Hebrews 7: 22
"By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament," Hebrews 7:22. We will continue our study on the God of Covenants. Last week we began to look at the everlasting covenant. We learned that all other covenants stem from this covenant and actually point back to this covenant. The everlasting covenant was made before anything was ever created. It was made in eternity's past. The eternal Father made a covenant with His eternal Son. The everlasting covenant is "That mutual agreement into which the Father entered with His Son before the foundation of the world respecting the salvation of His elect, Christ being appointed the mediator, He willingly consenting to be their head and representative." A.W. Pink.
Christ fulfilled His covenant agreement with His Father. In our opening verse, Hebrews 7:22, we see that Christ was made a surety of a better testament. A surety is one who is legally constituted the representative of others, and thereby comes under an engagement to fulfill certain obligations in their name and for their benefit. In Philemon 1:18 Paul in writing to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus became a surety for Onesimus when he said, "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account." Paul was actually limited to the extent of being able to do this, but Christ fully and completely fulfilled His obligations for His church. We can go back to John 17 and look at the verses where Christ is giving us a glimpse of the agreement between Him and the Father before the world began. Christ effectually gave His life for His church. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it," Ephesians 5:25.
We learned last week in the everlasting covenant that Christ covenanted to die for all whom the Father would give Him. This is why He came to this earth. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons," Galatians 4:4-5. Christ told Pilate in John 18:37, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world." God does everything decently and orderly. Nothing has ever nor ever will take God by surprise. God does not have to react to anything. In this everlasting covenant between the Father and the Son there was a specific time for Christ to be made flesh; Immanuel, God with us. There was also a specific time for Christ to die. Notice what Christ says in John 10:17-18, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
No one else in the world could ever say this. This was settled from before the foundation of the world. The enemies of Christ desired to kill Him, but they couldn't until the appointed time. "Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come," John 7:30. God never had to deviate from His plan. Wicked men out of their own wicked hearts did exactly what they did according to the plan and purpose of God (Acts 2:23). Looking at the everlasting covenant from the Scriptures really helps us see the bigger picture. Christ came for the purpose of securing those He had been a surety for. There were certain obligations Christ had to fulfill on behalf of His elect. Only Christ could fulfill these obligations. His covenant people had a debt that Christ fully and completely paid, thus settling our debt with the Father. No one whose sin debt has been paid for by Christ will suffer the wrath of God.
Christ voluntarily entered into the work of suretyship by divine appointment for His people. Christ is the representative of His people. He took upon Himself all their responsibilities. Simply put, Christ took upon Himself all the sins of His covenant people. By doing this He also agreed to make their debt His own; hence taking the responsibility to fully pay that debt. In fully paying their debt He is able to present them to Himself spotless, pure, and holy. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," II Corinthians 5:21. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree," Galatians 3:13. Again we must point out that this was a mutual agreement between the Father and the Son before the world was. It would do us good to stop and meditate upon this wonderful truth. These truths give us a clearer understanding of Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
How do we know that all things will work together for our good? In this covenant between the Father and the Son Christ does more than just die for His covenant people. Turn to Hebrews 7:19-25; 9:11-15. Christ ever lives for His covenant people. He is the Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5). His mediation is everlasting. This is why those whom He saves can never be lost. Turn to John 10:27-30. Can you see the everlasting covenant in these verses? "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of redemption," Philippians 1:6. What is missing in these verses are any stipulations for us in earning or keeping our salvation. We have heard the saying, "Once saved always saved." In reality our security goes back to the everlasting covenant between God the Father, and God the Son. No one is able to break that covenant.
There is a determined time when this covenant is made a reality in our lives. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," II Corinthians 5:17. This is an action that all will be able to know. When Christ saves your soul you will be different (Ephesians 5:1-8). This difference is lasting.
There is something else that we must look at that stems from the everlasting covenant. In the everlasting covenant there is only one way for man's sins to be forgiven. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," Acts 4:12. See, Christ's death was the completion of His agreement with the Father. This guarantees the salvation of all who were named in the everlasting covenant. Not one for whom Christ died will miss heaven. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," II Peter 3:9.
You and I were not there when this everlasting covenant was made between the Father and the Son. So, we do not know who the covenant people of God are. This is why we are to proclaim the Gospel to all the world (Romans 1:16). God uses the preaching of the gospel to save those who will believe (I Corinthians 1:18). Has Christ saved your soul? There will be clear and lasting evidences in your life if He has; just as there will be clear evidences in your life if He has not (I Corinthians 6:9-11).
Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
