The Apostle Paul tells us
three times in fourteen verses that the purpose of the Triune God in our
salvation is that we should be to the praise of his glory. One reason given why
we should desire his glory is given in these words - "That we should be to
the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ."
Our heavenly Father entered into a covenant
with his Son on our behalf before the world began for the saving of our souls.
In Hebrews 13:20, it is called the everlasting covenant. Frequently it is
called the new covenant. This covenant was made in eternity, between God the
Father and God the Son; but it was made for us. In so far as the benefits and
blessings of it to us are concerned, it is an unconditional covenant. The Lord
God said, "I will love them freely? I will be their God; and they shall be
my people." This everlasting covenant of grace is a sure covenant, a
covenant which infallibly secured and guaranteed to God's elect all the
blessings of salvation and eternal life in Christ (Jer 31:3, 31-34; 32:38-40 2
Sam. 23:5).
The only condition to the covenant and the
blessings of grace and salvation promised in it was the obedience of the Son of
God as our Substitute unto death (Heb. 13:20). And there never was a danger of
that condition not being met by the Son of God! There was never the slightest
possibility of failure on his part. He was willing to obey. He was able to
obey. And he did obey his Father's will even unto death, even unto the shedding
of his blood, the blood of the everlasting covenant!
Having found a ransom for our souls in the
Person of his own Son, our heavenly Father gave his chosen into the hands of
his Son, as sheep into the hands of a shepherd, and trusted him with the
salvation of our souls and the glory of his own great name (John 6:39). If God
the Father has trusted his glory to his dear Son as our Substitute and Savior
and trusted the salvation of our souls to his hands, how we ought to trust him
with our immortal souls and with all that concerns us. If the Father trusted
him, he is a trustworthy Savior!
Upon the basis of this covenant, our heavenly
Father accepted us in Christ from eternity (Eph. 1:4-6). Be sure you do not
fail to grasp the teaching of Holy Scripture regarding the matter of our
acceptance before God. Our acceptance is in Christ. Our acceptance is from
everlasting to everlasting. Our acceptance is absolute and unconditional. Our
acceptance means that God the Father, our heavenly Father, looks upon us in
Christ as perfect in him, and has done so from eternity. He declares, "It
must be perfect to be accepted!" Being "accepted in the
beloved," our heavenly Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in Christ from eternity and has promised to bless us forever for Christ's sake
(Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:9). The Lord God commanded Aaron, his high priest, to bless
his people symbolically (Num. 6:23), because he had sworn from eternity, for
Christ's sake, saying, "I will bless them" (Num. 6:27).