For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:24-28)
Here we have in this chapter that covenant of God’s Sovereign Free Grace which was ordained before the world began. This is that same covenant that David trusted upon His death bed saying “Thou hast made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in ALL THINGS and SURE!” (2 Samuel 23:5)
This covenant of God is an everlasting covenant, an eternal covenant which God made with Himself for all of His elect people. This eternal agreement, or decree of God in the Trinity of His Sacred persons was predestinated, planned and done in the purpose of God before the world began. (Ephesians 1:3-6)
Therefore, it is by this covenant promise of God through Jesus Christ that every believer may find perfect comfort and assurance of our salvation. (Hebrews 6:17-20) Behold that God has purposed to save us by His free grace for His own glory. God purposed to take us from the same lump of Adam’s fallen race. (v.24) God purposed that Jesus Christ should accomplish all our righteousness and redemption and that we should be cleansed from all our unrighteousness. (v.25) The Holy Spirit of God was purposed to come and give us a heart and live within us. (v.26-27) And seeing that this covenant promise was given to us before the world began, and having now experienced this work of grace in our hearts through faith in Christ, what then shall be able to disannul God’s purpose and oath? We may be confident that nothing and no one shall thwart or pervert God’s eternal covenant of Grace that He has purposed for every one of His elect people. For God has said “You shall be my people and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness” (v.28b-29a). And it is even the purpose of God that all of His saints loathe themselves for their sins. (v.31). And we most surely do loathe the old man of our nature and look only to Jesus Christ for all our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Therefore God says to us his preachers: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2)
– F.E