All right, notice how high he
begins and then we have our text along the way. God, who at sundry
times, and in diverse manners, different ways, spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last
days spoken unto us by a Son, whom he hath appointed heir of
all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness
of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty
on high, being made so much better than the angels, that he hath
by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels
said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten
thee? And again, to what angel did
he say, I will be to him a father, he shall be to me a son? And
again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world,
he said, Let all the angels of God worship him. and of the angels,
he saith, who makes his angel spirits and his ministers a flame
of fire. That's what he says to the angel,
but look at verse 8. But unto the sun, he says, Thy
throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Now I'll point out one thing
in verse 8, it'll come before us later in our study, and that
is that He calls him both Son and God in verse 8. That is the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Now, this evening, the third
in our study on the Godhead, the eternality of the Sonship
of our Lord. Eternal Sonship. And in that,
we are coming to consider perhaps one of the most neglected aspects
of the truth of our Lord and Savior, the Person of Jesus Christ. Twin truths they are, that tower
like mighty peaks, reaching, as it were, even up into the
heaven. Though they be as twins born
out of the womb of God's eternal decree and of God's eternal truth
and His purpose, yet are they actually inseparable One truth
touches and is in affinity with the other. Where we find one,
we find the other also. What do I speak of? Well, two
things for our consideration this evening. One is the eternal
Sonship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That it is an eternal
Sonship, and we'll be looking at that. And the second one,
and I don't think that we'll have time to get into it this
evening, maybe another time, and that is the eternal generation
of the Son of God. Now, in mediating, or rather,
in meditating upon them, When contemplating these two great
truths about our Lord, we find ourselves sometimes between a
rock and a hard place, or like Paul said, in a strait betwixt
the two in regard to these two matters concerning Christ. First of all, which one of them
ought we to consider first? If indeed we consider one first,
if indeed one occurred first in the order of God's decree
before the other, which one sustains the other, which one goes before
and which one follows after. And secondly, whether we ought
to consider this aspect of the person of the Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ from what standpoint, eh? Do we consider it to be the
capstone of Christ's mediatorial person? That He is the eternal
Son of God? Could we say that it is the capstone
of the mediatorial person and the purpose of God? The final
crown of dignity that our Lord needs to carry out the eternal
counsel? The honor and the glory that
revolves around our Lord and Savior. His birth, His incarnation,
His deity, His eternality, His oneness with the Father. Well,
then we crown Him eternal Son and eternal generated Son, making
the crown of crown of His person and capping off the blessed person
of the Savior. capstone, or on the other hand,
whether these two things are foundational with regard to the
person of Christ. That is, they are essential truths,
they are essential essences of our Lord that must be laid and
upon which the redemptive and the commission stands in the
person of the Son of God. They underline the constitution
or the essence of the mediatorial purpose and the mediatorial offices
of our blessed Lord and Savior. So let these two questions linger
in your mind as we move along. Whether we consider it the capstone
or the foundation or both of them at one and the same time. Now one thing seems to be definitely
put beyond question. Little or much is little or nothing
is heard today and believed in our time about these two matters
that we have raised this evening. There are many professing Christians
that have never heard of the matter of the eternal generation
of the Son of God mentioned. Never heard it raised, never
heard it taught, never heard it debated. And even in many
modern Calvinistic and sovereign gray circle. It is seldom if
ever mentioned and declared from the pulpit for the good of the
people. Now the first thing that we will
consider today is the eternal Sonship of Christ. Now notice what I said, not just
Sonship, yes that too, but eternal Sonship of Christ. For one may
profess, one may proclaim that Christ is the Son of God. One may profess that all day
long and yet fall into an error further on concerning the person
of Christ. For many can, many have, many
do and many will profess Christ as the Son of God while then
proceeding to deny that He is the eternal Son of God, that
He has been eternal Son forever and ever. They declare sonship,
but not eternal sonship, thereby destroy the sonship that they
imagine to declare and to defend. J.C. Philpott is one who has
done some good writing in days gone by on the eternal sonship
of our Lord. In fact, that's the name of the
little paperback book that I have. He names four ways that the eternal
sonship of Christ is denied and is perverted among preachers
and professing Christians in our day and every day. Here they
are. We look at them quickly and then
be on our way. There is that era what some called
incarnate sonship. Now these are those who say that
Christ was not the Son, did not become the Son until He became
incarnate, until He put on the flesh. That He was the Son by
and at His incarnation, but was not the Son before, was not the
Son forever. They would agree with such tenets
of the Christian faith is that the one conceived and born of
Mary is called God's Son. They would also say that He was
virgin born and there's no question in their mind about that. Then
they would even confess, some of them, the hypostatic union,
the God and the man into one person, hypostatic person of
the Lord. Then on the other hand, They
would deny eternal sonship, yet confessing all of these things. And they seek to prove their
position, some of them do, incarnate sonship, by using Luke chapter
1 and verse 35. that holy thing that shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God." And that becomes
a proof text then for their incarnate Sonship. Then there's another
view that I believe is an error about the Sonship of our Lord. Others say that He became the
Son of God not until His resurrection from the dead, or through the
resurrection of the dead, our Lord became the Son of God. They
would appeal to Acts chapter 13 and verse 33. But Christ was
not only made Son by His resurrection, but He was manifest to be so,
according to Romans 1 and verse 4. For he before his death, before
his resurrection out of the grave, was called the Son of God. Number one, he was called so
by the Father. Matthew 3 and verse 17, at his
baptism, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Again, He was called so at His
transfiguration. This is My Son, hear ye Him. Then again, He was called so
by the demon, by a demon-possessed man who actually called Him,
O Thou Son of God. Jesus called Himself the Son
of God, John chapter 11 and verse 4. For by one of his executioners
he was called the Son of God. One of the soldiers said, truly,
this was the Son of God, when he saw what transpired in the
crucifixion of the Lord. And he is called Son of God before
his death and resurrection by the Apostle Peter, and that twice. in our text this morning, Matthew
16 and John 6 and verse 69. But then there's a third way
that they might deny eternal sonship, and that is some say
He was not the Son until He was exalted in heaven to the right
hand of God. Then He became the Son of God. Some want to support that from
the text here in Hebrews chapter 1. Now, another and a final view
has Christ being the Son of God only by virtue of office, that
He is only the Son as an office of fulfilling the eternal counsel
of God, saying that the various titles, Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
are distinctions assumed only for covenant agreement. And if
they draw straws to see, as if they drew straws to see, which
one would be the Father, which one would be the Son, and which
one would be the Holy Spirit. This, in essence, is a denial
of the eternality of the Father, and of the Son, and also of the
Holy Spirit. Now, we dare not oppose the blessed
truth of the everlasting covenant. It is clear from Scripture there
is an everlasting covenant, nor the part that each of the three
perform in and toward the fulfillment of that everlasting covenant. These are very clearly set out
for us in the Scripture. A minister of old once said,
and I quote him, we bless God that there is a covenant of grace
and that it is ordered in all things and sure." Now what we
oppose is any idea that the Son of God was once not the Son of
God and then at some point became the Son of God for some reason. That is, we reject the idea that
the one person, the Father, and another became the Son and another
became the Holy Spirit. in the course of their dealing
for the sake of the revelation and the fulfillment of the covenant
of grace. Now, we deny also that the covenant
made or necessitated the Father to become the Father, the Son
to become the Son, and the Spirit to become the Holy Spirit of
God. just as we deny that each one
in the Trinity covenanted to be the Father, or covenanted
to be the Son, or covenanted to be the Holy Spirit, but that
each one was so eternally and everlastingly, that it is the
eternal manner of their existence in the holy Godhead. Consider
the argument. If the son was once not the son,
does it then follow that the father was once not the father? So if the son only became the
son by incarnation, by resurrection, by ascension or by glorification,
then will it follow that God, at the same time the Son became
the Son, also became the Father. And if Christ were only a Son
by office, then is the Father only the Father also by office. And the Holy Spirit is He, only
the Spirit of God by way of an office. Neither Father, nor Son,
nor Holy Spirit do receive an office, but because they were
already what they were, they therefore perform the office
or take these positions in the everlasting covenant. Now, let's
see if we can understand the important connection there is
between the eternal sonship of the Son of God and the other
vital matters that are pertinent. or if one might destroy and abolish
the eternal sonship of Christ, or the Son of God, would it not
at the same time impact and destroy the eternal sonship of the Son
of God? The most important truths of
Scripture would go down in flames as well. For example, It is connected
to the deity of the Son. Because if He only became the
Son, then His Sonship would be bereft of eternal deity, and
He would not be the Son of God, for deity cannot be bestowed
on any who are not everlastingly divine to begin with. None can
posthumously become divine. It's just an utter impossibility
for one to become divine or to assume deity who was given their
being by another. And second, the doctrine and
essence of the Trinity is also involved in this matter. For
if the Son were not the Son eternally, and not eternally divine, not
eternally deity, it would leave but two then in the Godhead for
a long time. Now there is a distinction that
is made by some. Some make this distinction and
it has a lot of adherence and a lot of people believe it and
follow it. And that distinction is that
Christ was not God. He is the Son of God. Hear the distinction. He is not
God. He is the Son of God. He is not very God. He is the Son of God. That made me think of a man when
we were on the radio 30 years ago, probably, called me regularly,
lived out on the west side, and he was an adherent of this. Jesus
is not God, He is the Son of God. We'd go round and round
about that, and He'd listen next Sunday, He'd hear me say it,
He'd call in again. He was only the Son of God and
not God. Now others maintain that Christ
was not the proper, true, eternal Son of God, but by adoption. Some that He was not before,
He was born of Mary, was He the Son of God. Now we maintain,
at least I do, that the Son was God's Son before His incarnation,
that while as yet He dwelled in that divine nature, before
the incarnation, before He was incarnated into the flesh, He
was even then the eternal Son of God. This was His eternal
relation to the Father in relation to the covenant, the everlasting
covenant. He was not only God, He was the
Son of God. Now, let's put some scripture
to this study, taking first of all Hebrews 1 and verse 8, which
will prove two things, I say, I think, as we have already mentioned. A, we see here that He is called
God, that Christ was God's Son before His incarnation. And B, that He, as God's Son,
was also very God indeed. Here's the words. Unto the Son,
He said, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and for ever. Now the Son here, who is undeniably
the Lord Jesus Christ, is here called God, and we notice that
that is before eternity or before time. Amen. And look at the first
chapter of Hebrews. where the foundation here is
laid for the whole epistle in the fact that Jesus is the Son
of God and that as such he bears the exact nature and exact image
of the Father. Listen again to how the epistle
opens. Chapter 1, verse 2 through 4.
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed air of all things, by whom also
He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory,
and the express image of His person, and upholding all things
by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our
sins, sat down on the right hand the majesty on high, being made
so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained
a more excellent name than they." Hebrews 1 and 8 is a quotation
from Psalm chapter 45 verse 6 and verse 7, and to further confirm
the excellency of God's Son over the Old Testament prophet, even
over the angels of God for that purpose. So the Hebrew author,
by several ways, does establish for us the super-eminence of
God's Son over all others. Verse 2 again, He is appointed
heir of all things. As God's unique Son, He has a
sovereign dominion over all things. He has a lordship. He has a title
and a right over all things whatsoever God has made. Then look again,
verse 2, "...by whom also He made the world." He is the agent
in creation. Creatorship is ascribed to the
Son. And as was asked regarding the
Son, who can forgive sin but God only? So we ask, who can
create but God only. And if Christ is Creator, and
the Scripture says that He is, then it is evidence of His deity. But thirdly, look at the third
verse again, who calls Him the brightness, literally the affluence,
as we might say, the brightness, the outshining the outshining
of the Father, and the express image of His person, or of His
substance, or of His hypostasis. The Lord is the exact image. He is both the radiance of God's
glory, and He is the exact representation of the reality of the God Himself. The effluence and the hypostasis,
in short, the Son, is the exact likeness and representation of
the Father, because He is the eternal Son, and the eternally
generated Son of God, we might say. He was a Son before He came
into the world. He came forth as the Son of God
from God the Father. He came forth. As an example,
remember that parable of the vineyard, how the householder
sent servant after servant to receive the goods from those
sharecroppers who were there? The one they beat and finally
he said, I will send mine only son. Surely they will reverence
him. The one who was already his son,
his true son, his natural son. In other words, he spoke to them
in his son lastly. Those keepers of the vineyard. Now perhaps some would wonder,
Where is this eternal sonship of Christ very clearly stated
and set out in the scripture? We say it is declared at times
to the saints during the first testament in such places as Psalm
chapter 2. And verse 7, I will declare the
decree, God has said unto me, thou art my son, this day have
I begotten thee. Psalms 2 and 7. We also look
at verse 12 of the second chapter of the psalm and what do we find
there? But kiss the son lest he be angry. In Micah chapter 5 and verse
2, Out of thee, that is, Bethlehem of Judea, shall he come forth
unto thee, that is, to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth
have been from of old, from everlasting. Some apply Proverbs 8 and verse
22 to Christ. I was set up of old, from of
old, before the world ever was, though it seemed to me that it
respects wisdom in that particular place. Daniel 3 and verse 25,
I see four men walking loose in the midst of the fire, and
they have no herd, and the form of the four is like unto the
Son of God." John Gill said, this very truth is written as
with a sunbeam in the New Testament, unquote. Yea, we hasten to second
the good man and say that the sonship of Christ, one of the
paramount truths that are emphasized concerning Christ in the New
Testament message of him, that he is God's only begotten Son. How often does the New Testament
speak to us of the Sonship of our Christ? We can agree with
these four points, I think, from J.C. Philpott, concerning the
sonship, the eternal sonship of God. Number one, that Jesus
Christ, the Messiah, the one who came from God, is the Son
of God. Number two, that he did not become
the son of God by any act of his or the Father, such as incarnation
or resurrection or ascension or glorification. To expand,
he became mediator, surety, testator by office, but not son of God
by office. Number three, that He was the
Son of God before incarnation. Or do we not read, God sent His
only begotten Son, not to become the Son of God, but as the Son
of God and sent Him forth. And J.C. Philpott says, fourthly,
the clown, He was and is the Son of God as to His divine nature,
before and apart from assuming flesh in the incarnation. He was the eternal Son as to
His divine nature and essence. He came in that divine nature
and essence as the only begotten Son of God, and He assumed human
nature, or flesh, or humanity. Consider 1 John 5. And verse
20, which in essence says this, the Son of God has come. We are in Him, in His Son, Jesus
Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. Emphasis, this is the true God
and His Son in His divine nature. That was not the assumption of
flesh that made Him the Son of God, that made Him the Son of
Man. For this He Himself called the
Son of Man. In John 3 and verse 14, the Son
of Man must be lifted up, that is, on the cross. John 17, correction,
Matthew 17 and verse 22, the Son of Man shall be betrayed in the hands
of sinners. So he called himself the Son
of God and the Son of Man at one and the same time. Now we
close with this consideration. What are those who deny the eternal
sonship of Christ, even if they confess Christ to be the Son
of God, but not the eternal Son? For this has them saying, that
He was once not the Son, and then He became the Son. even
if they confess that He came in the flesh, that He was the
Son of God, but deny Him to be the eternal Son of God as to
His divine nature. Is this a serious breach of divine
truth and New Testament teaching? Now, number one, it is a denial
in the sense of 1 John 2 and verse 23. so that everyone who
denies the Son does not have the Father. Secondly, it is to
preach another Jesus in the sense of 2 Corinthians 11 and 4, a
different one from the Scripture and from what Paul preached.
Conclusion, a denial of the eternal Sonship of Christ strikes at
the very deity of Christ. It is an attack. It is an affront
to his deity. It is a way to rob Christ of
his deity by stabbing his deity by and with a false sonship. And furthermore, it is a perversion
of the Trinity. For if the sonship of Christ
is not eternal, it lops off a portion of the Trinity. For Christ is
the Son of God, but also as Son, He is God, He is divine. He is not only the Son of God,
He is God the Son. And we must grant Him that blessed
deity. Always was and has been the Son
of God before the world, in the Old Testament, before He died,
and such like. The eternal Sonship of Christ. So we're not content just to
confess that He's Son of God. but carry it far enough that
He is the Eternal, the Eternal Son of God.