By: Daniel Merritt, PhD | December 11, 2022
In my last post, “Covenants, Christ and Christmas,” six divine-human covenants were examined, of which Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of each. While the Old Testament (OT) contains both men-to-men covenants and divine-human covenants, behind all covenants, in the counsels of eternity, stands a covenant that God made with His Son, Jesus Christ. The most important covenant of all is the covenant between holy God and the eternal Son. From eternity the second person of the Triune Godhead was/is our Mediator, our Surety, of God’s everlasting covenant.
Some Bible students point out that the Bible doesn’t specifically use the word covenant in describing the eternal relationship between God and the Son, yet from more than just an inference drawn, the reality of such a covenant seems evident. Theologians who embrace this position refer to this covenant as the Covenant of Redemption, which by definition is “God the Father and God the Son in eternity past covenanted together for the redemption of the human race, the Father appointing the Son to be the Mediator, the Second Adam, whose life would be given for the salvation of the world, and the Son accepting the commission, promising that he would do the work which the Father had given him to do and fulfill all righteousness by obeying the Law of God.” [1]
Evidence of a Covenant Between Father and Son
Two reasons are given that give clarity to the reality of a covenant of redemption between God the Father and God the Son.
First, when one grasps and understands the features of a covenant, it becomes evident that there was a covenant that God made with His Son in the counsels of eternity. The following seven points give evidence to the truth of a covenant between the Father and the Son.
- Found in Zechariah 6:13, many Bible students see a reference to an agreement between the Father and the Messiah, as it speaks of a “counsel” between God and the Branch (Zech. 6:12).
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In Psalm 22, a Messianic Psalm, the promised Messiah addresses the Father as “My God,” words which Christ uttered from the cross (Matt. 27:46), clearly implying a covenantal relationship.
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Christ, as the second Adam, stands in Adam’s place as the covenantal head and representative of the human race (Romans 5:12-19).
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Both the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants were promises made not only to Abraham and David but to the Seed of Abraham and David (Gal. 3:16). Seeing that the Seed was Christ, the covenantal promise was made to Him, as well. It seems from Galatians 3:14-17 that the words promise and covenant are used synonymously, meaning that the covenant was made with Christ, too.
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The numerous statements of Christ that He was sent by the Father to accomplish and fulfill a predestined purpose indicate a covenant relationship between the Father and the Son (John 6:38-39, 10:18, 17:4).
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Jesus says in Luke 22:29, “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me” (KJV). The word translated “appointed” comes from the Greek word diatithēmi (διατίθημι), the word from which diatheke is derived, which means to arrange, to dispose of by a will, to make a covenant or enter into a covenant with one.[2] Luke 22:29 clearly is using covenantal language.
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Ephesians 2:9-11 not only speaks to the fact that the plan of God for the salvation of sinners was eternal but also indicates that it was of the nature of a covenant, being “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 2:11).
From the seven points emphasized, one would be hard-pressed not to arrive at the conclusion of an eternal covenant between the Father and Son.
Nothing Precedes the Eternal Mediator
A second reason that gives evidence of a covenant between God the Father and Christ is the scriptural teaching that nothing precedes our eternal Mediator, our Surety, Jesus Christ. A clarification of the statement is in order. While those of the Calvinistic persuasion teach a “covenant of redemption between the Father and the Son,” they contend that “logically, [God’s decree of] election precedes the counsel of redemption.” [3] This would imply that the decree of election is outside of Jesus Christ and before Him. This cannot be, as Paul clearly states, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible… He is before all things” (Col. 1:16-17 KJV). According to Paul’s declaration, the decree of election, or any other decree, is not outside of Christ but IN Christ, who is “before all things.”
The Scottish theologian P.T. Forsyth argues that when one’s starting point is God’s eternal decrees rather than Jesus Christ, then one is viewing Christ as a mere “engine” for carrying those decrees out, and Christ has no role other than a means of God who executes God’s will. [4] Forsyth contends of such a view, “It is bound to make Christ superfluous once the decrees have been executed and the end is reached.” [5] The Scottish sage continues, “For our Christian thought and faith of God we have but one starting point, one source, which is Jesus Christ.” [6]
Yes, the Bible is clear, Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20, Rev. 13:8), and before any decree of God, there stands the eternal Son. In all of God’s works and decrees, the starting point is Jesus Christ; therefore, He must be our starting point. Since all things begin with Christ and end with Christ, nothing begins or ends outside of our Mediator. The fact that He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world indicates the Father’s covenant with Jesus Christ is the foundation of all His redemptive actions, not God’s decrees. So, before any decree, before any earthly covenant, there exists one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5-7).
Christ: The Mediator Elect One
From eternity the Father and the Son covenanted that Christ would make provision through the sacrifice of Himself to redeem the sinner by becoming his Surety (Heb. 7:22). Christ met man’s obligation to a holy God on man’s behalf. Christ covenanted with the Father that he would undertake to fulfill man’s responsibility to perfect righteousness, becoming His Substitute that individuals might be elected to redemption as a result of their faith, not in a decree but IN Christ, who is the Elect One (Matt. 12:18).
Since the OT is a book of covenant documents, from whence did this idea of covenant originate? Ken M. Campbell writes, “We must remember that the covenant was not an idea invented by ancient pagan societies. A covenant was entered into by God and Adam, and we believe that just as all ancient civilizations retain garbled versions of the true stories of the fall, the flood, and other historical truths contained in the Scriptures, so the conscience of the pagan worlds retained the notion of covenant.” [7]
For the back of every covenant God made with man was the covenant the Father made with Jesus Christ in eternity. The Father and Son entered into a covenant in eternity that it might be realized, fulfilled, and experienced in time. The Father’s eternal covenant with the Son was the reason God could and did keep renewing and revealing His covenant through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jeremiah. Through progressive revelation, holy God moved with precision toward the covenantal fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
In the eternal Covenant of Redemption, Christ covenanted with the Father that, as our Mediator, to undertake to atone for the sins of humanity by bearing the necessary justice of holiness and to meet the demands of the law, which humanity cannot do. When Christ cried out on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He was declaring that the price of man’s redemption had been paid. The Good News is that man’s salvation and fellowship with a holy God is not based on one’s ability to meet God’s righteous and holy demands, but it is anchored in the Suretyship of Jesus Christ, who is consummated justice, mercy, and grace.
God the Father and the Son covenanted that all covenantal responsibilities, obligations, and debts would be met and paid for in Him. It is at the cross that the believer can bow in thanksgiving and praise and be assured that because of the God-Man’s covenantal relationship with the Father, being our Mediator, men can have acceptance, fellowship, and a relationship with the Father. O, what a Savior!
Blessings,
Dr. Dan
About the Author
Dr. Merritt is no stranger to Bellator Christi. He has been featured as a guest contributor on the website for many articles, including one of his biggest hits, “Voltaire’s Prediction: Truth or Myth,” before joining Bellator Christi as a regular contributor. Dr. Merritt received both a Ph.D. and a Th.D. and has studied theology, philosophy, and biblical studies at North-Western Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Campbell University. Dr. Merritt has published such books as Writings on the Ground and Dealing Effectively with Church Conflict. Merritt serves as the Director of Missions for the Surry Baptist Association after serving numerous churches in northwestern North Carolina. He also teaches and directs the Seminary Extension of the Southern Baptist Convention in the Mount Airy, NC area. In his spare time, Merritt serves as a track coach, training the next generation of runners.
Footnotes
[1] M.E. Osterhaven, “Covenant Theology,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1984), 280.
[2] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1949), 293.
[3] Ibid., 293, 295.
[4] P.T Forsyth, The Principle of Authority In Relation to Certainty, Sanctity and Society, (New York & London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1912), 405.
[5] Theng Huat Leow, The Theodicy of Peter Taylor Forsyth, (Eugene, OR: PickWick Publications, 2011), 33.
[6] Forsyth, Authority, 406.
[7] Ken Campbell, God’s Covenant, (Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1974), 11-12.
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