I. INTRODUCTION 

I have used three words in the title of this study that need to be defined; it is one of my objectives as a Bible teacher is to continually increase your working theological vocabulary. Understanding their meaning is necessary to what follows. 

A. TRINITY, TRINITARIAN 

Trinity. The Christian understanding of God as triune. Trinity means that the one divine nature is a unity of three persons and that God is revealed as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The ultimate basis for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity lies in the divine self-disclosure in Jesus, who as the Son revealed the Father and poured out the Holy Spirit.1 

The classic, tightest working definition of the Trinity is this: three different personages of the same numerical essence. 

B. COVENANT 

“An unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man (or as used here between Himself and man) that stipulates the conditions of Their relationship.”2 

C. REDEMPTION 

Redemption. The process by which sinful humans are ‘brought back’ from the bondage of sin into a relationship with God through grace by the ‘payment’ of Jesus’ death. Redemption is one of the pictures or metaphors that the NT [New Testament] uses to give insight into God’s gracious saving work in Jesus.3 

With these understandings, we will clearly see from the following passages that 

There exists a Covenant of Redemption amongst the three Members of the Trinity. 

The following passages illustrate the agreement among the three Members of the Trinity regarding how to save mankind. Notice the specific plan and purpose each One has assumed in order to achieve man’s redemption.

II. THE PART OF THE FATHER 

In the Trinity’s covenant of redemption, the Father agreed to the following five aspects of salvation: 

A. TO GIVE THE SON ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH 

In the Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:18–19, Jesus is speaking to His disciples near the end of His earthly ministry. He states the following: 

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” 

The authority Jesus is referring to that has been given to Him stems from God the Father, indicating a previous allocation of responsibilities from the economic Trinity. (The economic Trinity is a theological term more closely depicting the subject matter at hand: “the manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity … in regard to the outworking of God’s plan [economy] of salvation.”4) 

B. TO SEND THE SON TO BE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE 

In Romans 5:18–19 we read how sin enters the world through man’s representative, Adam (God views Adam as prototypical of man). God thus imputes Adam’s sin to all of creation. But subsequently, according to the Trinitarian plan of salvation, God’s representative, Jesus, offers counteracting imputed righteousness: 

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 

This passage serves to evidence that the Trinity agreed to send the second Member of the Trinity to be Their representative. A further observation and explanation of and from this passage is in order: 

Skeptics often comment that inheritance of sin through Adam seems unfair. But none of those pundits are lacking in the guilt of personal sin themselves. 

Additionally, to deny God’s economy of imputed sin through Adam is to reciprocally deny God’s economy of imputed righteousness through Christ! Notice the representative aspect of Jesus for God the Father in John 3:16. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 

C. TO PREPARE A BODY FOR THE SON TO DWELL IN AS A MAN 

In Hebrews 10:5 we see that the second Member of the Trinity is given a body by God the Father in order to dwell as a man and relate personally to mankind, (and I should add, to be able to provide a final sacrifice as well for sin, cf. Hebrews 10:10). 

Therefore when He [ Jesus] comes into the world, He [ Jesus] says, “Sacrifice and offering you [Father God] have not desired, but a body you [Father God] have prepared for me.” 

Colossians 2:9 further underscores this idea:

For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. 

Fully God, Jesus is given a human body by the first Member of the Trinity to best relate all three Members’ love for and identity with man. (This is known as they hypostatic union, a term first used by the Church counsel of Chalcedon in A.D. 451. “The doctrine is an attempt to describe the miraculous bringing together of humanity and divinity in the same person, Jesus Christ, such that He is both fully divine and fully human.”5) 

D. TO ACCEPT HIM AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HUMANS WHOM HE HAS REDEEMED 

Hebrews 9:24 states what Christ did after His resurrection: 

For Christ … enter[ed] … into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 

Christ represented the Godhead to mankind (point B) and after completing His propitiatory6 work on the Cross, returned to God the Father satisfactorily representing the payment for man’s sin and fulfilling God’s requisite holiness. Lastly, the Father agreed to this additional aspect of redemption. 

E. TO POUR OUT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER THE REDEEMED 

Acts 1:4 records a post-resurrection encounter of Jesus with His disciples. Note the insight from this passage related to what the Father had promised. 

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me.” 

Acts 2:32–33 provides further insight into God’s previous agreement and promise to pour forth the Holy Spirit into the lives of believers. 

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [the Father] has poured forth this, which you both see and hear. 

The practical and doxological application of this theological truth is profound! 

Jesus states directly to His disciples in Acts 1:8 what I am getting at here. 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” 

Part of the agreement of the Father with the Son and the Holy Spirit is to empower, ie., empowerment is the Greek word dunamis (“explosive power;” cf. Ephesians 3:16; 20) believers after Christ’s redemption! It is therefore normative for God the Holy Spirit to give His followers extra strength, spiritual abilities, and character in the advancement of the Gospel! One can count on it: I am sure that as a follower of Christ who is called to lead in His institution of the State, that you likewise experience His empowerment. Danielle and I do—and we can personally attest to the truth of God’s empowerment promise herein. 

In the Trinity’s covenant of redemption, Scriptures reveals the Father to be the originator of human salvation as He authorizes, sends, prepares, and accepts the Son and pours out the Holy Spirit. Before we examine what the Son agreed to in the plan of salvation, let’s consider a very important, broader, application of this aforementioned theological truth for all members of Congress. 

---

It follows that countries dominated by non-Christian, false religions do not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of very many citizens; the aforementioned theological truth is not manifested in their culture. Those of us who possess a Western, Christianized mindset must take this into consideration. Whereas the fruit of the Spirit (i.e., personal, internalized-by-the-Holy-Spirit character qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) (Galatians 5:22–23), indwell many redeemed citizens in historically-based Christian cultures—enough at least to flavor the culture; nations that have continually rejected the Trinity and God’s Covenant of Redemption have far fewer self-governed individuals, insufficient numbers to in any way flavor the culture. In biblical language and understanding, there are very few agents of salt and light (Matthew 5). 

It follows that cultures which are largely void of self-governed individuals possess little bases for self-governing forms of civil government.

What I precisely mean is this: It is a sign of theological naïveté for American leaders to think they can “export” democracy to the Middle East through military force! Applied theology says that at the end of the day it won’t work. 

It follows throughout history that countries void of self-governed individuals end up getting what they personally lack—autocratic rulers who use force to govern the personally ungovernable. 

Without the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the lives of individuals and the absence of His influence over the historical whole of a nation, these outcomes are largely predetermined. The advancement and success of Christianity through missionaries is a prerequisite for true democracy as illustrated by the nation of South Korea wherein a post war honoring and acceptance of American Christian missionaries led to their ongoing, successful national democratization today.

---

III. THE PART OF THE SON 

Added to the five essential roles of the Father in the Covenant of Redemption are five aspects that the Son agreed to. 

A. HE WOULD COME INTO THE WORLD AS A MAN 

Galatians 4:4 and Hebrews 2:14–17 read respectively, 

But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. 

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same. … Therefore He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might … make propitiation for the sins of the people. 

The second member of the Trinity was not by nature flesh and blood (cf. Philippians 2:7–8), but took this form upon Himself in order to achieve man’s redemption. 

B. HE WOULD LIVE UNDER THE MOSAIC LAW 

Galatians 4:4–5 states how Jesus would live under and fulfill the Old Covenant of Works, 

… born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

In His covenant with the other Members of the Trinity, Jesus agreed to live perfectly under God’s law and fulfill God’s earlier Covenant of Works (cf. Galatians 2:16– 17): His fulfillment of God’s Covenant of Works, that is, His sinlessness, made Him the unblemished sacrifice for sin. 

C. HE WOULD BE PERFECTLY OBEDIENT TO THE FATHER 

In addition to His perfect fulfillment of the Mosaic Law, Jesus agreed to be obedient to the additional commands of the Father in all things. Hebrews 10:9 and Matthew 26:39 underscore this point: 

Then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” 

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 

D. HE WOULD BE OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH 

In Philippians 2:8–11 Paul states about Jesus, 

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow … and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Again, note the inner relationship between the Members of the Trinity. God the Father rewards God the Son for His willingness to take on a humiliating death —crucifixion—the most cruel, degrading, and excruciating form of death ever invented by sinful man. Further to the point, the marriage supper of the Lamb in the book of Revelation is all about God’s rewarding the Son for willingly paying the penalty for man’s sin. How? By giving Him a spotless bride, the Church (cf. Revelation 19:7–9). 

E. HE WOULD GATHER TO HIMSELF AND NOT LOSE THOSE WHOM THE FATHER HAD GIVEN HIM 

In his Gospel (17:12) John records Jesus’ words with the Father: 

While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished … so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled. 

What an exclamation of the believer’s eternal security in salvation! Note that the security of the believer is herein specifically rooted in the work of Jesus in the Covenant of Redemption. 

A close study of the Word reveals that Son agreed to come into the world as human, live under the Law, perfectly obey the Father—even to death—and gather and keep those whom the Father gave to Him. Now let’s look at what the Holy Spirit agreed to. 

IV. THE PART OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 

We have seen the five aspects of both the Father and the Son in the Trinity’s Covenant of Redemption. What follows are the three aspects that the Holy Spirit agreed to accomplish. 

A. HE WOULD DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER 

Matthew 3:16 records, 

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him. 

In this one passage all three Members of the Trinity are mentioned. The Holy Spirit of God descends upon Jesus to empower Him in His ministry. 

B. HE WOULD FILL AND EMPOWER JESUS TO DO HIS MISSION 

Many passages serve to make this point. Luke 4:1, 14 and 18 follow. 

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness. 

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” 

God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit in order to achieve the redemption of man. 

C. HE WOULD EMPOWER THOSE WHOM CHRIST REDEEMED AFTER CHRIST RETURNED TO HEAVEN 

This is similar to point II E in the outline. But notice the following additional passages respectively: John 14:16–17; John 14:26 and Acts 2:17. It is important that I list all of these due to their wonderful reality and application in the life of the believer. 

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” 

“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind.’” 

In and during the Church Age, every true believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit on his individual day of redemption—when an individual comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit fills him with His power! This is a wonderful, profound truth that provides every believer with the confidence and assurance to fulfill his calling and live a righteous life! 

Relative to the Trinity’s covenant of redemption, the Holy Spirit agreed to do the will of the Father, fill and empower Jesus to be the Savior, and empower those whom Christ redeemed.

Relative to the Trinity’s covenant of redemption, the Holy Spirit agreed to do the will of the Father, fill and empower Jesus to be the Savior, and empower those whom Christ redeemed. 

V. APPLICATION 

Theology is important (and as we have seen, very informative, applicable, and helpful!) to the result of building strong, Spirit-filled men and women of God in public office! The Trinitarian aspects of salvation are basic, foundational biblical truths that need be learned by those who understand that My people are destroyed by a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Theology builds strong spiritual muscles that are necessary for statesmen who are under so many kinds of continual, intense pressure to compromise. God’s New Covenant of Grace, as preached by Jesus, is the Trinity’s amazing plan of redemption through faith in Christ. How great a salvation! 

 

1. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, 1999, InterVarsity Press, 116. 

2. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Interlocution to Biblical Doctrine, 1994, Zondervan Academic, InterVarsity and Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 515. 

3. Pocket Dictionary, 100. 

4. Pocket Dictionary, 42. 

5. Pocket Dictionary, 62. 

6. Propitiation: The satisfaction of violated justice.