As I said, I've had a couple
of messages a while back, and I thought I'd bring this one. It's kind of a combination of
those two messages. But as I began the message this
morning, once again, I want to make myself clear on this point,
because there are so many so much confusion sometimes in dealing
with this particular subject. But the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the focal point, focal point of everything, everything
in eternity and everything in time. Even before time, God was
looking to the cross and what Christ would accomplish there
by His obedience unto death. When God chose a people, he chose
them in Christ, based on what Christ would do for them at the
cross. When God justified them, he was seeing the righteousness
of Christ, that righteousness that he would bring in and accomplish
there at the cross. And even in eternity future,
that song of the redeemed, worthy is the lamb that was slain. So
the cross was not only the focal point in the beginning, it always
will be throughout eternity. One of the reasons that I say
these things up front is that there are some men who have said
that if you say these things concerning the elect's justification
before God being an act of God's divine mind and his purpose in
eternity, then what you're saying is that the Son of God would
not have to actually come. and die on the cross. Well, this
kind of thinking is foreign from scripture. And whether they realize
it or not, they're dishonoring God when they say these things.
It's God that made the promise. It's Christ that made the promise.
His promise to send Christ to accomplish this work on our behalf.
They're dishonoring Christ who made that promise to the Father
to substitute himself in the place of his adopted children.
to be their substitute and their surety. I want to speak this
morning on the subject of justification from eternity. I'd like to begin
by revisiting a message that I delivered a little while back.
The title of it was The Suretorship of Christ, Christ Our Surety.
The suretorship of Christ and that everlasting covenant of
grace is such an important part of understanding how that God
the Father was able to view his elect as justified from eternity.
To begin, it's freely confessed that all sinners, whether they're
elect or non-elect, deserve the vengeance of eternal condemnation
as truly and as much as those who actually suffer it. The devils
themselves not accept it. But then to say that there was
ever, ever, that there ever was anything like a possibility of
the elect of God suffering condemnation, in my opinion, is to deny the
eternity of the suretorship of Christ. To say that there ever
was anything like a possibility of the elect of God suffering
condemnation would call into question the binding force of
law and the efficacy of the suretorship of Christ prior to his death. To say that there was a likelihood
of any of the elect suffering the wrath of God would be to
make void the eternal covenant and counsel of God. It would
also make it impossible to account for the salvation and the justification
of any of those Old Testament saints who died before Christ
suffered. And in doing so would draw over large portions of scripture,
a thick cloud of of difficulty in understanding a lot of these
things in scripture. For when the Son of God, as the
surety of his people, gave his bond and his oath, and Robert's
familiar with this, to his father and the everlasting covenant
of grace in which God the Son suffered, freely surrendered
himself to suffer in the stead of God's elect and to take on
the full punishment of their sins. And the father accepted
that promise. In that transaction, the elect's
obligation and liability to suffer for those sins belong to Christ
alone. It follows, therefore, that if
the elect were ever liable to suffer the wrath of God for their
sins, that at whatsoever time the elect were liable to suffer,
at that time Jesus could not have engaged this surety to suffer
for. And consequently, if God's elect
were ever liable to suffer for their sins before the cross or
until Christ suffered for them, then this would mean that the
elect were only delivered from their liability to suffer by
the death of Christ or at the cross. If this be the case, as
some would suggest, then this would mean that Christ did not
engage to be the surety of God's elect until the time of his death. Now, if this be the case, that
is that Christ did not assume the responsibility of surety
until his death on the cross, then every just idea of the eternity
of his suretyship ceases to exist. But the question is, is the eternity
of Christ's suretyship acknowledged in scripture? Or where is the
validity and the efficacy of Christ's suretyship prior to
his death? And how did any of those Old
Testament saints who died before Christ's death ever escape the
damnation of hell? Were none of those Old Testament
saints saved and justified before God, who departed out of this
world during those 4,000 years before the crucifixion of Christ?
Surely there were some who entered heaven. And on what ground did
they enter heaven? It was not due to their works,
for scripture says, that by the deeds of law, no flesh will be
justified before him. Those Old Testament saints were
also not delivered by the actual sufferings of Christ, for that
had not taken place before their death. The only way you can account
for the salvation justification of all those Old Testament saints
is by Christ's eternal covenant engagements as their surety. to suffer for them in the fullness
of time. On this ground and on this ground
alone, those Old Testament saints rose to immortal glory. God did not charge them with
their sins, for He had charged their sins to Christ their surety. Now, if such of the elect as
died before the death of Christ had so complete an exemption
from their liability and responsibility to suffer the divine displeasure
for their guilt, as to be exalted to heaven and actually placed
in the bosom of God's eternal love, can there be any reason
why the whole election of grace should not, on the very same
ground, which is the surest ship of Christ, have the same exemption? Did not all the elect stand alike
related to Christ as their surety? Did he not engage at once and
alike for them all? How, then, can any man think
that Christ's engagement at surety produced more and greater effects
and favor of a part, or for those Old Testament saints, than the
whole of the elect after the cross? And how could, in any
sense, any of God's elect be liable to the wrath of God one
moment after Christ became the surety? Concerning the suretorship
of Christ and the everlasting covenant of grace, look at what
King David says in 2 Samuel 23 5. He says, although my house be
not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant,
order, and all things ensure. For this is all my salvation
and all my desire, although we make it not to grow. Now, If
it, that everlasting covenant, was ordered in all things, it
most certainly includes in its nature the non-imputation of
sin to the elect, and the imputation of their sins to Christ, and
the transfer of all liabilities to suffer for sins from the elect
to Christ their surety. And these all being eminent acts
of the divine will, or acts of God that only take place in his
divine mind. The result is the sins of God's
elect in the eternal mind of God was not imputed to God's
people, but was imputed to Christ. And therefore, God the Son was
the only person liable to suffer for those sins, the sins of God's
elect. If in all the things in which
the everlasting covenant was ordered, it was made sure. And
if it contains all salvation, all the elect must have been
eternally secure. from all liability to wrath by
the suretorship of Christ. And this occurred as the everlasting
covenant of grace was ratified by the joint oath of the Holy
Trinity before time. One of the scriptures that we'll
look at this morning is Numbers 23, verse 21, where it says,
he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness
in Israel. Though these words were uttered
by a wicked man named Balaam, yet God put these words in his
mouth according to Numbers 23, 16. Therefore, there is a sense
in which they are strictly and literally true. We know that
there is and always was iniquity in the people of God. This can't
be denied. And that God, with his eyes of
his omniscience, has always beheld it. How then have God not seen
iniquity in Jacob? In order to see this scripture
right, let us view Jacob and all of the elect as eternally
chosen in Christ, and standing in him from everlasting. Let
us also consider their sins as imputed to God the Son, and his
righteousness as imputed to them, and all of this when God the
Son became their surety. their surety in that everlasting
covenant of grace established before time in eternity. Then let us consider the divine
father as beholding them in the Lord Jesus Christ, their covenant
head, and spotless representative before the world were made. I
believe that the suretorship of Christ unlocks the true meaning
of this particular portion of scripture. When we view Christ
as our surety, I believe that we can clearly see how it is
strictly true that God hath not at any time seen with his eyes
the eyes of holiness and justice, iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness
in Israel. Eternal justification is the
only key to this text. I don't see any other way that
you can understand this particular scripture without doing harm
to the interpretation of scripture and losing and hiding its glory
and rendering the truth of it is doubtful, to say the least.
Now, it's clear that the subject that we're talking about this
morning might be a little unclear, and that is even to most believers.
The subject which is that justification takes its rise, or justification
has its beginning, not when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ,
not even when Christ died upon the cross, but before the foundation
of the world. It takes place in the very eternal
council of the Almighty God and covenant there established between
the Holy Three, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When before
the world began, some were then chosen in the Son of God, and
they were predestined to the adoption of children. In this
message, we'll attempt to answer a couple of objections that one
might have in argument of justification from eternity. One of the most
frequent objections raised by the Arminian free will religionists
and of those who oppose the doctrine of justification from eternity
is that none can be justified before they actually exist or
before they have actually committed sin. When I use the word Arminian
or free will, I'm talking about any religion that holds the doctrine
that Christ died for the whole world, everyone without exception.
And that is kind of up to the sinner to accept it, to accept
his death in order to make it effectual or effective. These free will religions say
none can be elect before they have a being. None can be elect
before they have an existence or before they believe. We remind
them of Paul's teaching in Ephesians that they were chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. Look again at Ephesians
1. Begin at verse three. the Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. And he told Timothy in 2 Timothy
1, 9, who had saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ before the foundation of the world,
or before the world began. And if any, therefore, are minded
to argue against justification from eternity on the same ground
that one cannot be justified before they have a being, or
before Christ died, or before they have faith, or believe upon
the Lord, then let's look at two different points here. Point
one, the Old Testament saints, all of them were justified before
Christ came and died on the cross. They were justified before their
sins were atoned for by the death of the Lord. Before the great
sin bearer lay down the perfect and everlasting sacrifice for
sin. In Romans chapter 4, Abraham
is a good example of one of God's elect being justified in the
Old Testament. And it said righteousness was
imputed to him prior to being circumcised. No. There was not another way for
any to be saved during the Old Testament dispensation other
than by the grace of God. Noah's scripture says, found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. Look at Genesis 6, 8. But Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Divine favor he had in
the eyes of the Lord. Second point is this. On this
side of the cross, Jesus indeed died for you. and died for your
sins, that is the elect of God, before you actually had a being
and before your sins were actually even committed. The Lord died
before those things, two things occurred, before you were born
and before you committed any sins. Like I said earlier, Christ
being the elect substitute and surety has such a vital part
in understanding how we're justified before God. Now let's look at
the free will religionists who try to hang everything upon the
love of God. We might ask them, when was the
love of God fixed upon God's elect? Was it when they were
born? Was it when they believed? Was
it when Christ died? Was it when they believed or
were baptized? Was it when they loved God? Was
it then that God set his love upon his people? during that
time. Scripture declares in Jeremiah
31 in verse 3, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.
Therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. God's word
said that we're accepted in him, in Christ. In him, said Paul
in Ephesians 1 verses 5 and 6. Having predestinated us into
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in
Christ. Now this love that God has for
his elect was manifested in Christ as he gave himself for us upon
the cross. God's love for his elect was
manifested and worked out at the cross. That justification
was worked out at the cross. Therefore, as God loved his people
and as they were in Christ, so God accepted his people as they
were in Christ. And all of this was on the merit
of the Son of God coming and dying for their sins in time.
For justification takes its rise first and foremost in the mind
and in the will of God. and finds its substance and its
value in the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
Justification has in it two blessed articles of the gospel, two blessed
parts that are considered and contained in the gospel. Number
one, that the sins of the elect, all the sins of all the elect
were imputed to their surety in old eternity. The Lord Jesus
Christ, their surety. They have been made to light
upon the Son of God. The God-man mediator became responsible
for the sin debt of all of God's elect, as he stood as surety
for that debt. Look at 2 Corinthians 5.21. For
he, for God, hath made him, made Christ, to be sin for us who
knew no sin. And he made full satisfaction,
Christ did, on their behalf, and paid their sin debt in full. Secondly, as we speak of the
two blessed articles of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ is
imputed to those who were chosen in him and appointed to everlasting
life. 2 Corinthians 5.21, the last
part of the verse, says that we, that is, all of God's elect,
might be made the righteousness of God in Him. And that might
be is not a hope or a maybe be. That might be is a sure, sure
and certain that they would be made the righteousness of God
in Him. So we see that the sins of God's elect were imputed to
Christ Our surety and the righteousness of Christ was imputed to all
of God's elect who were chosen in the Son of God in the everlasting
covenant of grace. Let's also consider for a moment
the argument that we must have an actual existence in order
to be justified before God. Consider the case of Adam and
the human race. Consider that Adam's sin was
imputed to the race, as seen in these two facts, that all
are born in sin and that all are subject to physical death.
And Paul, in the end of Romans 5, ties the knot between Adam
and all those he represented in verse 18. Therefore, as by
the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation.
In the first half of verse 19 of Romans 5, It says, for as
by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. Now, this
too was before the elect personally existed, or actually, that is
the elect after the cross, actually and personally had committed
any sin. And it is a truth that whatsoever is done by a federal
head, speaking of Christ, by a federal head, and representative
is to be put to the account of those in whose behalf he acted. Thus Paul teaches us that we
sinned in Adam, Romans 5, 12. Wherefore, as by one man's sin,
speaking of Adam, sin entered into the world, and death by
sin, and so death passed upon all men that all have sin. Now,
I like what an old writer is said concerning our fall in Adam,
and he says, yes, the elect fell in Adam. We fell in Adam, but
we didn't fall out of Christ. God put us in Christ, in that
everlasting covenant of grace, and Christ being our surety.
And that remains constant. Even though we fell in Adam,
we did not fall out of Christ. Also, by the same token, what
is done by Christ, the federal head of the election of grace,
is imputed or reckoned unto the elect. Therefore, for justification
from eternity to stand, it must be that Christ, in the decree
of God before the world was, had our sins imputed to him.
And he was ordained to be slain as a surety for that debt. in
the mind and purpose of God. In closing, justification should
be viewed biblically from three aspects. And I want to tell you
that we're not talking about three different justifications.
There's only one justification. Only one justification. It's
God that justifies. But we're talking about aspects
of justification. Bill had the book that he had,
What is Salvation? And he talked about realms of
salvation. realms of salvation. But we're
talking about aspects of justification. First of all, as decreed, this
justification being viewed as decreed in the mind and purpose
of God before the world was even created. In the everlasting covenant
of grace, look at Romans 8.33. It says, who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Secondly,
justification to be viewed in the accomplishment and in the
manifestation of that covenant by God the Son in His death and
in His resurrection as He came in time. Look at Romans 4.25,
who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification.
Or some say on account of or because of our justification.
Thirdly, justification should be viewed in the grace of faith.
As the Holy Spirit causes us to experience our justification
in time, experience this justification before God by the life and by
the death of Christ. Second, Thessalonians 2.13 says,
but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the
truth. Once we believe the gospel and see how we're justified before
God, justification is sealed up in us once we believe. But
it took its rise in the eternal counsel of the Almighty God.
God decreed it before the world was ever created. He made provisions
for it in the mind and in the purpose of God. Christ was a
lamb slain before the world was ever created. And then in closing,
we see our justification when our sins are put upon Christ
and laid to his account. And as soon as they are imputed
to Christ, as he stood before the father as our surety for
the debt and the everlasting covenant of grace, so soon may
God impute righteousness into us and declare our justification
in his eternal mind. God justified all of his elect
in eternity before this world was ever created, all based and
conditioned on what his dear son would do and did accomplish
at the cross of Calvary. This was Christ's promise. This
was the son's promise to the father, that he'd come in time
and pay that debt as he stood as surety for that debt. God
did not choose in his eternal mind to justify the Old Testament
saints in eternity, and then decide to wait and justify the
New Testament saints at the cross or at faith. All of God's elect
were justified at the same time. And that was in God's mind even
from eternity. And all of it, all of it was
based on the righteousness of Christ and what He would accomplish
in time as God viewed it and determined it. This is justification
from eternity. Amen.