Lesson 10:  God — Redemption Accomplished By God Through Christ The Son

Introduction

Hello, and welcome back to An Introduction To The Christian Faith. In this lesson, we will be considering Baptist Catechism questions 23-25.  I’m sure you remember the bad news delivered in questions 16-22.  Those questions and answers summarize the teaching of Holy Scripture concerning man’s fall into sin and its effects.  Questions 21 and 22 brought us very low.  I’d like to remind you of them now.  Question 21 asks, Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?  Answer:  The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want [lack] of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.  Question 22 then asks, What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?  Answer:  All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.  This is the bad news of man’s fall into sin.  Thankfully, Baptist Catechism questions 23-25 deliver good news to us. 

Question 23:  Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?

Answer:  God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. 

Baptist catechism 23 asks, Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?  Before we consider the answer, I would like to ask another question: would it have been wrong (or perhaps a better word would be, unjust) for God to leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?  The answer is, no.  Adam rebelled against God.  He broke the covenant of life, or works, by his heart rebellion and his sin of eating the forbidden fruit.  It would not have been wrong or unjust for God to leave all mankind to perish in our fallen estate.  The wages of sin is death, the Scriptures say (see Genesis 2:17 and Romans 6:23).   A proper view of the holiness of God and of the severity of man’s sin should move us to feel astonished that God would show mercy and grace to fallen sinners.  What do fallen sinners deserve?  They deserve God’s judgment.  When we consider that God shows kindness to all and that he has graciously determined to save some, it should move us to marvel and to give praise to God for his glorious grace (see Ephesians 1:3-14). 

Listen to Baptist Catechism question 23 again:  Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?  The short answer is, no.  God has shown mercy.  He has graciously provided a way for the salvation of sinners.  But our catechism says more than no.  The answer given is true to Scripture, and it is marvelous.

I think it will be helpful to divide the answer to this question into two parts. 

God Determined To Save Sinners In Eternity

Firstly, our catechism tells us about what God has done in eternity, or before the creation of earth, to save sinners.  “God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life…”, our catechism says.  This reminds us of what we learned in Baptist Catechism 10 concerning God’s decree.  In general, “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.”  This is the doctrine of God’s general decree.  Here in Baptist Catechism 23, we are reminded of God’s decree, but this time special attention is given to God’s decree as it pertains to the election of fallen sinners unto salvation in Christ Jesus. 

So you can see that when our catechism begins to talk about the salvation of sinners through faith in Christ Jesus, it begins, not with the accomplishment of our redemption at the cross of Christ, or with some other event in human history, but with God’s plan of salvation decreed in eternity.  This is very important.  If we wish to truly understand our salvation in Christ Jesus we must trace things back as far as we can.  The Scriptures teach that God’s eternal decree of election is the fountainhead, or source, of our salvation in Christ Jesus.  Stated differently, God’s eternal decree of election is the spring from which the river of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ flows. 

It should be clear to all that we could not know about the God’s decree of election or predestination if the Scriptures did not reveal it.  But the Scriptures do reveal it, and so we know it, are to believe it, and must confess it to be true.  We considered some of the passages of Holy Scripture that speak about election or predestination unto salvation through faith in Christ in lesson six of this study.  I’ll remind you of a few of them now. 

John chapter 17 is very important.  You should read it sometime soon.  It is a record of a prayer that Jesus offered up to God the Father.  In that prayer, Christ prayed for the people that God had given to him in eternity, or before the foundation of the world. When that passage is considered in its entirety, it is clear that Jesus understood his earthly mission to be the accomplishment of salvation for those given to him by the Father in eternity.  How could the Father give people to Jesus in eternity?  It is because Jesus is the person of the eternal Word, or Son of God incarnate (see John 8:58).  John 17 clearly reveals that a kind of covenant, or agreement, was made between the persons of the Father and the Son in eternity regarding the salvation of sinners (Jesus is the servant of Isaiah 42, 49, and 51; see Luke 4:17-21).  Theologians sometimes refer to this eternal agreement between the Father and Son as the Covenant of Redemption (see Hebrews 13:20). The agreement was that the Son would, at just the right time (see Galatians 4:4), take to himself a true human nature to accomplish salvation for those given to him by God the Father in eternity. Those individuals given to the Son by the Father are in the Scriptures called the elect (see Matthew 24:31; Luke 18:7; Romans 8:33; Romans 9:11; Romans 11:7; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 1:10; 2 John 1; 2 John 13).  They are those chosen by God in eternity (see John 15:16; Romans 11:5; 1 Corinthians 1:27).  They are those predestined unto salvation (see Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-14).  

I think it is very good that our catechism begins to answer the question, Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?, by saying, God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life… By starting with God’s decree of election, our catechism takes us to the fountainhead or source of our salvation.  If I were to ask you, Christian, why is it that you are saved?  You would not be wrong to say, because I have turned from my sins to trust in Jesus.  But if I were to press you further, saying, tell me more.  You would probably tell me about how God called you to repentance and faith at some point in your life. And if I said, tell me more, you would be right to explain what did Christ  to accomplished your salvation through his life, death, and resurrection nearly 2,000 years ago.  And if I said, tell me more.  You could talk about how Christ was revealed to God’s chosen people long before he was ever born through prophesies, promises, types, and shadows, which are recorded for us now in the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures.  And if I were to press you even further saying, yet again, tell me more, you could say, God decreed these things in eternity. I am saved today through faith in Christ because God the Father gave me to the Son before the foundation of the world.  And if I were to ask you, how do you know this?  Were you there?  You would be right to say, I know this because God has revealed it in the Holy Scriptures.  When our catechism responds to the question, Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?, by saying, God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life…, it takes us as far back as the Scriptures take us.  The fountainhead, spring, or source of our salvation in Christ Jesus is the Triune God and his decree made in eternity.    

Notice that the first word in the answer is “God”.  This is very important.  When discussing man’s salvation in Christ, the first word should always be “God”.  Sinners can be saved, not because man has done something, but because God has done something. God is the one who has taken the initiative.  You can see this principle in John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  How do we come to be saved from our sins?  How are we made right before God?  How are we reconciled to God?  This happens when we turn from our sins to believe in Jesus.  But why is this salvation available through faith in Jesus?  It is because God took the initiative in eternity.  God determined to love the world  —  a world fallen and filled with darkness and sin — and to provide salvation for all who turn from their sins and trust in Jesus.  Later in John’s gospel, and elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that it is the elect of God who will turn from their sin and trust in Jesus.  They are able to do this because God effectively calls them.  We will talk more about  effectual calling later.  For now, it is important to see that a way for salvation has been opened up to the world (see John 3:16), that is, to sinful people from every tongue, tribe, and nation only because God, in eternity, determined to show love and mercy to sinners.  He took the initiative to save sinners from every tongue, tribe, and nation on earth through Christ the Son (see Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Isaiah 42:6; John 1:29; John 8:12; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:9).

Next, our catechism says, “having out of His mere good pleasure…” This phrase answers the question, why did God show mercy and grace to sinners?  What “moved” him to do it? 

If you were paying careful attention to Baptist Catechism question seven, you might say, Pastor, God cannot be “moved”, for he is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.  If God were to be moved that would mean that God had changed.  This is impossible.  And you would be correct. Furthermore, if you were paying careful attention to Baptist Catechism 10, you might say, we have already answered the question, why did God show mercy and grace to sinners? God has provided salvation to sinners because he decreed it.  And the decrees of God are his eternal purpose [made] according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.  Again, you are correct. 

What “moved” God to show mercy and grace to sinners and to provide a way for their salvation?  God was not moved by anyone or anything external to him.  God has shown mercy and grace to sinners “out of His mere good pleasure”.  Chapter 3, Paragraph 5 of the Second London Confession puts it this way: “Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving him thereunto.” This is true.  And so our catechism says that God has provided salvation for sinners “out of His mere good pleasure”.

We know this because the Scriptures plainly teach it.  God has shown mercy to sinners to save them, not because he was obligated to, and not because there was something in the creature that merited God’s mercy, but because it was God’s good pleasure to do so.  In other words, salvation is an act of God’s free grace.  It is a gift he has freely given.  Ephesians 2:8-9 famously says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  In Luke 13:32 we hear the words of Christ.  He spoke to his disciples saying, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  In Ephesians 1:11 Paul teaches that, “In [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of [God] who works all things according to the counsel of his will…”  These passages all answer the question, why has God done what he has done to save sinners?  It is correct to say that he determined to save sinners “out of his mere good pleasure”.

And what is it that God has done out of his mere good pleasure? He, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life.  This is the doctrine of unconditional election.  A lot has been said about this already.  Perhaps one more comment is in order.  I am well aware that the doctrine of unconditional election can be difficult for people to receive.  It may be especially difficult for those who have been raised in churches that falsely teach that salvation is determined by man’s free choice.  This false teaching is very prevalent in our day and age.  Is it true that men and women must choose to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus?  Yes, of course! Do not forget what we have said about free will in a previous lesson.  But the questions being addressed here are deeper.  Why has salvation been made available at all?  How has it been accomplished?  And how can it be that any of the fallen children of Adam — men and women dead in sins, darkened in their understanding, and hostile to God — would ever turn from their sins to trust in Christ?  We will talk more about this later.  But here in question 23 our catechism burrows down as deep into this mystery as the Holy Scriptures will allow.  How can it be that any of the fallen children of Adam are saved?  Ultimately, it must all be traced back to God’s eternal decree of election.  This is what the Scriptures plainly teach.  If you are Christian, this is what you ought to believe, for God’s Word is our final authority in matters of faith and obedience (remember Baptist Catechism 4). 

God Saves Sinners In Time Through The Covenant Of Grace

Let us now move on to the second half of the answer to question 23.  Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? Answer:  God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. 

It is here in the second half of the answer to question 23 that we learn about how God saves his elect in time.  We have learned that God predestined some to salvation in eternity in what theologians call the Covenant of Redemption (remember John 17).  And now we learn that these elect are saved as human history unfolds through the Covenant of Grace. 

Friends, it is important that we pay careful attention to the covenants that God has made with man in history as recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture.  Do you remember what the covenant made with Adam in the garden is called?  It goes by different names.  Our catechism refers to it as the Covenant of Life to highlight what it offered — life in glory.  Sometimes it is called the Covenant of Creation to highlight when it was made — it was made shortly after God created the heavens and earth.  Sometimes it is referred to as the Adamic Covenant to remind us who it was made with  — it was made with Adam representing humanity.  And sometimes it is called the Covenant of Works.  This name highlights how the blessings offered in this covenant were to be obtained.  Adam was to work.  He was to keep or guard the garden and expand its borders to fill the earth.  He was to obey God’s law from the heart.  In particular, he was to obey the command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The covenant made with Adam, whatever you wish to call it, was a covenant of works.  The rewards of the covenant would have to be earned.  The principle was, do this and you shall live.  And what happened with that covenant?  It was broken.  Adam broke it when he fell into sin by eating from the forbidden tree.  Now, here is a good question to ask.  Is this covenant — the Covenant of Life or Works — still in force today?  The answer is, yes and no.  Clearly, the Covenant of Works is not in force in the same way that it was before Adam sinned.  Access to the Tree of Life has been taken away.  We do not live in Eden.  None of us live as Adam did, as a federal representative during a time of testing (probationary period).  The covenant has already been broken, so it cannot bring us to life in glory.  But there is a sense in which the Covenant of Works remains in force.  All who are born into this world are born into this covenant, but it is a broken covenant.  The promised rewards have already been forfeited and taken away.  Now, only its curses remain.  You may review Baptist Catechism questions 16-22 to be reminded of the sin and misery into which Adam brought humanity in his breaking of the Covenant of Life or Works.  

Why am I reminding you of this now?  For two reasons.  One to show you that salvation cannot be earned through the broken Covenant of Works.  Two, to draw your attention to the fact that, ever since Adam’s fall into sin, salvation is obtainable only through the Covenant of Grace.  This is what Baptist Catechism 23 teaches. 

In the Covenant of Grace, salvation is not earned; it is received as a gift, as the name implies.  It is through the Covenant of Grace that sinful men and women are delivered out of the estate of sin and misery, and brought into the estate of salvation.  And this is made possible, we are told, by a Redeemer.  In just a moment we will answer the question, who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? In brief, Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of God’s elect.  But let us ask a few more questions about this Covenant of Grace before turning our attention to Christ the Redeemer.

One, when was the Covenant of Grace formally transacted or made?  Answer: it was made when Jesus Christ lived, died, rose again, and ascended to the Father.  The New Covenant ratified in Christ’s blood is the Covenant of Grace.  It is the New Covenant that has the power to save sinners from their sins.  Christ attached the sign of the Lord’s Supper to this covenant.  Matthew 26:27-28 says that Jesus “took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to [his disciples], saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28, ESV).  So, the New Covenant ratified in Christ’s blood is the Covenant of Grace.  It is only through this covenant, which is also called the New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31), that salvation is available.    

Two, was it possible for men and women to be saved prior to the making of the New Covenant?  The answer is, yes.  From Adam’s fall into sin to the day of Christ’s resurrection, God saved many people from sin and misery.  You can read a record of this in the pages of the Old Testament.  Think of Abraham.  Think of Moses. Think of King David.  These, and many others, were all saved from their sin and misery.  They were justified before God. 

Three, how then were those who lived before Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection saved from their sins?  Answer: in the same way that all who live after Christ’s resurrection are saved. They were saved by faith alone, in Christ alone, and through the Covenant of Grace alone, as the good news about Christ and the New Covenant came to them ahead of time in the form of a promise. 

Promises always have to do with the future.  When a person promises to do something, they give their word that they will do something in the future.  And I am saying that long before Christ lived, died, and rose again, God promised that he would provide a Savior, or Redeemer.  The elect of God who lived prior to the accomplishment of our redemption by Christ on the cross, and prior to the inauguration of the New Covenant in Christ’s blood, were saved, not in some other way or through some other covenant, but through faith in the Messiah who was promised to them ahead of time.  

The very first promise about the coming Redeemer is found in Genesis 3:15.  Immediately after the fall, God promised that one day a son would be born from Eve who would crush the head of the serpent who tempted Eve, and through her, Adam, to sin.  This first promise about a Savior, or Redeemer, was like a little seed planted into the ground that would sprout and grow until it reached full maturity in the birth of Jesus Christ to Mary, a daughter of Eve, and the accomplishment of our redemption by Jesus’ finished work on the cross.  Between that first promise of the gospel and the birth of Christ, this promise was reiterated, multiplied, magnified, and clarified many times over and in many different ways.  This promise of the gospel was carried along and advanced in the covenants that God made with Abraham, Israel in the days of Moses, and King David.  This is why when we read the New Testament Scriptures, we hear about people living with a sense of expectation.  God’s elect were waiting for the arrival of God’s promised Messiah.  They were waiting for the actual accomplishment of our salvation.  They were waiting for the inauguration of the New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31), and the arrival of the Kingdom God which the New Covenant governs (see Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17). 

The New Testament Scriptures actually have a lot to say about how God’s people were saved before the arrival of Jesus the Messiah and the cutting of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace.  The word “promise” is used often in the New Testament to describe what the people of God believed in to be justified or saved before Christ came.  They believed in the promises of God concerning the coming Redeemer.  They believed in Christ as they looked forward to his arrival.  Just as you and I place our faith in Jesus by looking back in history upon his finished work, they looked forward to his coming and to the accomplishment of our redemption.  Of course, we see him with much greater clarity now that he has come.  What exactly he would be and what exactly he would do was a mystery to those who lived before him.  But God had given them enough information to ground their faith in.  And of course, those who lived prior to Christ did not live under the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace, as we do.  Many of them lived under the Old Covenant — the Abrahamic, and later, the Mosaic, and Davidic Covenants.  But the saving benefits of the Covenant of Grace were communicated or delivered to them ahead of time as they believed in the promises of God concerning the coming Redeemer (see Second London Confession 8.6).

As I have said, the word “promise” and this concept is found throughout the New Testament.  I’ll provide you with four examples. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus Christ]. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV).  The meaning of this verse is that all of the promises of God concerning our salvation that were previously given find their “yes” in Jesus Christ.  In other words, all of the promises of old land on him, terminate in him, and are fulfilled by him.  This is why we must trust in him to be saved. 

In Ephesians 2:12-13 Paul writes to Gentile Christians, that is to say, non-Jews, saying, “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:12–13, ESV).  This passage is interesting.  Notice two things:  First, Paul wrote to Gentile Christians saying that before the arrival of Christ and the making of the New Covenant, they, as a people, were “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise.”  So, the Gentiles, who lived outside of Israel and did not have access to the promises of God concerning a coming Redeemer as communicated to and through Abraham, Moses, and David, were, according to Paul, separated from Christ.  What does that mean?  Christ wasn’t even born yet.  How could Paul say they were separated from him?  The answer is that Christ was present in these covenants that God made with Abraham and his descendants.  Now, he was not actually present, but he was present through the promises that were announced to God’s covenant people in those days.  In this sense, Israel had access to Christ whereas the Gentile people were separated from Christ. The main reason I have quoted this text is to draw your attention to the way Paul referred to the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants.  He calls them covenants of promise.  This means that each of these covenants carried within them promises concerning the coming Redeemer.  These covenantal arrangements were not meant to last.  They were forward-looking.  They all landed, were terminated, and fulfilled in Christ.  That is why Paul refers to them as covenants of promise. (If you wish to read about the making of the Old Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic Covenants, you may go to Genesis 12-17, Exodus 19 (really, all of Exodus-Deuteronomy), and 2 Samuel 7).  But the point I am making about Ephesians 2:12-13 is that it speaks of Christ being present in the covenants of promise.  The Hebrews had access to him.  The Gentiles did not. And how was Christ present in these covenants?  Not actually, but through the promises of God concerning the coming Redeemer that were carried within those covenants.  Another way to say this is that Christ was present through the gospel preached ahead of time in the form of promise. 

The word promise is used often in the book of Galatians, especially in chapters three and four.  The verse I have chosen does not use the word promise, but the concept is here.  Galatians 3:8 says, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed’” (Galatians 3:8, ESV).  The gospel, that is to say, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ, was preached to Abraham “beforehand”, says Paul. 

Lastly, consider what Paul says about the salvation of Abraham in Romans 4:1-3.  “What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’” (Romans 4:1–3, ESV). Throughout this section of the book of Romans, Paul insists that Abraham was justified (declared not guilty, forgiven, and therefore saved) not by keeping the law (that is, not through a covenant of works), but by faith.  “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”, Paul says.  Let me ask you, what was it that Abraham believed in?  Yes, he believed in God.  But what Paul means (and this is clear from what he says elsewhere) is that Abraham believed in the promises of God concerning salvation through faith in the Messiah, who would one day descend from him. 

What is the point I am laboring to make?  No one has ever been saved from their sins except through faith in the Messiah.  The Messiah is the mediator of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace.  We look back upon his finished work as it is announced to us through the preaching of the gospel.  And this same gospel was preached ahead of time in the form of a promise (see Galatians 3:8).  The same Jesus that we look back to, the saints of old looked forward to.  They saw him dimly.  We see him much more clearly, for he has now come, and his work of redemption has been accomplished.     

There are a few more things to notice about the second half of Baptist Catechism 23.  I’ll make these observations quickly.  One, it is through the Covenant of Grace that we are delivered out of the estate of sin and misery described in Baptist Catechism 20-22. Two, it is through the Covenant of Grace that we are brought into a new state of being, namely, the estate of salvation.  Our confession of faith in chapter nine paragraph four calls the estate of salvation the estate of grace.  It says, “When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;  yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he does not perfectly, nor only will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.”  The estate of salvation or grace is the state of being that those who have faith in Christ exist in.  Three, the conclusion to Baptist Catechism 23 teaches us that these benefits of the Covenant of Grace have been earned and made available by a Redeemer.  Questions 24 and 25 will teach us about this Redeemer.

Question 24: Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

Answer: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ; who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man
in two distinct natures, and one person for ever. 

Question 24 asks, Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? Answer: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ; who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man in two distinct natures, and one person for ever. 

The word “only” is important. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? Who is the one through whom the elect of God are saved? Answer: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are clear about this. Consider, for example, Acts 4:12. Here Peter is speaking about Jesus when he says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, ESV).

Friends, the Scriptures are filled with stories about important men. For example, Abraham, Moses, and David were important men. I’ve chosen to highlight them because God entered into covenants with and through them. But pay careful attention to this fact, no one has ever been saved from the estate of sin and misery and brought into the estate of salvation through Abraham, Moses, or David (or through the covenants made with or through them). No one was saved because they were born of Abraham or under Moses or David. No, these men were saved because they believed in Jesus (see Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6)! The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior God has provided. And this is why Christ said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV).

Who is Jesus? Our catechism answers with these words: “who, being the eternal Son of God, became man.” Jesus Christ is the person of the eternal Son of God. I should remind you of what we learned with the help of Baptist Catechism 9. The question there is, “How many persons are there in the Godhead?” Answer: “There are three persons in the godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.” There is one God and in the one divine nature, there are three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now, when we come to the question of who is Jesus Christ, we must confess that he is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Triune God incarnate. Our catechism says that he “became man.” The meaning is that the person of the eternal Son of God took to himself (or assumed) a true human nature – a true human body and a true human soul, that is, a human mind, affections, and will. 

Many errors have been made concerning the doctrine of Christ throughout history. It is beyond the scope of this course to dive deep into questions about Christ’s person and nature. In brief, I can tell you that some have errored by denying Christ’s true divinity. Others have errored by denying Christ’s true humanity. And still, others have errored by failing to unite the two natures of Christ in his person. Having read a fair bit on the doctrine of Christ, one thing I can tell you is that our catechism provides us with a very fine statement. You would do well to memorize this statement and to question any teaching that veers from it.

Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? Answer: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ; who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man in two distinct natures, and one person for ever.  So, when we speak about God we must confess that there is only one divine nature and within the one divine nature there are three persons or subsistences. But when we speak of Christ we must confess that he is both God and man. These two natures, the divine and the human, are not mixed. They are distinct. Christ is truly God and truly man. And where do these two natures come together in Jesus Christ? They come together in his person.  The person of Jesus Christ is the person of the eternal Son. Jesus Christ is God and man in two distinct natures, and one person forever. 

Question 25: How did Christ, being the Son of God become man?

Answer: Christ the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Question 25 of our catechism then asks, How did Christ, being the Son of God become man? That is a good question don’t you think? How did this happen? Answer: Christ the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Please allow me to highlight a few things about this answer before moving this lesson to a conclusion. One, this answer is good and true, but mystery does remain. The doctrine of the incarnation is filled with mystery. We must say what the Scriptures say while being content to allow some mystery to remain. How did Christ, being the Son of God become man? Well, we can say this much, but we cannot say much more. Two, notice the phrase “by taking to himself”. That is a very helpful way to describe how the person of the eternal Son of God became man. The Son did not become man changing or transforming into man. No, he became man by “taking to himself” or assuming a human nature. This is a good way to put it because this is how the Scriptures put it (see Philippians 2:5-8). Three, notice that it was not the divine nature that became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, and neither was it the person of the Father or the person of the Spirit, but the person of the Son. It was the Son who became incarnate to accomplish our redemption. Four, when we confess that the Son of God became man we mean that the Son assumed a true human body and a true human soul. This he did for us and for our salvation. This is why the writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:17–18, ESV). Five, the Son of God assumed a true human body and soul through the virgin birth. You may read the account of this in the opening chapters of Matthew and Luke’s gospels. John does not give us an account of the virgin birth in his gospel, but he does provide us with a beautiful statement regarding the incarnation. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” In verse 14 we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Six, notice our catechism concludes with the words, “yet without sin”. Did the eternal Son assume a true human nature, body and soul, for us and our Redemption? Yes, but he was without sin. Jesus Christ was not born with Adam’s guilt imputed to him or with a corrupt nature as we were (remember Baptist Catechism 21). The virgin birth made this possible. Jesus was and is as we are in every respect with this one exception: he was without sin. Because of this, he could live, die, and rise again as our Redeemer.   

Conclusion

Much more could be said about the doctrine of Christ and the covenant he mediates. Please take a look under the Recommended Resources tab. There you will find links to books and other classes I have taught on these important subjects. Perhaps you will decide to dive deeper into some of these subjects after you finish this Introductory course. For now, I would encourage you to memorize or at least grow familiar with these brief questions and answers. They are a faithful and true summary of Scripture and are therefore a firm foundation to stand upon.

This has been a long and detailed lesson. I think it would be good to conclude by giving thanks to God that he did not leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery, but that he, having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. He is the eternal word of God incarnate.  

 I think that is enough for now. Until next time, abide in Christ.