Trending
For God so loved the world -- John 3:16
I am going to play the role of Perry Mason (lawyer) in this article. My goal is to present new evidence (material) that will make it clear that Christ came to save (redeem) all of His creation. I believe this is what John 3:16 is telling us; now we want to see if the rest of Scripture agrees with this belief. If the redemption price was not paid when Christ was on the cross, then we will have a cursed, fallen heaven and earth that cannot be restored.
The first piece of evidence I want to submit is found in Colossians 1:19-20. "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fulness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of the cross." This makes it very clear that Christ came to reconcile all things, not just mankind.
In his book, "Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ," Thomas R Schreiner makes this statement about Colossians 1:19-20. "All things" are defined as whether things on earth or things in the heavens. Reconciliation embraces the entire universe, so that nothing is excluded from its orbit." He goes on to say, "What God has in mind here is the restoration of the universe to harmony, so that God's rule is reinstated over the whole created order. God has reconciled all things through the cross-work of Christ: those who oppose Him are defeated, and those who acknowledge Christ as Lord are saved."
The Geneva Bible puts a little more emphasis on Colossians 1:19-20. I would like to quote those two verses directly from the 1599 translation. "For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell, And through peace made by that blood of that his cross, to reconcile to himself through him, through him, I say, all things, both which are in earth, and which are in heaven."
Because of the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross, eventually all things will be brought into subjection, even those who oppose Him. Isaiah 65:17 describes the restoration of all things in this way. "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind." Verse 24-25 says, "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the Lord."
As Perry Mason might say, I rest my case. Are we going to be enjoying the restoration of all things? Matthew 5:5 says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." I believe there will be a place prepared for me in that perfect, sinless garden, a place where I can glorify God and enjoy His fellowship. Are you going to be there? Contact the author at: (thoughtsonword@gmail.com) if you have any comments or questions.
•••
Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published three books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016 and Eye of a Needle in 2017 and Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children's book.