GOD'S COVENANT WAS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO “SOMEWHERE IN THE DMZ. . .”

The Covenant answers the question as to why God saved me from certain destruction in Vietnam or jail in high school for acting stupidly and rebelliously. In 1972, the Godhead redeemed and adopted me as Their son. They will one day deliver me completely from sin, Satan, and death forever. Jesus spoke to the Jews in this manner in John 6:37, “Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. . . . 39, And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing but will raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.". . . 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. . . . 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life.” 

The writer of Hebrews summarized the significance of the eternal, divine covenant in this way: 20 “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13). This covenant comforts the poor in spirit, the downtrodden, the folks at the end of their tether, folks with traumatic stress like you and me. From all eternity, the Godhead bound Itself to redeem every one of His people to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). Implied, but not explicitly stated, is the eternal oath the Godhead swore to redeem me in Christ, signifying the eternal covenant’s ratification because of Christ's death work.1 Jesus, our King, therefore, will equip His subjects in every good thing to do His will, and to work in us that which is pleasing in His sight (Heb. 13:21). God has glorified Jesus by keeping this covenant with the Son concerned me on that terrible day in the DMZ. 

With my face in the dirt, I waited to die, like the Navy Corpsman behind me. I did not know about any eternal covenant God had made to save or include me in it. I didn't know that I would come through that day alive, which I did. God ruled over the exact spot where I lay because of His covenantal bond with His Son to do so. But God had decreed who would, live, be wounded, and who would die from shrapnel or whose internal organs would rupture from the round’s concussions. God protected me because He covenanted with the Son to bring me into His Kingdom.

Covenantally, God, motivated by His love, overcame my will and turned my heart to hear, submit to, and obey Him three years hence.3 And so I came to Him willingly. His covenant ensured my justification by grace and saved me from His just wrath against me. His Spirit applied Christ's life, death, resurrection, and He began to intercede for me. The eternal covenant guaranteed my safe passage through that day and into the next.  (See Appendix K for a fuller treatment on the covenants of Grace)

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1 This concept is best known as the "Covenant of Redemption." Although the phrase is not found in Scripture, neither is the noun "Trinity," but no one questions its truth permeates the Bible. The phrase "everlasting covenant" is used 16 times in Scripture from Gen. 9:16 to Ezek. 27:36. See R.C. Sproul's excellent article, "What Is the Covenant of Redemption?" Ligonier, Dec. 9, 2022.

2 Knowing the particulars about the eternal covenant has helped my with survivor's guilt. My decisions, right or wrong, in the heat of battle had nothing to do with who lived and who died, made no difference in the final outcome of that day or any of the other days in combat. God, who is the Lord of life, determines the conclusion of every matter. Read Proverbs 16 and 21:1, along with Job 12.

3 Q. 29. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.[Tit. 3:4-7]

Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us,[Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 2:12-16; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29] and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.[Jn. 15:5; 1 Cor. 1:9; Eph. 3:17]

Q. 31. What is effectual calling?

A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ,[Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 2:10, 12; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 1:17-18] and renewing our wills,[Dt. 30:6; Ezek. 36:26-27; Jn. 3:5; Tit. 3:5] he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ,[Jn. 6:44-45; Acts 16:14] freely offered to us in the gospel.[Isa. 45:22; Mt. 11:28-30; Rev. 22:17]