Sermon
#101 Hebrews
Notes
Title: The
Blood of the Everlasting Covenant
Text: Hebrews 13:20
Subject: The Covenant of Grace
Date: Tuesday Evening—
Tape # X-37a
Introduction:
Our will be Hebrews
(Hebrews 13:20-21) "Now the
God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great
shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (21) Make
you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is
wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen."
Read
the text again, and take care not to miss a word.
·
He who is our God is here called “The God of peace.”
·
He is the “the God of
peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.”
·
Our Lord Jesus Christ was raised up from the
dead as “that (one and only) great Shepherd of the sheep” who came here to save
his sheep and in order to do so laid down his life for the sheep.
·
The Lord Jesus has been raised up from the
grave and is now seated in heaven as our the great Shepherd of the sheep “, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.”
·
Now, look at the first three words of verse
21, and see the object and purpose of the triune God in this everlasting
covenant of grace and the blood by which that covenant was ratified at
Calvary—“make you perfect.”
The title of my message
is “The Blood of the Everlasting
Covenant.” In this everlasting
covenant, the covenant of grace and peace, the covenant of salvation made
between the three Persons of the triune God before the world began, through the
blood of the everlasting covenant, the salvation of God’s elect was fixed and
settled from eternity. This everlasting covenant of grace is a compact of love,
an agreement of mercy, a contract of goodness, a sovereign disposition of grace
made between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in eternity.
And in that covenant our salvation was immutably secured.
Proposition: Every
saved sinner traces the origin of his salvation back to eternity, for the
origin of all saving grace is the firm and everlasting covenant spoken of in
our text.
God always deals with men and women upon the
basis of a covenant. Though he brings the blessings or the curses of the covenant upon
individuals, God always deals with people collectively, in covenant terms,
through a representative. According to his own sovereign purpose he has
arranged that he will not deal with man except in covenant terms. And he will
not allow us to deal with him in any other way.
God made a covenant with the first man, Adam,
soon after he was created. It was a covenant of works (Gen. 2:15-17). But
Adam broke that covenant in short order. Everything God did with Adam and
everything he has done with the sons of Adam in the punishment of sin has been
according to the terms of that covenant (Rom. 5:12-14). The covenant of works,
because of Adam’s sin and our sin in him, has always been a covenant of death. Later,
when God gave the law at Sinai by the hand of Moses, it was a covenant
of death from the beginning, because righteousness and life could never come to
sinners by their works of righteousness (Gal. 3:10, 21). Sinful people cannot
perform righteous works! The giving of the law at Mt. Sinai was nothing
more or less than the revelation of God’s justice in punishing every
transgression under the covenant of works. It was never intended by God
to be a way of life for men, a rule of life for his children, or a code of
moral ethics. The law was given by God to be a messenger of death, a messenger
of justice, wrath, and condemnation to fallen men, that sinners might be driven
to Christ and to the covenant of grace established with him.
However, long, long before God made the
covenant of works with Adam in the garden, he had made a covenant of grace with
Christ, his Son. It was made for us. But it was made with Christ our covenant Surety
and Mediator before the world was made, in eternity. In fact, Adam, as
the federal head and representative of all men in the covenant of works, was a
type and picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called “the last Adam”
(1 Cor. 15:45) and is the federal Head and Representative of God’s elect
in the covenant of grace (Rom. 5:12-19).
1. In His Representation.
2. In His Love For Eve.
3. In His Voluntary Assumption
Of Sin, Guilt, And Death.
(1 Corinthians 15:21-22)
"For since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive."
(1 Corinthians 15:45) "And
so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was
made a quickening spirit."
(Romans 5:12) "Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
(Romans 5:18-19) "Therefore
as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. (19) For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
The covenant of works was broken by the first
Adam. The covenant of grace was fulfilled by the last Adam. Death came by the first
Adam’s disobedience. Life came by the last Adam’s obedience. Wrath came upon
all men by the fall of the first Adam. Grace comes to all God’s elect by the
success of the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:21-22).
This everlasting covenant of grace was
typified in the Old Testament in many ways.
1. In the covenant God made
with Noah (Gen. 6:8, 18; 8:1, 20-22; 9:11-15).
2. In the Davidic covenant (2
Sam. 7:8-17).
It was often spoken of in
the Old Testament prophets too.
·
Psalm 89:19-31
·
Isaiah 49:1-12
·
Isaiah 54:9-10
·
Jeremiah 31:31-34
·
Jeremiah 32:37-40
·
Ezekiel 36:21-38
·
2 Samuel 23:5
God’s saints in those days prior to the coming of
Christ found in this everlasting covenant a solid foundation upon which to
stand and a soft pillow upon which to rest their weary souls. Believing God,
they said to the comfort of their souls, “The
Lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.
This is all my salvation and all my desire!”
This everlasting covenant of grace is the
foundation of God that standeth sure. It cannot be shaken by the changing tides of time
and trouble. That which inspired David in life and comforted him in death, the
everlasting covenant, is the inspiration of our lives and the comfort of our
souls today.
Divisions:
With those things in mind, I want us to look at our text together (Heb. 13:20).
We will come back to it again, the Lord willing. But I want to briefly show you
three things in this verse.
1. The covenant
2. The everlasting character of
the covenant
3. The blood of the everlasting
covenant
I. The covenant – What
is the covenant spoken of in our text?
This is not the first time the word “covenant”
is mentioned in the Book of Hebrews. It is first mentioned in chapter 7, verse
22, where Christ is called, “the Surety
of a better testament (covenant).”
·
This is the “better covenant” described in chapter 8, verses
6-12.
·
It is the “new covenant” of Hebrews 8:13, and the “new
testament” (covenant) of chapter 9, verse 15, by which we “receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.”
·
When we read Hebrews 10:15-17, we discover that this
is the very same covenant that was spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which the
Lord Jesus came to fulfil by his obedience to God as our representative.
The covenant spoken of in our text is the new
covenant of the gospel, the covenant of grace made in eternity for the
salvation of God’s elect. Yet, it is ever fresh and new. It is the covenant
by which God makes all things new in the new creation of grace. This
everlasting covenant is the whole will of God, the whole purpose of his grace
concerning the salvation of his elect.
A. The will and purpose of God regarding the salvation of his people
is revealed in the Bible as a covenant.
I do not understand all that I know about this
subject. But I do know that a covenant was made. You can call it “God’s
sovereign purpose of grace,” or “God’s sovereign decree of grace.” That is
perfectly okay with me. But the Bible calls it, “the everlasting covenant.” It does so because God’s purpose
and decree of grace, as it is revealed to us, bears all the marks of a
covenant. It has three marks.
1. A covenant is a contract, or an agreement
made between two or more contracting parties.
The high contracting parties between whom the
covenant of grace was made before time began were the three Persons of the
Eternal Godhead. The triune God asked, “Who will go for us?” Christ, the Son, volunteering to be our
Surety, arose and said, “Here am
I, send me.” When he came to fulfill his covenant engagements he said, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” When
he ascended back into heaven, the Father said to his victorious Son, “Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen
for thine inheritance…Sit thou upon my right hand until I make thy foes thy
footstool.” And the exalted Son of God, our Savior, poured out his
Spirit upon all flesh to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth.
I am talking to you about a covenant made on
our behalf before the worlds were made, a covenant in which Christ stood as our
Representative, Mediator, Substitute, and Surety from everlasting. In that blessed,
everlasting covenant, children of God, our salvation was decreed, purposed,
predestinated, and made sure. Let your soul fly back upon the wings of
faith into ancient eternity and behold this wondrous thing…
·
God the Father pledged himself to God the Son – “I will save!”
·
God the Son pledged himself to God the Father – “I will satisfy!”
·
God the Spirit pledged himself to God the Father and God the Son – “I will sanctify!”
·
When the three persons of the adorable Trinity struck hands together,
the deal was done! The salvation of an elect multitude, which no man can number
was made sure and looked upon by the Triune God as a things already done (Rom.
8:29-30; 2 Tim. 1:9).
(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:"
2. A covenant, as I have already hinted, has
specific stipulations which each of the contracting parties is honor bound to
fulfill. If ever one stipulation is not met, then the entire covenant
is nullified and made void.
This everlasting covenant had stipulations. But they
are stipulations made, accepted, and sworn to by the triune God. Therefore, the
covenant was and is never in jeopardy.
Note: The
covenant of grace was made in anticipation of the fall of our
father Adam and the ruin of his race. The object and goal of the covenant is
the restoration of God’s elect from the ruins of the fall for the glory of the
triune God. Under what conditions could this restoration be made?
a. God the Father spoke first – “I, even
I, the Most High, Almighty God, do give unto my only begotten, well beloved Son
an elect people more numerous than the sands upon the sea shore and the stars
of the sky, upon condition that he redeem them from all sin, preserve and keep
them all the days of their lives, and present them in the last day before my
throne holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in my sight. I swear by my own
great name, because I can swear by none greater, that those whom I now give to
my Son I love forever. These I now forgive of all sin. To them I now impute
perfect righteousness. I now adopt them for my Son’s sake and declare that they
shall be my own sons and daughters forever! I will never turn away from them to
do them good. And they shall reign with me eternally through the merit of my
beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased!”
·
A people chosen.
·
Conditions required.
·
A Savior provided.
·
A reward promised (John 6:37-40).
b. Then God the Son spoke for us (John
10:16-18). As our Mediator and Surety, he said, “’Lo, I come to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my
heart.’ My father, I pledge myself to thee in this solemn covenant. In the
fullness of time I will become a man. I will take upon myself the nature of my
people. I will live in their world of woe in their room and stead. I will
repair the law they have broken and prepare for them a spotless robe of
righteousness. In due time I will take their place upon the cursed tree. I will
be made sin for them. I will pay their debts. The chastisement of their peace
shall be upon me. With my stripes they shall be healed. O my Father, I will be
obedient unto thee for them, obedient even unto the death of the cross. I will
magnify the law and make it honorable. I will endure all the curse of the law,
until justice is completely satisfied. All the vials of thy holy wrath shall be
poured out, emptied, and spent upon me. Then, I will rise from the dead, ascend
into heaven, and make intercession at thy right hand until all thy chosen are
saved. My Father, lay no sin to their charge. I assume all responsibility for
every one of them. I pledge myself to save them. Not one of those whom thou
hast given me shall be lost. By my blood, by my righteousness, and by my power
I will bring them all safely to thee at last.”
·
Incarnation
·
Righteousness
·
Satisfaction
·
Resurrection
·
Intercession
·
Dominion
·
Glorification
c. God the Holy Spirit also spoke – “I
do hereby covenant that all the Father has given to the Son and the Son has
pledged to redeem with his own precious blood, I will at the time of love
regenerate and call by almighty, irresistible grace. I will show them their
need of Christ. I will destroy their groundless hopes, and their refuge of
lies. I will show them the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. I will
give them faith. I will give them a new heart and a new will. I will apply to
their hearts the blood of Christ, make them clean, bring upon them every
blessing and benefit of the covenant, and seal them in grace forever. By me all
the sons and daughters of the Almighty shall be infallibly preserved unto
everlasting glory!”
·
Regenerate
·
Convict
·
Bring
·
Seal
When all the stipulations of the covenant had been
agreed upon all the blessings of grace were fully and infallibly bestowed upon
God’s elect in Christ, our covenant Head (Eph. 1:3-6).
3. The beneficiaries of this everlasting
covenant were named from eternity and their names written in a book, the Book
of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8;
17:8).
No, this covenant was not made for all men. If that
offends you, I am sorry. But your offense does not nullify God’s work! This
covenant was made for God’s elect and no one else. Who are God’s elect?
a. Those
for whom Christ makes intercession (John 17:9, 20).
b. Those
who are by the Holy Spirit called (Psa. 65:4).
c. Those
who trust the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 4:1-10).
B. Why was this everlasting covenant made?
Only one answer can be given – “To the praise of the glory of his grace” (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). This
covenant was an act of free, unconditional grace and absolute sovereignty.
Should any demand, “But that’s not fair,” my reply is, Take your argument up
with God. I am only his messenger (Rom. 9:16-18). If you want to quarrel with
the Almighty, if you dare to do so, I will not stand in your way.
II. The everlasting character of the covenant
– Why does the Holy Spirit here and elsewhere describe
the covenant of grace as the “everlasting covenant?”
In other places it is called, “the covenant of
peace,” “the covenant of life,” “the better covenant,” and “the
new covenant,” but why is it called specifically “the everlasting
covenant” no less than seven times in the Word of God?
·
2 Samuel 23:5
·
Isaiah 55:3
·
Isaiah 61:8
·
Jeremiah 32:40
·
Ezekiel 16:60
·
Ezekiel 37:26
·
Hebrews 13:20
A. It is called “the everlasting covenant” first, to identify its
antiquity.
The covenant of grace is the oldest of all God’s
works. It is from everlasting. The covenant of works had a beginning and an
end. The covenant of grace has neither. Now think about this for a minute and
see if it does not ravish your very soul. Before anything that is was God loved
you and made a covenant of grace for you!
·
Before the mountains, the stars, or the seas were brought forth, God
thought of you!
·
Before Adam fell, God covenanted with God for you!
·
Before you sinned, help was laid upon One who is mighty for you!
·
Before you went astray from your mother’s womb speaking lies, the
Triune God found a way to bring you home to glory!
·
Before he made the angels to minister to you, God’s heart was devoted
to you in covenant grace!
Now, realize this – God who has had his heart upon
you from eternity will not forget you now (Isa. 54:7-10).
(Isaiah 54:7-10) "For a
small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
(8) In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with
everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
(9) For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have
sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn
that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. (10) For the
mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not
depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the
LORD that hath mercy on thee."
B. The
covenant of grace is called “the
everlasting covenant”, second, to
assure us of its sureness (2 Sam. 23:5).
Here is something that stands forever! Its mercies
are sure mercies! Its blessings are sure blessings! Its promises are sure
promises!
1. On our part, it is
an unconditional covenant.
·
Nothing left to chance!
·
Nothing left to be determined by our will!
·
Nothing dependent upon our works!
There are no “ifs”, “maybes”, “buts”, or
“peradventures” in this everlasting covenant. Every line is punctuated by God’s
“shall” and God’s “will.”
2. God’s covenant is
ordered in all things and sure from everlasting.
·
Ordered by God’s decree!
·
Made sure by god’s power!
C. The
covenant of grace is called “the everlasting covenant,” third, to show us its immutability.
Anything everlasting must be immutable. Not one line
of the covenant can be erased, not one word blotted out. God is immutable in
all things and his covenant is immutable (Eccles. 3:14).
§
His love is immutable love (Rom. 9:13).
§
His grace is immutable grace (Mal. 3:6).
·
His forgiveness is immutable forgiveness (Rom. 4:8).
·
His favor is immutable favor (Eph. 1:6).
·
His blessings are immutable blessings (Rom. 11:29; Eph. 1:3).
D. And this covenant is called
“the everlasting covenant,” fourth, to
teach us that it will never cease to be enforced, no, not even in eternity.
It shall one day be consummated, but never
terminated. All the heirs of grace shall be the heirs of grace forever.
·
For The Same Reason!
·
Upon The Same Basis!
·
To The Same Degree!
III. The blood of the covenant – What
is the connection between the shed blood of Christ and the everlasting
covenant?
I must be brief here. But, believe me, I have saved
the best until the last. The precious blood of Christ has a fivefold connection
to the covenant of grace – A fivefold
relation…
A. With regard to God the Son our Savior
– His blood is the fulfillment of every stipulation
agreed to in the covenant.
·
“I have finished the work.” Righteousness!
·
“It is finished!” – Satisfaction! “Therefore doth my Father love me!”
B. With regard to God the Father – The
precious blood of Christ puts the Almighty under inescapable obligation.
·
To save all the redeemed!
·
The pardon all the ransomed!
·
To give grace and glory to all for whom atonement has been made!
C. With regard to God the Holy Spirit
– the blood of Christ is that which he sprinkles
(applies effectually) to the hearts of sinners to proclaim peace and
reconciliation – “That’s enough!”
D. With regard to the believer – The
precious blood of Christ is the solitary ground of our peace and assurance.
His blood is God’s token to us for good. Do you rely
entirely upon the blood of Christ for all your salvation? If you do, be at
peace. Let nothing disturb you. This covenant was made for you. All its blessings
are yours forever. You are one of God’s elect.
E. With regard to guilty sinners –
The precious blood of Christ is your only way of access to God (Heb.
10:22).
(Hebrews 10:22) "Let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
Nothing in my
hands I bring,
Simply to Thy
cross I cling,
I to thy
fountain fly;
Wash me,
Savior, else I die!
Application:
1. No remission without the blood (Heb. 9:22).
2. No condemnation with the blood (Rom. 8:1).
3. He who died to ratify this covenant lives and
reigns to enforce it (2 Sam. 23:5).
(2 Samuel 23:5) "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, although he make it not to
grow."
Amen.