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Chapter 5 - Eternal Covenant |
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(Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23-24; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21)
The satisfaction of all the major covenants initiated in time was made possible by the blood of the Eternal Covenant. It constituted the solitary means of redemption for fallen humanity and provided for the fallen to become legally suitable and organically compatible with God. The Eternal Covenant is a covenant of life (zoe). It was initiated in eternity and fulfilled in time by the members of the Godhead. Generally, its stipulations were threefold. First, the Father would send the Son to earth with the promise of His resurrection from the dead. Second, the Son would willingly sacrifice His life to pay the penalty for the human transgression of divine law. Third, God the Spirit would empower the ministry and death of God the incarnate Son and apply its benefit to elect human beings. The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant. He not only sent the Son to earth in human flesh but foreknew; predestined; elected; and called the fallen human beings whom He knew would respond in faith. The Son, Jesus Christ, is the mediator of the Eternal Covenant. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). In His role of mediation, He willingly experienced incarnation and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for human sin. The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant. He facilitated the incarnation of the Son and empowered His ministry and sacrificial death on earth (Acts 2:23-24; Romans 4:25; 5:8; 8:32; Hebrews 9:14, 9:26; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 4:10). In addition, the Spirit of God applies the benefit of the Eternal Covenant to the elect. According to the perfections of His nature, God fulfilled the stipulations of the Eternal Covenant exactly as promised. The Father “brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood” (NLT) (Hebrews 13:20; cf. Acts 13:30; Romans 6:4; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:21). |
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“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison” (Isaiah 42:6-7).
“But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand” (Isaiah 53:10). “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20-21). The role of the Godhead in the fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant can be summarized as follows: |
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With foreknowledge of the fall of mankind, God graciously initiated the Eternal Covenant of life (zoe) before creation. By its fulfillment in time, He paid the ultimate price for restoring fallen man to kingdom citizenship.
© 2018 James Hiatt |
