Great Doctrines of the Bible—God the Father, God the Son/ Martyn Lloyd Jones

19. Redemption: the Eternal Plan of God

It is necessary to take a general view of the doctrine of redemption.

Firstly, “redemption is entirely of God” (214). It is emphasized that the Bible “is an account of what God has done about the redemption of man” (214). It is not that the Lord Jesus Christ needs to placate God for us, for we know 2 Corinthians tells us, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (5.19). Jones clarifies, “[t]he biblical case is not that Christ, as it were, has to appeal to God to change His mind. It was God who sent Christ; it was God Himself who took the initiative” (215).

Secondly, “salvation if all of grace. It was done in spite of man’s rebellion, in spite of man’s arrogance, in spite of his folly and sin” (216).

Thirdly, redemption “was all planned before the foundation of the world” (216). We are bound by time, so it is impossible for us to grasp it. “But God is outside time. God sees the end from the beginning and all things are always in His presence” (217).

The next thing we should consider with adoration, praise, and worship: “the three Persons of the blessed Trinity took part in this plan and purpose of redemption” (217). We can say that the Father is the originator, the Son is the executor and the Holy Spirit is the One who applies what the Son has achieved (217).

Fifthly, “this plan and scheme of redemption is a definite plan” (219). It is “a perfect and definite plan, complete and entire” (220).

Sixthly, “the absolute certainty of the consummation of this plan of redemption” (220).

Seventhly, according to Ephesians 1, we know that “this purpose of God in redemption applied not only to man but to all things” (221).

Eighthly, “this great plan of redemption always centres in the Lord Jesus Christ” (221). There is no other way of salvation, and no other way of reconciliation. From the Old Testament, we see there is the preparation, the promise, the prophecy of Christ’ coming. The Son of God is the seed of the woman that is going to crush and bruise the serpent’s head. The New Testament is that Christ is the fulfillment of everything that God had indicated.

Finally, “this purpose of God in redemption has been revealed to mankind in various convents” (222). Jones plans to consider this question in the next study.