"His Name Shall Be Called Counsellor"  

Isaiah 9:6

 

     The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, is "the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working" (Isa. 28:29). As he is the only Mediator between God and men, he is the only Counsellor with God for men and the only Counsellor with men for God.

     CHRIST WAS OUR COUNSELLOR IN THE COUNCIL OF PEACE BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN (Zech. 6:12-13). He took counsel with God our Father as our Surety in eternity. In that eternal council the scheme of grace was fixed, a ransom was found for God's elect, the time and place of Christ's incarnation and death was set, and all the blessings of grace were bestowed upon the elect multitude (Eph. 1:3-14).

     CHRIST WAS A COUNSELLOR TO MEN WHILE HE WALKED UPON THE EARTH. He counselled sinners to come to him and live. The weary he counselled to come to him for rest, the hungry for food, the thirsty for water, the defiled for cleansing, and the needy for grace. And all who came he counselled to sin no more, to love one another, to live for the glory of God, and to pray to the Father in his name for their souls' every need.

     CHRIST IS A COUNSELLOR TO HIS PEOPLE TODAY THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF HIS WORD BY THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT. The Bible is the Counsel of God, the word of his wisdom, the transcript of his eternal purpose, and the declaration of his will. By the ministry of the Word, the Lord reveals himself to his people, orders their lives, directs their steps, instructs their minds, and comforts their hearts.

     AND CHRIST IS OUR COUNSELLOR IN HEAVEN. He appears in the presence of God for us, represents us to the Father, and presents our prayers to him. He pleads our cause, intercedes for our pardon, and calls for all the blessings of the covenant to be bestowed upon us. And the basis of his plea is the merit of his own perfect righteousness and blood atonement (I John 2:1-2). He is abundantly qualified to be our Counsellor, for he is the only wise God, our Mediator in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the One upon whom the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might rests. He who is the wisdom of God is God our Counsellor! Wise men and women seek and take counsel from him alone.

 

Don Fortner