A Surety

Hebrews 7:22

 

A surety is one who approaches one person on the behalf of another person. He is a representative man who lays himself under obligation to another person for the one he represents. It is in this sense that Christ is our Surety. He drew near to his Father on our behalf, and laid himself under obligation to God for us (Ps. 40:7-8).

 

A Matter of Honor

 

Suretyship is, to a man of honor, a voluntary bondage (Pro. 6:1-2). A surety is one who strikes hands with another in solemn agreement. He gives his word that he will fulfill his agreement. Thus he binds his honor to the fulfilment of that which he has agreed to do.

 

            When the Lord Jesus Christ became our Surety, he voluntarily placed himself in bondage to his Father until his service was performed (Isa. 50:5-7; John 10:16-18). The Son of God, as our Mediator, as our covenant Surety, assumed total responsibility for the everlasting salvation of God’s elect, and willingly bound himself to the work of saving us.

 

An Eternal Surety

 

This is what the Lord Jesus Christ did as our Surety in the Covenant of Grace before the world began. He drew near to God on the behalf of his elect. He promised to faithfully perform all that God required for the salvation of his people. He struck hands with the Father in solemn agreement.

 

A Trusted Surety

 

God the Father trusted Christ as our Surety from eternity. He entrusted his elect people into the hands of his Son as our Surety, and the matter of our salvation was then and there settled forever. This is exactly how the Word of God describes the eternal aspect of salvation (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-6, 12; 2 Tim. 1:9-10).

 

            God the Father put his chosen into the hands of his own dear Son, who volunteered to bring in everlasting righteousness for them, and to put away their sins by the sacrifice of himself. The Father, trusting the Son as our Surety, looked upon his people in him as redeemed, justified, sanctified, called, and glorified from everlasting. As such, he has, from eternity, made his elect to be “accepted in the Beloved.” He has blessed all his chosen with all the blessings of grace and salvation in Christ the Surety.

“Made A Surety”             Hebrews 7:22

 

How did the Lord Jesus Christ become our Surety? The Holy Spirit tells us, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” He was made our Surety by the oath of God himself (v. 21), by the eternal decree of the Almighty, who accepted him for us and accepted us in him.

 

An Absolute Surety

 

With men a Surety is a mere guarantor, a co-signer who is jointly responsible with the principle debtor for the payment of a debt. Not so with Christ! Our Lord Jesus Christ did not merely agree to meet our obligations to God’s law if we, by some circumstance or condition, became incapable of meeting our own obligations. Our blessed Savior, as our Surety, took the whole of our obligation before the law of God upon himself.

 

A Voluntary Surety

 

With men a surety may be legally forced into suretyship. A man is legally responsible for the debts of his wife. A father is legally responsible for the debts and legal liabilities of his minor children. But Christ voluntarily, cheerfully placed himself in servitude to God’s law and will as the Surety of his own elect. From the instant he became Surety for his people, he became servant to his Father (Isa. 42:1; 49:3; John 10:17-18). The Lord Jesus Christ is an absolute Surety by voluntary consent.

 

Transferred Responsibility

 

When he became our Surety, Christ took the whole of our debt upon himself. He became responsible for our obligations. As soon as he was accepted as our Surety, we were released from all of our debts and obligations to God’s holy law. As soon as God accepted his Son as our Surety, he set us free. He ceased looking to us for satisfaction. He freed us from all bondage, all curse, all penalty, and all obligation; and looked to his Son for satisfaction of our debts (Job 33:24; Phile. 1:18). When Christ became Surety for us, our sins were imputed to him. By divine imputation, our sins were placed to his account. He became responsible for them. Christ was made to be sin for us when he hung upon the cursed tree. But he became responsible and accountable for sin when he became our Surety (2 Cor. 5:21; Isa. 53:6; Ps. 40:12; 69:5).

 

The Result

 

When Christ became our Surety, we were then and there redeemed, justified, pardoned, and made righteous in the sight of God (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Tim. 1:9-10). God’s forbearance, patience, and long-suffering with this world are due to the suretyship engagements of Christ. God’s eye has always been on the blood. It is the blood of Christ our Surety that held back the hand of God’s judgment when Adam sinned. The Old Testament saints were pardoned, justified, and forgiven upon the basis of Christ’s obedience as our Surety, though he had not yet actually rendered that obedience (Isa. 43:25; 45:24-25; Heb. 11:13-16). Those saints of old, like believers today, had knowledge of and faith in Christ as their Surety (Job 19:25-27; Ps. 32:1-4; 119:122; Isa. 38:14).