R.C. Sproul

So we have to talk about this prior covenant that takes place within the Godhead among the persons of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

And so we often will say that in the economy of redemption, it's the Father who sends the Son into the world to redeem His people.

It is the Son who accomplishes that redemption by His work of obedience.

It is the Holy Spirit, then, who applies the work of Christ to the people.

It's the Spirit who illumines the Word of God for us.

It's the Spirit who regenerates us in our souls.

It's the Spirit who brings us to the Son, who reconciles us to the Father, so that redemption, biblically, and we have to understand this from beginning to end, is a Trinitarian work.

And again, the point of the covenant of redemption is that this idea of redemption is not an afterthought in the mind of God, a plan B whereby God's going to correct the mess He made out of creation.

No, before He even creates the world, He has an eternal purpose of redemption, of redeeming His people in this world, and that is in complete agreement among all three

persons in the Godhead.

And so that is where covenant is rooted and grounded in the character of God Himself.

Now when we talk about the working out of the covenant of redemption, a distinction is made with respect to the obedience of the second person of the Trinity, with the obedience of Christ, the God-man, between what is called the perfect act of obedience

and the perfect passive obedience.

Now that may or may not be a distinction that you're all familiar with, but let me just in a few moments try to simplify what it means.

The act of obedience has to do with Christ working as the second Adam, willingly placing Himself under the requirements of the law.

and takes upon Himself that responsibility in our behalf and actively obeys every commandment that God requires from human beings.

That's why you saw the confusion at the time of Jesus' baptism when John announces that Jesus is the Lamb of God who is going to take away the sin of the world and presumably the Lamb without blemish, and he calls the rest of the people to come into the river there to be baptized as a sign of cleansing from sin.

And Jesus comes and presents Himself to be baptized.

And John said, wait a minute.

What's wrong with this picture?