Sons of God in the Covenant of Grace
God made a promise to Abraham that his offspring would be blessed in a covenant of grace (Gen 12:1–3; 15:1–6). In the singular sense the patriarch’s “seed” would be the Head of a holy nation of believer priests (Eph 1:22; 5:23; Col 1:18; 1 Peter 2:9). The fulfillment of the prophetic Word of promise from c. 2000 B.C. was the God/man, Jesus Messiah (Gal 3:16). Transferred into Christ are the chosen remnant people from every nation, tribe, and language (Rom 11:5; Col 1:13; Rev 5:9; 7:9).
The eternal Son of God, in the eternal purpose of God, became man through conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Mt 1:20, 23). The only begotten Son of God was sent to bring many sons to glory (Jn 3:16; Heb 2:10). These sons were predestined to adoption into God’s family before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:5).
God gave His adopted sons the right to become His children and call Him “Abba” (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6) because of His love for them in eternity past (Eph 1:4–5), at the cross (Rom 5:8), and when His love poured out into their hearts (Rom 5:5). By God’s sovereign will and gracious choice (Jn 1:12–13; Rom 11:5; 1 Thess 1:4), He caused them to be born again of God’s Spirit (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3). As they received Christ, by His Spirit given to them (1 Thess 4:8; 1 Jn 3:24; 4:13); they were at the same time baptized into Christ (Rom 6:13; Gal 3:27).
All that God the Father has given to God the Son belong to Christ (Jn 6:37; 17:2, 6, 24), who is the one Mediator between God and man (Gal 3:27; 1 Tim 2:7). Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant cut with His precious blood on the Roman cross at Calvary (Mt 26:28; Heb 9:15; 12:24; 1 Pet 1:19). This covenant is all grace, as God sets the terms and meets all the conditions for its ratification.
The crux of Jesus’ mission in life and death was to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21), so to present them holy and blameless before God the Father (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22), and populate His righteous kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth (Is 65–66; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21–22). This is the joy set before Jesus, whilst facing the cross (Heb 12:2).
The natural man’s works are so tainted that the Bible informs us that no one is justified before God by the works of the Law (Rom 3:20, 28; Gal 2:16). Every person who will be in right standing on the day of judgment must have an alien righteousness imputed to him or her (Jn 5:28–29; 2 Cor 5:10, 21).
It was the active obedience of the sinless Son of God (Heb 4:15), along with His perfect passive obedience in His atoning death, that merited the status: righteousness before the Father (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Pet 1:1). Jesus of Nazareth kept the Law of God (Mt 5:17). He satisfied its requirements and removed the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for His church (Gal 3:13). The Law exposed, even exacerbated our sinfulness (Rom 5:20; Gal 3:19–22); but in Christ, we have the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7; Heb 9:22) to the degree (100%) that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).
The truth Himself (Jn 14:6), Jesus Christ, has set us free from the penalty of sin and the guilt of sin that kept us under bondage our whole lives to the fear of death (Jn 8:32; Heb 2:15), which leads each one to the judgment (Heb 9:27), and then to the sentence of eternal punishment in the fiery hell where the worm does not die and the torment is forever in outer darkness (Mt 8:12; 22:13; 24:41, 46; 25:30; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15).
The elect, who hear the Gospel of salvation, are granted faith by the Holy Spirit given to them as a pledge of all the blessings secured by Christ (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:3, 14). These are blessings promised to the believer, Abraham, and to His believing offspring numbering as the sand of the seashore or stars in the heavens (Gen 15:5; 22:17).
As the heir of all things (Heb 1:2), Jesus is joined by His co-heirs (Rom 8:17; Eph 3:6; Heb 11:9), whose inheritance is reserved for them in heaven (Eph 1:11; 1 Pet 1:4), where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in majesty (Ps 110:1; Eph 1:20; 2:6; Col 3:1; Heb 12:2). Having redeemed His bride, His church, the Head now waits for the full number of His saints to be added to His body of people. This work of the Holy Spirit is likened to the addition of living stones to the temple of God (Eph 2:20–22). When the architect and builder of Christ’s church is done, then the end will come (Mt 16:18; Heb 3:4; 11:10).
This gathering of God’s elect and holy nation of royal priests includes men and women, slaves and free men, Jews and Gentiles from across history and around the world (Gal 3:28; 1 Pet 2:9). The Apostle Paul noted that not all (ethnic) Israel is (true and spiritual) Israel (Rom 9:6). The second Adam is the true Israel (Is 49:1–6; 1 Cor 15:45); and all who are in Him are called, “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16). These are known to God as “My people” (Rom 9:25–26), whose names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before time (Rev 13:8; 17:8; 21:27). Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world (Acts 15:48).
As many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48). Their faith, like Abraham’s faith, is in the Word of God, which has given both life and faith to them (Jn 6:63; Rom 10:17; Gal 3:22; Phil 1:29; 2 Pet 1:1), according to Him who does all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11). Having received the promised Spirit (Acts 2:33; Rom 8:15; 1 Cor 2:12), who will never leave nor forsake the child of God (Heb 13:5), he or she knows the blessed assurance derived from the blessed presence of the Promised One (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11).
The sons of God are the seed of Abraham for whom Christ was crucified (Jn 10:11, 15; 1 Pet 2:24). As believers in Jesus Christ, who call upon the name of the Lord, salvation is known through the sanctifying work of the Spirit teaching God’s people God’s Word (Jn 14:26; 17:17; 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:2). Therefore, as we grow to spiritual maturity (Eph 4:15; 2 Pet 3:18), in conformity to Christ (Rom 8:29), let us walk in a manner worthy of our calling to be royal sons, in the covenant of grace, of the Most High God (Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1 Thess 2:12; 1 Jn 2:16).
Only fools fall away from so great a salvation, by the deceitfulness of sin and the destructive heresies of demons (1 Tim 4:1; Heb 3:13; 2 Pet 2:1). These go out from Christ’s church because they were not of us (1 Jn 2:19) — not holding to the Christian faith because they do not belong to Jesus Christ (Jn 10:26; 2 Thess 3:2), which means they were not given to the Son by the Father (Jn 6:37; Jn 17:2, 6, 24), who did not choose them for salvation before Creation (1 Thess 1:4; 2 Thess 2:13). They are vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (Rom 9:22), by Him who is the Potter with the right to do with His creation as He pleases (Jer 18; Rom 9:21).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the revelation of God’s fulfillment of His unconditional covenant of grace. He planned it. He performed it. He gets all the glory for it. Yes! To God be the glory…great things He has done.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
August 24, 2023
