How So?
Thomas Brooks explores the covenant of grace, emphasizing God's promises and the believer's response to His mercy and love.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the profound nature of God's covenant of grace, which He established out of His mercy to save mankind from eternal loss. This covenant assures that God will be our God, providing us with His attributes for our benefit, including grace, power, wisdom, goodness, mercy, and glory. Brooks highlights that this covenant is everlasting, with God promising never to turn away from doing good to His people, while also instilling a reverent fear in their hearts to ensure they remain faithful. The glory of this covenant lies in God's commitment to fulfill all that He requires from us, transforming our hearts and spirits to align with His will. Ultimately, it is a divine assurance of our eternal happiness and relationship with God.
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All mankind would have been eternally lost, had
God not, of His own free grace and mercy, made
a covenant of grace with poor sinners.
"They will be My people, and I will be their God."
Jeremiah 32:38
This is a comprehensive promise, for God to be
our God--it includes all.
The covenant of grace is an agreement, which God has
made with sinful man, out of His mere mercy and grace,
wherein He undertakes for fallen man, to make him
everlastingly happy. God engages that He will be our
God; that is, as if He said, "You shall have an interest
in all My attributes for your good:
My grace shall be yours to pardon you,
My power shall be yours to protect you,
My wisdom shall be yours to direct you,
My goodness shall be yours to relieve you,
My mercy shall be yours to supply you,
My glory shall be yours to crown you."
"I will make an everlasting covenant with them;
that I will not turn away from them, to do them
good; and I will put My fear into their hearts--
that they shall not depart from Me." Jer. 32:40
The covenant of grace is everlasting on God's part,
and also on our part. On God's part, "I will never
turn away from them to do them good." And on our
part, "they shall never depart from Me." How so?
"I will put My fear into their hearts--that they shall
not depart from Me." That they shall persevere, and
hold out to the end--I will so deeply rivet a reverent
dread of Myself in their souls--as shall cause them
to believe, love, repent, obey, cling and cleave, and
keep close to Me forever.
O sirs! this is the glory of the covenant of grace--
that whatever God requires on man's part, that He
undertakes to perform for man!
"I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will
be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities
and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart
of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My
Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes
and carefully observe My ordinances." Ezek. 36:25-27
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the covenant of grace - The necessity of grace for salvation - God's initiative in the covenant
- II points: - The promises of God in the covenant - God's attributes for our benefit - The comprehensive nature of God's commitment
- III points: - The everlasting nature of the covenant - God's assurance of doing good - Human response and perseverance
- IV points: - The role of fear in maintaining faith - God's transformative work in the believer - The call to obedience and closeness to God
- V points: - Conclusion and reflection on the covenant's glory - Encouragement to trust in God's promises - Invitation to embrace the covenant of grace
Key Quotes
“They will be My people, and I will be their God.” — Thomas Brooks
“I will make an everlasting covenant with them; that I will not turn away from them, to do them good.” — Thomas Brooks
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Reflect on the depth of God's commitment to you through the covenant of grace.
- Embrace the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in your life to foster obedience.
- Cultivate a reverent fear of God that strengthens your faith and keeps you close to Him.