLARES THAT THE COVENANT OF GRACE IS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, ORDERED IN ALL THINGS; AND THIRDLY, DAVID DECLARES THAT THIS EVERLASTING COVENANT OF GRACE, WITH ALL THE BLESSINGS AND PROMISES, IS A SURE THING, "ORDERED IN ALL THINGS AND SURE!"
A. It is sure to Christ our Covenant Surety (Isa. 53:11-12).
B. It is sure to all for whom the covenant was made.
C. Here are three things that make the covenant a sure thing.
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