Jul 14
12
The covenant of grace!
(Charles Spurgeon, “The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant!” 1859)
“The blood of the everlasting covenant!” Hebrews 13:20
Long before the day-star knew its place,
long before God had spoken existence out of nothing,
long before angel’s wing had stirred the unnavigated ether,
long before a solitary song had disturbed the solemnity of the silence in which God reigned supreme
— the Father had entered into solemn counsel with Himself, with His Son, and with His Spirit — and had in that council decreed, determined, purposed, and predestined the salvation of His people!
On the Father’s part — thus ran the covenant. I cannot tell it to you in the glorious celestial tongue in which it was written. I am glad to bring it down to the speech which suits to the ear of flesh, and to the heart of a mortal. Thus, I say, ran the covenant in lines like these:
“I, the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto My only begotten and well-beloved Son — a people, countless beyond the number of the stars . . .
who shall be washed from sin by Him;
who shall be preserved, and kept, and led by Him; and
at last, who shall be presented before My throne without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing by Him.
I covenant by oath, and swear by Myself, because I can swear by no one greater, that these whom I now give to Christ — shall forever be the objects of My eternal love!
These, I will forgive through the merit of my Son’s blood.
To these, I will give a perfect righteousness.
These, I will I adopt and make My sons and daughters.
And these shall reign with Me through Christ eternally!”
The Holy Spirit also, as one of the contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, “I hereby covenant, that all whom the Father gives to the Son —
I will in due time quicken.
I will show them their need of redemption.
I will cut off all their groundless hopes, and destroy their refuges of lies.
I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling.
I will give them faith whereby this blood shall be applied to them.
I will work in them every grace.
I will keep their faith alive.
I will cleanse them and drive out depravity from them.
And they shall be presented at last, spotless and faultless in Heaven!”
This was the one side of the covenant, which is at this very day being fulfilled and scrupulously kept.
The Lord Jesus also, as one of the contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, “My Father, on My part, I covenant that in the fullness of time, I will become man. I will live in their wretched world — and for My people, I keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness for them, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Your just and holy law. In due time, I will bear the sins of all My people. You shall exact all their debts upon Me. By My stripes — they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify Your law, and make it honorable. I will suffer all that My people ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of Your law — and all the vials of Your wrath shall be emptied and spent upon My head! I will then rise again, and ascend into Heaven. I will intercede for them at Your right hand. I will make Myself responsible for every one of them — that not one of those whom You have given me, shall ever be lost! I will bring all My sheep of whom, by My blood, you have constituted Me the Shepherd — I will bring every one safe to You at last!”
Christ can say of what He promised to do, “It is finished!” He has paid the debts of all the elect. He has, for His people and for their redemption — suffered the whole of wrath divine. Nothing remains now, except that He shall continue to intercede for them — that He may safely bring all His redeemed to glory. All for whom Christ died, shall be pardoned — all justified — all adopted.
The Spirit shall quicken them all, shall give them all faith, shall bring them all to Heaven. And they shall, every one of them, without hindrance, stand accepted in the Beloved.
The antiquity of the covenant of grace demands our grateful attention. It is a truth which tends to elevate the mind. I know of no doctrine more grand than this! It is the very soul and essence of all Scripture! In sitting down and meditating upon it — I confess my spirit has sometimes been ravished with delight!
Can you conceive of the idea, that before all things — God thought of you? That when as yet He had not made His mountains — He had thought of you; you, a poor puny worm? Oh this cannot make us proud — but it must make us feel happy!
—
An infinite love!
(James Smith, “The Love of Christ! The Fullness, Freeness, and Immutability of the Savior’s Grace Displayed!”)
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should — how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully!” Ephesians 3:18-19
The love of Christ is an infinite love — its heights and depths, its breadths and lengths — surpass our knowledge! The whole of His nature and perfections are thrown into His love, therefore He is said to BE LOVE. He cannot love His people more than He does — nor will He love them less! Until we can comprehend infinity and measure eternity — we cannot know the love of Christ to perfection.
Love in us — rules us; just so, the infinite love of Jesus, rules Him. All that He has ever purposed, promised, or performed for His people — has flowed from this ocean of divine love! He is a globe of love — without beginning or end! He is a sea of love — without fault of defect! Only an infinite intellect can grasp Christ’s love — only eternity is sufficient to reveal it to our minds. Christ’s love will be always unfolding — but never be fully unfolded. It will be always displaying — but never be fully displayed. We may stand in the center and endeavor to follow its lines — but Christ’s love defies our powers, and drowns our thoughts in its immensity!
Christ’s love can never be diverted from its objects; it is immutably fixed upon them — and remains fixed forever! Had it been possible to have turned its current, it would have been done long ago; but it is still the river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God.
Having loved His own — He loves them unto the very end. Nothing present or future, above or below — can ever separate believers from the love of Jesus!
On this rock they rest — amidst all the storms of life!
In this fortress they hide — when dangers of every kind surround them!
At this fountain they live — when every creature-stream is dried up!
No love is unchangeable — but the love of Jesus! His love is like the great mountains, and abides forever firm!
O believer, admire and adore! Jesus continues to love you — amidst all your coldness, darkness, and proneness to wander; therefore He restores your soul and causes you to walk in the paths of righteousness. Satan may harass and accuse you, the world may frown upon and persecute you — but Jesus rests in His love, and rejoices over you with singing!
And amidst all the changes which we feel within and without, we ask with holy Paul, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” And with him we reply, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of Hell, can separate us from God’s love! No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation — will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
COVENANT FAITHFULNESS
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10). The mountains are the most stable objects in the material world—nature’s noblest emblem of immutability. But these have “change” written upon their stupendous brows. Time is furrowing them with wrinkles—wearing down their colossal forms. Atmospheric influences are subjecting them to continual waste and decay. The hoary-crowned Alp is included in the doom, “All these things shall be dissolved.” But, more enduring than mountains of primeval granite is God’s kindness. Whatever is dearest to us may change—and sooner or later must perish. The gourd we have lovingly nurtured and tended may wither, like Jonah’s, just when most needed. The gold we have taken a life-time to amass, may be forfeited by one adverse turn of capricious fortune. The brook which for long years has sung its joyful way at our side, may be dried in its channel. The “staff and beautiful rod” which blossomed in our household may be broken, and strewed in withered leaves at our feet. The cistern—hewn with such pains—may be fractured by a stroke of the chisel while hewing it, and lie scattered on the ground in fragments of shapeless ruin. But God’s love is immutable and immovable! Mark the succession of golden links—”precious thoughts,” in our motto-verse. He speaks of the “covenant,”—”the covenant of peace,”—of “My peace”—a covenant not to be “removed.” These are glorious guarantees. Mountains, rocks, forests, all may decay and will decay; but “the Lord lives”—”His years shall have no end;”—”The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, upon those who fear him.” Nothing can assail the believer’s safety or undermine his security. The oriental shepherds were used to girdle their flocks and folds with a belt of fire, to scare away the devouring wolves. ‘I,’ says God to His Zion, and to each child of Zion, ‘I will be that fiery defense. This covenant of My peace will be as a wall of flame—once within My fold you are safe forever. My sheep shall never—can never, perish.’ “Our cause,” says Luther, “is in the very hands of Him who can say with unimpeachable dignity, ‘No one shall pluck it out of My hands.’ I would not have it in our hands, and it would not be desirable that it were so. I have had many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have been able to place in God’s hands, I still possess.” “As soon might Satan,” says Charnock, “pull God out of heaven, undermine the security of Christ, and tear Him from the bosom of the Father, as deprive His people of their spiritual life.” Believer, rejoice in this faithful, covenant-keeping God. Anchor your soul on this Rock of the Divine veracity. The great adversary may try at times to impair your confidence—shake your trust—lead you to question your personal interest in the great salvation. But what are his negatives, to one affirmative of that God who cannot lie? His covenant of peace has something better than your own ever-fluctuating frames and feelings to rest upon. It is ratified by His own oath and promise. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever; the thoughts of His heart to all generations. “Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects His people, both now and forever (Psalm 125:2). John MacDuff, 1849
The Bridegroom’s love
(John Fawcett, “Christ Precious”)
“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” Revelation 21:9
Jesus is the BRIDEGROOM of His people, and He is so unspeakably excellent in that view, that none in heaven or earth can rival Him. We were deformed, polluted, and in every respect, unworthy of standing in so near and intimate a relation to Him. There was no excellency in us, to render us desirable in His eyes—but everything to provoke His resentment. And yet He was resolved to betroth us to Himself forever—in loving-kindness, in faithfulness, and in mercy!
Sin had reduced us to a state of absolute beggary, poverty, and wretchedness. Yet it was His good pleasure to take us into union with Himself—that we might share in His unsearchable riches! Nay, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor—that we through His poverty, might be made rich!
Do we speak of the Bridegroom’s love? It is absolutely without parallel. There is nothing which will bear any comparison with it. Its height and depth, its length and breadth are immeasurable! It passes the knowledge of men or angels. It is stronger than death—for Christ loves His church, and gave Himself for it. Jesus Himself says to those who are married unto Him, “As the Father has loved me—so have I loved you!” The love of the nearest relations among men, falls inconceivably short of setting forth the nature, or the ardency of His love. No husband loves the dearest wife—as Christ loves His people.
Believers, by virtue of their marital union with Jesus—are advanced to great riches and honors. They are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. The riches of eternity are their own! They are taken from the dust and the dunghill—and set among glorious princes! The angels in heaven think it no dishonor to be their servants. The contract is made, and it will be consummated at the great day, when the marriage supper will be celebrated with solemnity, triumph, and glory—suited to the dignity of the glorious Bridegroom. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:9