Sermon Notes 8/7/2011 (AM Service)

Sermon Text: Part 1: Genesis 15:7-21; Genesis 16:1-14
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 6:13-20; Hebrews 9:15-22
Sermon Title: The Simultaneous Redemption and Inauguration of Christ

“The doctrine of the Covenant lies at the root of all true theology. It has been said that he who well understands the distinction between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace is a master of divinity. I am persuaded that most of the mistakes which men make concerning the doctrines of Scriptures are based upon fundamental errors with regard to the covenants of law and the covenants of grace. May God grant us now the power to instruct and you the grace to receive instruction on this vital subject” (Spurgeon).

“Covenant Theology is just the Gospel” (Mark Dever).

Genesis 15:6 – On what basis was Abram declared righteous??

Last week I made the statement, “No man has ever been saved differently than Abram.”

Follow the trajectory: 

• Genesis 3:15 
• Genesis 12/Genesis 15/Genesis 17
• “And God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24)
• Psalm 110 (David)
• Psalm 72 – especially vv. 17-19 (Solomon)
• Mary’s Song of Praise: “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:54-55)
• Zechariah’s Prophesy: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham” (Luke 1:68-73b)
• “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). Abraham saw Christ’s day as he embraced in faith many promises given to him by God, promises that demanded the coming of Christ to be fulfilled (Study Notes, The Reformation Study Bible).
• Galatians 3:7-9
• Galatians 3:27-29
• Romans 9:6b-8

Genesis 15:8-21 – Self-Maledictory Oath

• Look at Jeremiah 34:18-20 – Some background: The people made Covenant regarding the sabbatical release of Israelite slaves (v. 10). No sooner had all Israelite slaves been released than they were reclaimed by their masters (v. 11).
• "If I were in prison and could only have one book, it would be the Bible. If I could only have one book of the Bible, it would be Hebrews. If I was only allowed one chapter, it would be Genesis 15. If I were only allowed one verse, it would be Genesis 15:17" (R.C. Sproul).
• LOOK AT: Hebrews 6:13-20; Hebrews 9:15-22
• If God does not fulfill His covenant, He must die; yet to fulfill it, He must die anyway (Hebrews 9:15-22). God pledged Himself to die if He did not fulfill the Old Covenant. God inaugurated the Old Covenant by shedding the blood of the animals He passed between in Genesis 15:17.
• A Covenant is binding by the penalty represented by the Inauguration.
• The Cross of Christ represents a simultaneous redemption (Hebrews 9:15) and inauguration (Hebrews 9:18).

As Christ takes the curses of the Old Covenant, He simultaneously inaugurates the blessed condition of the New Covenant (O. Palmer Roberson’s The Christ of the Covenants).