1689 8:1 The Foreordination of Christ the Mediator | Sam Waldron
“It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both, to be the mediator between God and man the prophet, priest, and king; head and saviour of the church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world; unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.”
1689 8:1
The paragraph speaks of “His Election.” The presupposition of this election is that God has an eternal purpose. Ephesians 1:11 is the key verse: “In Him (Christ) we have been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”
This purpose is a comprehensive purpose. It includes “all things.”
It is a centered purpose. The election of Christ and His people are the center of this purpose: “In Him (Christ) we have been predestined.”
It is a free purpose. It is according to God’s mere sovereign will and good pleasure: It was according to “His will.”
It is a Trinitarian Purpose. The Confession says: It pleased God … to choose … his only begotten Son. We must think in Trinitarian terms. The decree is the purpose of God the Father. He is its author; the Son is the focus. These facts are patent in Ephesians 1:3-11.
It is a focused purpose. Because Jesus is the eternal, only begotten Son of God the Father elected Him as the Mediator. The Father’s goal in creation is to bring glory to His Son. Col 1:16 all things … created for Him and through Him.
The implications of this are wonderful. Many texts speak of these implications. The key text is Isaiah 42:1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him…” When these texts are studied, we learn that …
- First, He is predestined.
- Second, He is precious. This speaks of how rare and valuable a person He is to the Father. Only He could be the Mediator.
- Third, He is beloved. The eternal Son is the focus of the Father’s infinite affection.
- Fourth, He is gifted. As a result of His being predestined, precious, and beloved, God the Father bestows upon Him the gift of the Spirit in the fullness of His operations to complete His work as Mediator.
How secure is the salvation we have in Christ! How confident we should be of our redemption in him!
Austin McCormick is a Pastor of Covenant Baptist Church (Clarksville, TN). He holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Spurgeon College, a M.A. in Pastoral Studies and a M.Div from Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. By God’s free and sovereign grace, Austin was saved early in his adulthood. He is married to Rachel, and together they have three children: Geneva, Benjamin, and Bristol.
