REFORMED WITNESS
Volume XVI, July 2008, Number 7
Our Covenant God
God's Covenant, Unilateral and Unconditional
by Rev. H. Veldman
From the March 1, 1948, issue of The Standard Bearer
See more articles by this author
In our previous article we emphasized the unilateral character of the establishment or origin of God's covenant with His people. We noted that this monopleuric, unilateral character of the origin of God's covenant has been advocated by Reformed theologians in the past. We also quoted freely from the Scriptures in support of the contention that God's covenant is of the Lord alone. We now purpose to continue where we left off.God's Covenant with Man Unilateral Throughout
God's covenant with His people is not only unilateral in its establishment or origin, but it is unilateral throughout. Although Reformed theologians have usually maintained the establishment or origin of the covenant to be unilateral, they have also usually declared its operation and manifestation to be bilateral (two-sided). Upon this question Prof. H. Bavinck, in his "Gereformeerde Dogmatiek", writes as follows (III, 225) :
"Actually, in the covenant of grace, that is, in the gospel, which is the proclamation of the covenant of grace, there are no demands and no conditions. For God gives what He demands; Christ has finished all and has merited regeneration, faith and conversion for us; and the Holy Spirit applies them. But the covenant of grace does assume the form of a demand and a condition, to acknowledge man in his rational and moral nature, also to deal with him, although fallen, as created after God's image, in order that also upon this highest plane he may be rendered responsible and inexcusable and enable him, consciously and freely, to enter into the covenant and break with sin. The covenant of grace is therefore, surely unilateral, it proceeds from God; He has planned and established it. He maintains and realizes it; it is a work of God Triune and completed, finished among the three Persons mutually. But it is designed to become bilateral, to be assumed and kept by man, consciously and freewillingly, in the power of God. This is the will of God, which is revealed so clearly and beautifully in the covenant, that the work of grace may reflect itself in the human consciousness, and stimulate the will of man unto greater activity. The covenant of grace does not slay man, and it does not deal with him as a stock and block; but it lifts him up in his entirety, with all his faculties and powers, according to soul and body, for time and eternity; it completely encircles him, does not destroy his strength but deprives him of his impotence; does not destroy his will but liberates it from sin; does not deaden his consciousness but delivers it from the darkness; it recreates the entire man and causes him, renewed by grace, to love God and dedicate himself unto Him, freely and independently (zelfstandiglijk), with all his soul and spirit and body. 'The covenant of grace declares that God's honour and praise is realized not at the cost of but unto the benefit of man, and that God's glory celebrates its triumph in the recreation of the entire man, in his enlightened consciousness and restored freedom."
This is beautiful language indeed! If this is the implication of the "bilateral" aspect of the covenant, who can object? But why then should we speak of the "unilateral" and the "bilateral" aspects of the covenant, when it is God Who not only establishes the covenant but also maintains it unconditionally? It is evident that Prof. Bavinck identifies the bilateral character of God's covenant with man with man's moral/rational calling in the covenan,t and this calling of man is due to the nature of the operation of the grace of God.
In his "Reformed Dogmatics" Prof. Berkhof, although maintaining the unilateral character of the covenant as far as its establishment is concerned, also would maintain its bilateral, dipleuric character and asserts that a monopleuric covenant in the absolute sense of the word is really a contradiction (and this, I presume, is correct if we proceed from the idea that the covenant is essentially an agreement between two or more parties).
Nevertheless, we would rather maintain that God's covenant is unilateral throughout; and therefore, wholly unconditional. Professor Berkhof declares the covenant to be both conditional and unconditional (pages 280-281 of his "Reformed Dogmatics"). On the one hand, he maintains its unconditional character. We read on page 280,
"On the one hand the covenant is unconditional. There is in the covenant of grace no condition that can be considered as meritorious. The sinner is exhorted to repent and believe, but his faith and repentance do not in any way merit the blessings of the covenant. This must be maintained in opposition to both the Roman Catholic and the Arminian position. Neither is it conditional in the sense that man is expected to perform in his own strength what the covenant requires of him. In placing him before the demand of the covenant, we must always remind him of the fact that he can obtain the necessary strength for the performance of his duty only from God. In a sense it may be said that God Himself fulfills the condition in the elect. That which may be regarded as a condition in the covenant, is for those who are chosen unto everlasting life also a promise; therefore, a gift of God. Finally, the covenant is not conditional in the sense that the reception of every separate blessing of the covenant is dependent on a condition. We may say that faith is the "conditio sine qua non" of justification, but the reception of faith itself in regeneration is not dependent on any condition, but only on the operation of the grace of God in Christ."
However, if all this is true, why and how can one speak of the conditional aspect of the covenant? The professor declares in this paragraph, first of all, that nothing of man is meritorious. Never does man merit anything. Secondly, we are told that man can never perform anything in his own strength. Hence, of himself man cannot merit and he cannot perform anything. Thirdly, we are told that "in a sense it may be said that God Himself fulfills the condition in the elect." And finally, to make the cycle complete, the professor declares that the reception of not a single blessing is dependent on a condition. Does it not; therefore, become rather difficult to understand how such a covenant relationship between the Lord and His own can also be conditional?
On the other hand, however, Prof. Berkhof would also maintain that the covenant is conditional. We read, "On the other hand the covenant may be called conditional. There is a sense in which the covenant is conditional. If we consider the basis of the covenant, it is clearly conditional on the surety-ship of Jesus Christ. In order to introduce the covenant of grace, Christ had to, and actually did, meet the conditions originally laid down in the covenant of works, by His active and passive obedience. Again, it may be said that the covenant is conditional as far as the first entrance into the covenant as a real communion of life is concerned. This entrance is contingent on faith, a faith; however, which is itself a gift of God. When we speak of faith as a condition here, we naturally refer to faith as a spiritual activity of the mind. It is only through faith that we can obtain a conscious enjoyment of the blessings of the covenant. Our experimental knowledge of the covenant life is entirely dependent on the exercise of faith. He who does not live a life of faith is, as far as his consciousness is concerned, practically outside of the covenant. If in our purview we include not only the beginning, but also the gradual unfolding and completion of the covenant life, we may regard sanctification as a condition in addition to faith. Both are conditions, however, within the covenant".
This none can dispute. It is surely true that the surety-ship of Jesus Christ is basis for God's fellowship with us, that the justice of the Lord must be satisfied before we can be received into Divine favour (Lord's Day 5), and it is actually true that to enjoy experimentally, experientially, the blessings of the covenant we must consciously enter into the covenant of faith. But does this give us the right to speak of the covenant in a conditional sense? Faith itself is a gift of God, and we surely agree with the last sentence of the above quotation, "Both are conditions, however, within the covenant". How can something which belongs to the covenant and constitutes essentially a part of that covenant be a condition of that covenant? It must be plain, also from this paragraph, that God's covenant with man is not conditional. Man cannot merit anything. Man cannot do anything. Faith itself is a gift of God. Where then is the condition of the covenant?
We would, therefore, maintain the unilateral and unconditional character of the covenant throughout. We can surely subscribe to what Prof. Berkhof writes in the first paragraph on page 281, "Reformed Churches have often objected to the use of the word "condition" in connection with the covenant of grace. This was largely due to a reaction against Arminianism, which employed the word "condition" in an un-Scriptural sense; and therefore, to a failure to discriminate properly." The undersigned frankly declares that he too is afraid of the word "condition" and wonders whether Prof. Berkhof discriminates properly inasmuch as he also believes in the Arminian "Three Points" of 1924, which teach us, e.g., that the gospel of salvation is offered to all the hearers of the gospel, that the "goodness of God would lead all men to repentance". It is well that we speak clearly. Terms and the use of them are very important. Wrong terms and ambiguous terms are exceedingly dangerous. We will have opportunity to call attention to this in a subsequent article. To be sure, we may speak of the covenant promises and of covenant obligations. These obligations, however, must not be understood in the sense that we must fulfill them before we can enter into the covenant relationship with the living God, but as the fruit of the grace of God in our hearts. Indeed, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our strength, and with all our soul. We must believe in and on the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation. We must hope unto the end. We must fight the good fight of faith that no man take our crown. Such is also the language of our Baptism form, "Thirdly. Whereas in all covenants there are contained two parts: therefore are we by God through baptism, admonished of, and obliged unto new obedience, namely, that we cleave to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that we trust in Him, and love Him with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our mind, and with all our strength; that we forsake the world, crucify our old nature, and walk in a new and holy life." That such is our calling is not because our entrance into the covenant is dependant upon our action, but only because God makes us his covenant people, saves us as moral-rational beings, does not destroy but saves us, causes us to will and to do in behalf of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).
God Establishes His Covenant and Maintains It Only Upon the Basis of Christ's Merits and Through the Grace of the Holy Spirit.
That the covenant of God with man is unilateral throughout receives further emphasis when we view the development of the covenant in the light of Christ's merits and the work of the Holy Spirit. We may now ask ourselves the question: What is Christ's position in the covenant? This is an interesting question. Is Christ the Mediator or Surety or Head of the covenant? The words "Mediator" and "Head" occur frequently in Holy Writ. The word "Mediator" occurs in the following passages: "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made: and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator, Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one (Galatians 3:19-20)."; "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2:5)."; "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6)".; "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15)."; "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:14)." The word "Head" occurs in passages as the following: "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23)."; "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and he is the saviour of the body (Ephesians 5:23)."; "And not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God (Colossians 2:19).
The word "Surety" occurs but once in Holy Writ (Hebrews 7:22): "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." The idea of the word "Surety" ('Borg' in the Holland) is plain. Christ is our Surety because he assumes our responsibilities to the law, is our guarantee before the Lord that our guilt is paid and that we are entitled to life everlasting. We need not at this time discuss the question whether Jesus is our Surety conditionally or unconditionally. This question too has been discussed in the past. If Christ be our Surety in the conditional sense, the idea would be that He undertakes to pay our guilt but the burden of our guilt remains upon us until it has been paid. If Christ be our Surety in the unconditional sense of the word, the burden of our guilt is removed from us regardless whether or not He pays our debt. We understand, of course, that Jesus is our Surety in the unconditional sense of the word. Although the word `Surety" occurs but once in Holy Writ, its idea appears frequently in the Scriptures. That Christ alone is our guarantee before God and that He alone constitutes the basis of our assurance to draw nigh unto the throne of God's grace is taught everywhere in the Bible, as in Hebrews 10:14-22, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
We understand of course that those who speak of the covenant as an agreement or a contract emphasize the use of the words "Mediator" and "Surety" and do not favor the use of the word "Head". According to their view the covenant is an agreement or a contract between the Lord and His people. Christ then stands outside of the covenant. He is the Mediator of the covenant, represents His people, intervenes between them and the Lord. Or, He is their Surety, the guarantee or basis of their assurance to draw nigh unto the Lord. But Jesus is not the Head of the covenant. To be the Head of the covenant would imply that He Himself belonged to that covenant, that He; therefore, Himself would be in need of salvation. Hence, with Christ the covenant is not established. Surely He did or does not need salvation.
However, in the first place, Christ is surely our Surety. This is abundantly evident throughout Holy Writ. He alone constitutes the basis of our assurance to draw nigh unto the throne of God's grace. It is only because of Him that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Apart from Him we are yet in our sins. Because of Him, and of Him alone, our sins are forgiven, our guilt is paid, and we have the right to everlasting life. To quote the Word of God in support of this truth is surely not necessary.
Secondly, Jesus Christ is surely our Head. Our Head He is, first of all, in the organic sense of the Word. He is our life and we live only in and through Him. "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone (the idea of 'corner stone' here is surely the same as `Head' - H.V.); In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22)."; "Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:23)."; "And he is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell (Colossians 1 :17-18)." But Jesus is also our Head in the judicial, representative sense of the word. Christ dies because He must suffer and die. In Isaiah 53:4-6 and 10 the thought is emphasized that God bruised and crushed Him because our sins were upon Him. This was a punitive act of God. In Luke 12:50 we hear Him exclaim: "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straightened till it be accomplished!" And in the baptism of Jesus by the Baptist in the river Jordan, Christ assumes the cross and sets His face toward Jerusalem. The modernist proclaims a Christ who lives and is dead; the Scriptures proclaim a Christ who dies and lives forevermore. Fact is, Jesus is appointed the Head of the Covenant by the Triune God, and because of this Headship He assumes our guilt, our relation to the law. He is, therefore, guilty Himself, must suffer and die. For Him the way into life and glory lay only through death and hell.
Thirdly, Christ is also our Mediator. We understand this does not mean that He appeases an avenging God. That Christ is our Mediator cannot mean that He stands between God and us, that He changes a God of hate into a God of love, and that in that sense He brings God and man together. Christ, we must remember, is the living God Himself. In Christ the living God is our Mediator. Besides, in Christ God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Christ; therefore, did not change a God of hate into a God of love, but, to the contrary, in Christ the unchangeable Jehovah reveals His eternal love to His people. Even so, and understood in that sense of the word, Christ is our Mediator. He surely represents us before the Lord. He is the eternal High Priest, Who enters for us into the Holy of holies, prays and makes continuous intercession for us. And we approach unto God through Him, have fellowship with the alone blessed Lord only through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who of God is made wisdom for us, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Hence, our covenant fellowship with God is established by Christ and in Christ. It is possible only through Christ, and it therefore lies in the very nature of the case that also for this reason God's covenant with His people must be regarded as monopleuric, unilateral. To this we will call attention, the Lord willing, in our following article.
Our Covenant God - God's Covenant, Unilateral and Unconditional (continued)
by Rev. H. Veldman from the March 15, 1948, issue of The Standard Bearer
We concluded our preceding article with the observation that the unilateral character of the covenant of God with man is emphasized by the position which our Lord Jesus Christ occupies within the covenant. Our fellowship with the Lord rests exclusively upon Christ's merits. Devastating in this connection is the answer of our Heidelberg Catechism to question 12 in Lord's Day V. In answer to the question, "Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?". We read, "God will have His justice satisfied: and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves, or by another." How impossible, in the light of this answer, is an offer of salvation to all (the First Point of 'Common Grace'). There is no possibility of salvation for anyone except upon the basis of the satisfaction of the justice of God. Our debt and guilt must be fully paid before our return into the favour of God will be possible. For God, therefore, to offer His salvation to all men would be a violation of this principle unless we accept the proposition that Christ died for all. But a Christ that died for all is a Christ that did not die atoningly. A universal Christ also died for those who perish. And that He also died for those who perish indicates that His death was not atoning, otherwise they would be saved. Christ, however, died for our sins. He merited salvation for us. Our entrance into the fellowship of the Lord rests exclusively upon His meritorious suffering and death. This fellowship of God's people with the Lord, as far as its relation to the passion of Christ is concerned, is surely unconditional. The value of the cross is not dependent upon our faith; to the contrary, we believe because Christ died for us.
This conception of the cross of Christ and its all-important relation to our covenant-fellowship with the Lord is further emphasized in Hebrews 9:16-17, "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." The word, translated "testament" in this word of God is in the original the word "dia • theenee", the word for covenant in the New Testament. The idea of a testament, we understand, is wholly unconditional. A testament is an absolute declaration, knows of no conditions, is simply willed to us, sovereignly bestowed upon according to right. This is the accepted definition of a testament, something willed to us. This word is used in the translation of this text in Hebrews 9, although the original word is the word for covenant. It is clear from the context that the translation is correct, for we read of the death of the testator. To enter into a detailed discussion of this passage now is not necessary. One thing is clear: God's covenant with man is a testament, sovereignly willed to us by the Lord, and based upon the death of Christ, the Son of God.
God Realizes His Covenant Within Us Through The Holy Spirit.
That our spiritual entrance into the fellowship of God is possible only through the Holy Spirit should be and is a self-evident fact. Of ourselves we cannot enter into a living relationship of friendship with Jehovah. We are darkness. We are dead. We are not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can we be. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)". God only can call us out of that darkness into His marvelous light and He alone can induct us into the blessed relationship of friendship with the alone blessed God. This too is unconditional, as we shall clearly see in the rest of this article.
Scripture Speaks
We read in Romans 9:15-18, For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
An elaborate explanation of this passage is unnecessary. It speaks for itself. These are significant words, especially in support of the contention that the covenant relationship between the Lord and His own is unconditional. Firstly, we are told that salvation is not of man. We read that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth." Secondly, we are informed that this salvation is solely of God. We read, "But of God that sheweth mercy." Moreover, the Lord hath mercy on whom He would have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. In support of this thought the apostle refers to the example of Pharaoh of the Old Dispensation. Wicked Pharaoh was raised up by God that in him the Lord might shew His power and that His name might be declared throughout all the earth. It is clear from this particular Word of God that salvation is wholly unconditional . We must notice that our will is not first. God's mercy does not follow upon what we may do. It is; therefore, not conditioned by anything in or of ourselves. Salvation is of God that sheweth mercy and He hath mercy on Whom He will have mercy. The Lord is first and His work is therefore unconditional.
We read, "Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17)."
The world, we read, cannot receive Him (the Spirit of truth). The viewpoint of this text is that of the world's receptivity. Notice that the world cannot (not will not, although this is also true) receive the Spirit. The world (the wicked world) and; therefore, man, as he is by nature, cannot receive Him, cannot go out to Him, cannot pray for Him, cannot desire Him, cannot receive Him or acknowledge Him as the Spirit of truth. And the reason why this world cannot receive this Spirit is expressed in the text "Because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him." The world does not see Him, does not have a spiritual eye for Him, has no desire for Him, no interest in Him. This is rooted in the fact that she does not know Him. She does not experience Him, does not know in her heart the operation of this Spirit. The world is estranged from the Spirit of truth and of Christ Jesus. Hence, the world cannot receive Him. But the children of God can receive Him. Why? Because they open their hearts to Him, because they believed in Him and accepted Him and agreed to permit His entrance into their hearts? We know better. They can receive Him because, as we read: "But ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." They know Him, experience Him, have fellowship with Him. Notice, please, that they do not know Him because they had received Him. Fact is, no man can of himself receive this Holy Spirit of truth. But we read that "they can receive Him, for they knew Him." In other words our receiving of the Spirit follows upon His dwelling in our hearts. This establishes our contention, namely, that our covenant fellowship with Jehovah is unconditional, does not rest upon anything we may do.
We quote, "Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand: my Father, Which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. (John 10:24-30)."
The wicked Jews, who did not believe on the Christ, would blame Jesus for their unbelief. They accused Him of not speaking plainly, of not telling them that He was the Christ. This, they implied, was the reason for their refusal to acknowledge Him as the Christ, as the Messiah. Jesus, however, now proceeds to show them the real, the true reason for their hostility and unbelief. What is this reason? "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." This particular word of God must not be corrupted. Jesus does not say that they are not of His sheep because they believe not. Thus the Arminians would have us interpret the Scriptures. But we read that they do not believe because they are not of His sheep, and in the subsequent verses the Saviour very clearly identifies these sheep. They are the elect which have been given Him of the Father. Notice also in this passage the unconditional character of our salvation. We are or become Christ's sheep not because we believe or hear His voice, but we believe and hear His voice because we are His sheep. Election is, therefore, the cause of our faith and our believing is not the condition of our salvation. Likewise, reprobation is the cause of unbelief and unbelief is not the cause of reprobation.
We quote, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart ; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. (John 12:37-40)."
Also in this passage the fundamental cause of the unbelief of the ungodly Jews is revealed unto us. We read that they could not believe because Isaiah the prophet had prophesied concerning them. Hence, it was impossible for them to believe. And the prophet had prophesied concerning their unbelief because the Lord had revealed unto him that He would blind their eyes and harden their hearts. Notice also in this passage that the work of the Lord is presented as preceding the unbelief of the wicked, that this work of the Lord is the cause of their unbelief, and that, therefore, it was impossible for them to believe. Of course, we must maintain the responsibility of the sinner and the fact that he is a moral-rational agent. But this must never conflict with the sovereignty of Jehovah. The language of the Christ in John 12:37-41 is clear as crystal. The work of God is surely unconditional.
We read, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48)."
This passage speaks for itself. The Gentiles were glad, believed, and glorified the word of the Lord. Why? Because they had been ordained to eternal life. They were not elect because they believed. But they believed because they had been elected. Salvation does not rest upon a human condition, but it is rooted in the eternal election of the Lord.
The Lawgiving. (Deuteronomy 5:1-21)
The ten commandments are preceded by this statement, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." The implication of these words is plain. The ten commandments, therefore, have been given to a delivered people. It is for this reason that the explanation of the ten commandments in our Heidelberg Catechism appears in the third part of the Catechism, after the discussion of our misery and redemption. Our being the people of God is not the condition of God's gracious dealings with us; to the contrary, we have been delivered and, therefore, it is our calling to conduct ourselves as a people called out of darkness into the Lord's marvelous light.
We quote "From Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:16-24)."
A detailed discussion of this rich passage is not necessary in this series of articles. I would call attention to the following. In this passage we are exhorted to walk not as other Gentiles but to put off the old man and to put on the new man. Why? Because we have learned Christ, have heard Him and have been taught by Him. Hence, our calling to conduct ourselves as covenant children is not the condition of God's fellowship with us, but it is the fruit of His saving grace in our hearts, of the fact that we have learned Christ, have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.
These passages can easily be multiplied. The same thought occurs in Ephesians 4:25-32; 5:1-8; and Colossians 3:1,12, 13. In the epistles of the New Testament the church of God is addressed by the inspired writers as "saints in Christ Jesus," beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ," "elect according to the foreknowledge of God", etc. With respect to Israel of the Old Dispensation the thought occurs repeatedly that they are a separate people unto the Lord because of the Lord's sovereign and elective love and mercy. Read the following passages: Romans 9:13; Deuteronomy 32:8-10; Deuteronomy 4:37-40; Deuteronomy 7:7-8.
Finally, I would call attention to one more of Scripture's truths. We are aware of the abundance of miracles in the gospels. Were we ever struck by the character of the various diseases mentioned? We do not read of headaches, toothaches, etc. Christ always heals the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the demon-possessed, the leprous, and He calls the dead to life. In other words, His miracles are performed upon people who cannot see, cannot hear, cannot speak, are dead. Is this not remarkable? Miracles are signs. But these diseases too are signs. They symbolize the power of sin. Man as he is by nature cannot see or hear the things of the Kingdom of God. He is darkness and has no light in him, is dead and devoid of all life, is spiritually dumb and cannot speak of or unto the glory of God. He is leprous, wholly covered by and in the power of corruption and an outcast from the fellowship of the Lord, Hence, how could the covenant relationship of friendship ever become a reality in the life of the Christian if it were in any sense of the word dependent upon anything he would be required to do. God's covenant with man is monopleuric and unilateral throughout, from the beginning even unto the end.
Consequently, Our Calling unto Faith and Holiness is not the Condition but the Fruit of God's Establishment of His Covenant With us.
Such is the presentation of our Baptism Form. We read, Thirdly. Whereas in all covenants there are contained two parts: Therefore are we by God through baptism, admonished of, and obliged unto new obedience, namely, that we cleave to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that we trust in Him, and love Him with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our mind, and with all our strength; that we forsake the world, crucify our old nature, and walk in a new and holy life.
That this is presented here as the fruit of the work of God is evident from the second part of the Baptism Form. There we are told of the work of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Because the Father hath made an eternal covenant of grace with us, and the Son hath washed us in His blood, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, we must walk in newness of life.
To be sure, we may speak of covenant obligations. We are called unto faith and hope and love. We must fight the good fight of faith, etc. However, these are not conditions upon which God's covenant with us depends. A condition is a prerequisite, a set of terms presented as the ground for something else (Webster). Conditions of the covenant must necessarily be regarded as outside the covenant. Faith, hope, love, etc., cannot be viewed as outside the covenant, but they themselves belong to the covenant, constitute the essence of the covenant, are; therefore, within the covenant, as Prof. Berkhof declares. Our calling, therefore, unto a new and holy life is not the condition of the covenant, but the fruit of the operation of God within our hearts and, therefore, the fruit of the covenant of the Lord with us.
Conclusion
The use of terms is highly significant. The primary question is not: How do we interpret various terms? A question of greater importance is: How can they be interpreted? Vague, indefinite, ambiguous terms are exceedingly dangerous. The reason is apparent. The Church of God must fight to preserve the core truth delivered to the saints. The history of the Church of Cod throughout the ages testifies to this fact. The forces of heresy and the lie are always ready to creep into the Church and work havoc with the Cause of the Lord. Hence, the people of the living God must ever be on the alert against these destructive forces, as they operate within and without. Never must the Church of God surrender one square inch of territory or give the enemy a single opportunity to make an inroad into the Church. For this reason the use of terms is highly significant. If we use a term which is ambiguous and permits more than one interpretation, the result will invariably be that the wrong interpretation will be adopted in the course of time.
Hence, let us be clear, concise, definite, succinct in our speaking. Let us leave no doubt as to our conception of the truth of the Holy Scriptures. If we mean with the use of the word "condition" that man is a moral-rational being and that he must be active in the things of God's covenant because it is God, Who works in him both to will and to do, let us express ourselves in that manner. Let us discard the use of the word "conditional", and let us speak of God's unconditional covenant and our calling within that covenant, not as a condition upon which God's fellowship may possibly rest, but as the fruit of the irresistible operation of the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus within our hearts and lives.
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