”The Blessings of the Covenant of Grace”

(1 John 5:11-12)

Introduction: Last week we saw the impossibility for anyone to be

saved through the broken Covenant of Works, and what God did to
remedy the situation and to bring salvation to His elect. God sent
His Son into the world, and His Son came, taking upon Himself our
nature. He stood as the representative of all His people, as Adam
did his, and kept the Covenant of Works, which we could never have
kept, perfectly, to merit for us a perfect and flawless record of
law-keeping. But, as this was not enough, since man by his Fall
incurred a debt so great that he would never be able to pay it back,
Christ gave Himself up to be our Passover Lamb, the sacrifice to
atone for all our sins, to remove our guilt by taking the wrath of
God which was meant for us upon Himself, and He suffered and died in
our place. The debt which we owed, if put in dollar figures, would
be 1 with countless zeros behind it; it could not have been paid for
by our measly 10 cents. We needed the measureless value of Christ’s
atoning death. On account of Christ’s priceless work of redemption,
He was rewarded with a people, the people that the Father chose from
all eternity to be His. And His people, because of their relationship
with the One who merited all things for them, receive many gracious
gifts as well. And that is what we want to focus on more specifically
this evening, what it is that Christ gave to His people.
The book of 1 John is a letter written by the apostle John to
show what are the true marks of a saving conversion to Christ. In
it there are many tests and many promises, but the promises pertain
to those who pass the tests. In the latter part of the book, John
is arguing that if we receive the testimony of men, that is, if we
will believe what men have to say, then we ought to receive God’s
testimony for it is greater. That is, why should we believe man and
not God who is absolutely sure to tell us the truth? The one who
accepts God’s testimony is the one who believes in the Son of God,
for God has told us that we should. But if we do not receive that
testimony, then we are calling God a liar. What He has told us is
this, that God has given to His people eternal life in Christ. The
one who has the Son of God, the one who has believed in Him and
embraced Him, who is now in Christ, and Christ in him, has this
life. The one who does not have the Son of God, who is outside of
Christ, does not have this life.
But this everlasting life, which John refers to here, is more
than just the endless extension of our natural lives. It is not
just a never ending existence, rather it is a quality of life which
includes many blessings, not only in the future, but also in the
present, all of which Christ Jesus merited for us, by His perfect
life and atoning death. And what I want you to see tonight is this,

The Covenant of Grace guarantees to us a gracious Mediator,

and salvation through Him, the gift of the Spirit to work faith
in us, and every spiritual blessing, in Christ Jesus.

I. First, God Freely Provides and Offers to Sinners a Mediator and

Life and Salvation in Him.
A. We Saw Last Week the Work of Christ Our Mediator in
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Reconciling Us to God.
1 . Because man was fallen and completely unable to return
to God, God provided One who would bring us back to Him.
a. A s early as the Fall, when God was pronouncing the
curse upon the serpent, He also was promising a
Redeemer.
b. ”AND I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN,
AND BETWEEN YOUR SEED AND HER SEED; HE SHALL BRUISE
YOU ON THE HEAD, AND YOU SHALL BRUISE HIM ON THE
HEEL” (Gen. 3:15).
c. This Redeemer would crush the head of the serpent,
and deliver God’s people from judgment.
d. He does that which you and I could never do for
ourselves.
ti) We could never have crawled out of the pit that
we had fallen into. The pit is bottomless.
tii) We could not have talked God into sending His
only-begotten and well-beloved Son for us. Why
should He send His Son to die for us miserable
creatures?
tiii) But God out of His love for us, sent His Son to
die for us, giving to us that which is
priceless, that which we could never have
obtained but by His infinite mercy.

2. And everything which God has for His people, He has

provided through our Mediator.
a. Every sin which is forgiven us, every work which we
offer which is laced with sin accepted by Him, every
prayer we raise, all is done through Christ, and
nothing apart from Him.
b. Without Christ, all we would have is the certain
expectation of judgment as we stand on the edge of
the eternal fire and are eventually cast in.
c. But in Christ, we have the true and priceless
riches, free, full and everlasting.

B. But This Same Salvation that You and I Have Experienced in

Christ Is Freely Offered to All to Partake of.
1 . The Gospel is to be preached to every creature under
heaven.
a. This offer is to be given to everyone that lives and
breathes.
b. Jesus said in Mark 16:15, ”GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND
PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL CREATION. HE WHO HAS
BELIEVED AND HAS BEEN BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED; BUT
HE WHO HAS DISBELIEVED SHALL BE CONDEMNED.”
c. Paul said that you are reconciled by the death of
Christ, ”IF INDEED YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH FIRMLY
ESTABLISHED AND STEADFAST, AND NOT MOVED AWAY FROM
THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL THAT YOU HAVE HEARD, WHICH
WAS PROCLAIMED IN ALL CREATION UNDER HEAVEN, OF
WHICH I, PAUL, WAS MADE A MINISTER” (Col. 1:23).

2. It is for this reason that God has established the

church that it may publish abroad the good news of the
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forgiveness of sins.
a. This is the blessing which is only possible through
the work of Christ that there might be good news to
proclaim in the first place.
b. But the church is authorized by her Lord to offer
this Gospel sincerely to everyone who lives.
C. And as We Think About this Marvelous Gift of Salvation, Let
Us Not Forget that the Father is the One Who Gave It.
1 . J o h n tells us in our text, ”AND THE WITNESS IS THIS,
THAT a n HAS GIVEN TO us ETERNAL LIFE, ANn THIS LIFE IS
IN HIS SON” (v. 11 ).
2. It is the Father, who represents the Trinity in the
Covenant of Grace, while it is the Son who represents
God’s elect.
3. It is the Father who is represented in Scripture as the
One who out of His great mercy and lovingkindness
provides for us His Son as a Redeemer.
4. We are not to think of Christ, seated at the right hand
of God, trying to stay His Father’s hand of judgment
against us.
5. Rather, it was the Father’s good pleasure to send the
Son that He might have Him represent us before Him and
mediate the blessings of His covenant to us.
6. So the Father provides for us a Mediator, One who can
bring us before God, to give to us life and salvation in
Christ.

11. Secondly, God Gives to His Elect His Holy Spirit to Work in
Them the Faith which Is the Only Condition of this Covenant.
A. Faith Has Always Been the Requirement for Entrance into the
Covenant of Grace.
1 . Though many might be included in the covenants which
God made with His people, faith has always been the
requirement for entrance into the reality of what was
promised.
a. To receive the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant,
Abraham himself had to believe. When God took Abram
outside and showed him all the stars, saying to him
that as many as there are, so shall his children be,
the Bible says, ”THEN HE BELIEVED IN THE LORD; AND
HE RECKONED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Gen. 15:6).
b. Even in the Mosaic Covenant the condition of faith
was not exchanged for one of works, for the Law was
added to the promise made to Abraham, it did not
replace it. Paul says, ”WHAT I AM SAYING IS THIS:
THE LAW, WHICH CAME FOUR mNnREn AND THIRTY YEARS
LATER, DOES NOT INVALIDATE A COVENANT PREVIOUSLY
RATIFIED BY GOD, SO AS TO NULLIFY THE PROMISE. FOR
IF THE INHERITANCE IS BASED ON LAW, IT IS NO LONGER
BASED ON A PROMISE; BUT GOD HAS GRANTED IT TO
ABRAHAM BY MEANS OF A PROMISE” (Gal. 3:18-19).
c. And of course, the New Covenant requires faith as
well for entrance into the promises. J o h n says,
”FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY
BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD
NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE” ( J o h n 3:1 6 ) , and
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”BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM HE GAVE THE

RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD, EVEN TO THOSE WHO
BELIEVE IN HIS NAME” (John 1 : 1 2 ) .

2. But man, in his natural strength, is unable to believe

in the Messiah, that is, to trust Him savingly.
a. We might have gained entrance to the covenant by
being born in it, but we do not necessarily receive
faith by entrance into the covenant.
b. We must never forget that the Bible says plainly
that no one outside of Christ can ever do anything
which is pleasing to Him.
c. Paul says, ”THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS
NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; . . . THERE IS NONE WHO
DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE” (Rom. 3:11-12).
d. And when many who were following Jesus turned back,
He said, ”FOR THIS REASON I HAVE SAID TO YOU, THAT
NO ONE CAN COME TO ME, UNLESS IT HAS BEEN GRANTED
HIM FROM THE FATHER” (John 6 : 6 5 ) .

B. But what We Are Unable to Do in Our Own Strength, God

Provides for His People Graciously through the Work of His
Holy Spirit. Which Was also Merited by Christ.
1 . The work of Christ would not be of use to anyone if no
one could believe in Him unto salvation.
a. If Christ had done all these things for you, and
told you that all you had to do was to believe and
to reach out and receive it, what good would that be
to you if you did not have within yourself the
desire for Him?
b. And if you did not have the desire to come to
Christ, and could not find it in your heart to love
and serve Him, then how could you ever be saved?

2. Therefore God, in the unsearchable riches of His grace,

provides the Holy Spirit to His elect, to work in them
the faith which He requires.
a. The Spirit is sovereignly given and sovereignly
applies the work of Christ in regeneration.
ti1 Jesus tells us, in John 3, that the Spirit’s
work is like the wind which blows.
(ii1 ”TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS ONE IS BORN
OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT, HE CANNOT ENTER INTO
THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE
FLESH IS FLESH, AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE
SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. DO NOT MARVEL THAT I SAID TO
YOU, ’YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.’ THE WIND BLOWS
WHERE IT WISHES AND YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF IT,
BUT DO NOT KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM AND WHERE
IT IS GOING; SO IS EVERYONE WHO IS BORN OF THE
SPIRIT” (John 3:5-81.

b. Without the work of the Spirit. it would be

impossible for us to love Christ and embrace Him in
the way that the Scripture says that His people do.
c. All of Christ’s work would have amounted to nothing
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if there was no one who was willing to receive what

He offers to them.
d. And so the Spirit is graciously given in the
Covenant of Grace to make God’s people willing and
able to embrace the only Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ.

III. Thirdly, this Same Spirit Works Within God’s People all of the
Other Saving Graces which Accompany Salvation and Promote
Their Sanctification.
A. The Bible Tells Us that Certain Fruits Will Exist in the
Lives of His People who Are Justified in Christ.
1 . If true faith is present in the heart, then all of the
other saving graces will be as well.
2. There will be repentance of sins. Peter said, ”REPENT,
AND LET EACH OF BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS” (Acts 2:38). If you
are Christ’s, then you must have turned from your sins
for apart from this, you cannot be saved.
3. There will be godly character.
a. There will be the experience and expression of love.
”BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY
DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER” (John
13:35).
b. There will also be peace and joy. ”FOR THE KINGDOM
OF GOD IS NOT EATING AND DRINKING, BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS
AND PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Rom. 14:17).
c. There will be a kind, gentle and patient spirit in
every circumstance. ”AND SO, AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
CHOSEN OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, PUT ON A HEART OF
COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND
PATIENCE; BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING
EACH OTHER, WHOEVER HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANYONE;
JUST AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO SHOULD YOU”
(Col. 3:12-13).
d. There will not be a haughty but meek character.
”BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE
EARTH” (Matt. 5:5).
e. There will be self-control. ”FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN
US A SPIRIT OF TIMIDITY, BUT OF POWER AND LOVE AND
DISCIPLINE” OR SELF-CONTROL (2 Tim. 1 :7).
f. And there will be an attitude of thankfulness. ”FOR
THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONTROLS US, HAVING CONCLUDED
THIS, THAT ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEREFORE ALL DIED; AND
HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT THEY WHO LIVE SHOULD NO LONGER
LIVE FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED AND ROSE
AGAIN ON THEIR BEHALF” ( 2 Cor. 5:14-15).

B. And again, These Characteristics Are Not Produced in Our

Flesh, but by the Spirit of God, Who Is Given in the
Covenant of Grace.
1 . The Spirit works the grace of repentance. When Peter
reported what the Lord had done among the Gentiles in
Jerusalem, ”THEY QUIETED DOWN, AND GLORIFIED GOD,
SAYING, ’WELL THEN, GOD HAS GRANTED TO THE GENTILES ALSO
THE REPENTANCE THAT LEADS TO LIFE” (Acts 11:18).
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2. The Spirit works within His people all godly fruits.

”BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE,
PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FA1THFULNESS, GENTLENESS,
SELF-CONTROL” (Gal. 5:22-23).
3. The Spirit also gives to us the ability to obey the Word
of God. Speaking of the blessings of the New Covenant,
Ezekiel wrote, ”THEN I WILL SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER ON
YOU, AND YOU WILL BE CLEAN; I WILL CLEANSE YOU FROM
ALL YOUR FILTHINESS AND FROM ALL YOUR IDOLS. MOREOVER,
I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT
WITHIN YOU; AND I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM
YOUR FLESH AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH. AND I WILL
PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY
STATUTES, AND YOU WILL BE CAREFUL TO OBSERVE ALL MY
ORDINANCES” (Ezek. 36:25-27).
4. The Spirit is to furnish us with everything we need to
serve Him for this is why He recreated us in Christ.
”FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR
GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT WE
SHOULD WALK IN THEM” (Eph. 2: 1 0 ) .

C. But again, Let Us Not Forget That All of these Blessings Are
in Christ, and Apart from Him God Has Nothing of Any Great
Value for You.
1 . Our text tells us, ”THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON. HE WHO HAS
THE SON HAS THE LIFE; HE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE SON OF
GOD DOES NOT HAVE THE LIFE” ( I John 5:11-12).
2. Yes, God does give to all of His creatures certain good
gifts to sustain them.
a. He gives to one great natural strength and power so
as to do great exploits in the realm of sports or in
battle.
b. He gives to others great intellects and allows them
to make profound discoveries.
c. To others, He gives the power to make great wealth
and riches.

3. But if God so blesses the heathen with these things, who

in this world possess them, and then later they are cast
into hell, then they must not be the true riches.
4. But God has reserved the true riches for His children in
Christ Jesus.
a. The quickening power of the Holy Spirit is
priceless; you could never calculate its worth.
Apart from it you could never know life.
b. The rewards which he gives in heaven are forever,
they can never be lost as earthly treasures are.
c. It is to you who are in Christ that the true riches
are commit ted.
d. And it is because of Christ’s work that they are
yours, they are given by grace alone.

5. People of God, rejoice in what Christ has done for you

and seek with all your might to show Him your
thankfulness by bringing forth the fruits of
righteousness.
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a. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for

that which the Son of God gives.
b. Do not lay up your treasures on earth where moth and
rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay them up in heaven.
c. Take hold of the true riches in Christ and bring
forth the fruits of true knowledge, righteousness
and holiness.

6. But if you are not in Christ this evening, then call

upon the One who alone can change your heart and make
you willing to come. And then embrace Christ, and love
and serve Him, for He will not forget your labor of love
which is offered in His name. And He will richly reward
your labor through His grace. Amen. Let us pray.