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3. CHRIST’S WORK IN THE COVENANT LIMITED BY THE DECREE OF ELECTION.
Some have
identified the covenant of redemption and election; but this is clearly a mistake. Election has
reference to the selection of the persons destined to be the heirs of everlasting glory in Christ.
The counsel of redemption, on the other hand, refers to the way in which and the means by
which grace and glory are prepared for sinners. Election, indeed, also has reference to Christ
and reckons with Christ, for believers are said to be elected in Him. Christ Himself is, in a sense,
the object of election, but in the counsel of redemption He is one of the contracting parties.
The Father deals with Christ as the Surety of His people. Logically, election precedes the counsel
of redemption, because the suretyship of Christ, like His atonement, is particular. If there were
no preceding election, it would necessarily be universal. Moreover, to turn this around would
be equivalent to making the suretyship of Christ the ground of election, while Scripture bases
election entirely on the good pleasure of God.
4. CONNECTION OF THE SACRAMENTS USED BY CHRIST WITH THE COVENANT.
Christ used the
sacraments of both the Old and the New Testament. It is evident, however, that they could not
mean for Him what they do for believers. In His case they could be neither symbols nor seals of
saving grace; nor could they be instrumental in strengthening saving faith. If we distinguish, as
we are doing, between the covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace, then the
sacraments were for Christ in all probability sacraments of the former rather than of the latter.
Christ took upon Himself in the covenant of redemption to meet the demands of the law. These
had assumed a definite form when Christ was on earth and also included positive religious
regulations. The sacraments formed a part of this law, and therefore Christ had to subject
Himself to them, Matt. 3:15. At the same time they could serve as seals of the promises which
the Father had given to the Son. The objection may be raised to this representation that the
sacraments were indeed fit symbols and seals of the removal of sin and of the nourishment of
spiritual life, but from the nature of the case could not have this meaning for Christ, who had
no sin and needed no spiritual nourishment. The objection may be met, at least to a certain
extent, by calling attention to the fact that Christ appeared on earth in a public and official
capacity. Though He had no personal sin, and no sacrament could therefore signify and seal to
Him its removal, yet He was made to be sin for His people, II Cor. 5:21, by being burdened with
their guilt; and consequently the sacraments could signify the removal of this burden, according
to the promise of the Father, after He had completed His atoning work. Again, though we
cannot speak of Christ as exercising saving faith in the sense in which this is required of us, yet
as Mediator He had to exercise faith in a wider sense by accepting the promises of the Father
believingly, and by trusting the Father for their fulfilment. And the sacraments could serve as
signs and seals to strengthen this faith as far as His human nature was concerned.