A Surety

By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. - Hebrews 7:22

    A surety is one who approaches one person on the behalf of another person. He is a representative man who lays himself under obligation to another person for the one he represents. It is in this sense that Christ is our Surety. He drew near to his Father on our behalf, and laid himself under obligation to God for us (Ps. 40:7-8).

    A Matter of Honor

    Suretyship is, to a man of honor, a voluntary bondage (Pro. 6:1-2). A surety is one who strikes hands with another in solemn agreement. He gives his word that he will fulfill his agreement. Thus he binds his honor to the fulfilment of that which he has agreed to do.

    When the Lord Jesus Christ became our Surety, he voluntarily placed himself in bondage to his Father until his service was performed (Isa. 50:5-7; John 10:16-18). The Son of God, as our Mediator, as our covenant Surety, assumed total responsibility for the everlasting salvation of God’s elect, and willingly bound himself to the work of saving us.

    An Eternal Surety

    This is what the Lord Jesus Christ did as our Surety in the Covenant of Grace before the world began. He drew near to God on the behalf of his elect. He promised to faithfully perform all that God required for the salvation of his people. He struck hands with the Father in solemn agreement.

    A Trusted Surety

    God the Father trusted Christ as our Surety from eternity. He entrusted his elect people into the hands of his Son as our Surety, and the matter of our salvation was then and there settled forever. This is exactly how the Word of God describes the eternal aspect of salvation (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-6, 12; 2 Tim. 1:9-10).

    God the Father put his chosen into the hands of his own dear Son, who volunteered to bring in everlasting righteousness for them, and to put away their sins by the sacrifice of himself. The Father, trusting the Son as our Surety, looked upon his people in him as redeemed, justified, sanctified, called, and glorified from everlasting. As such, he has, from eternity, made his elect to be “accepted in the Beloved.” He has blessed all his chosen with all the blessings of grace and salvation in Christ the Surety.