Question
What else does Christ’s death redeem?
Answer
Christ’s death is the beginning of the redemption and renewal of every part of fallen creation, as he powerfully directs all things for his own glory and creation’s good.
Christ’s death is the beginning of the redemption and renewal of every part of fallen creation, as he powerfully directs all things for his own glory and creation’s good.
Every part of fallen creation.
Scripture
—Colossians 1:19–20 (ESV)For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
—Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV)For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
—Colossians 1:19–20 (NLT)For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Song
Video
Prayer
Adult
“Our heavenly Father…give us…a call…to bow our hearts more completely and not let other things get in the way…and then, Heavenly Father, to realize that everything belongs to the Lord Jesus. That He died not only to take our souls to heaven—but that our bodies will be raised one day from the dead. The one day, as Peter said, just right after His ascension, ‘He’s going to heaven until He comes back to restore all things.’ That His death there on Calvary’s cross is for us individually, but it’s not egotistically individualistic. Our individual salvation will one day be a portion of the restoration of all things. It is our calling until He comes back again that happy day, to do all we can—while it won’t be perfect as when He comes back—to see substantial healing in every area that He will then perfectly heal…. That if there is a true preaching of the Gospel, it carries with it then an action out into the social life around us into the world. That the Church is to preach the Gospel, but it is also to live the Good News…. Help us! Forgive us! Use us!… Help Thou us, so we ask, and we ask it in no lesser name than the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lamb and our God. Amen.”
Footnote
Francis Schaeffer (1912–1984). An American Presbyterian pastor and philosopher, Schaeffer is most famous for his writing and his establishment of the L’Abri (‘The Shelter’) community in Switzerland. He wrote 22 books, the best known being the trilogy A Christian Manifesto.
Attribution
From an address “A Christian Manifesto” at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1982, available from www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36268
Child
Heavenly Father, help us to know that everything belongs to the Lord Jesus. That he died to save us and to redeem all things. Help us to do all we can to heal this broken creation, that he will one day perfectly heal. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from Francis Schaeffer’s prayer in an address “A Christian Manifesto” at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1982, available from www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36268
“Our heavenly Father…give us…a call…to bow our hearts more completely and not let other things get in the way…and then, Heavenly Father, to realize that everything belongs to the Lord Jesus. That He died not only to take our souls to heaven—but that our bodies will be raised one day from the dead. The one day, as Peter said, just right after His ascension, ‘He’s going to heaven until He comes back to restore all things.’ That His death there on Calvary’s cross is for us individually, but it’s not egotistically individualistic. Our individual salvation will one day be a portion of the restoration of all things. It is our calling until He comes back again that happy day, to do all we can—while it won’t be perfect as when He comes back—to see substantial healing in every area that He will then perfectly heal…. That if there is a true preaching of the Gospel, it carries with it then an action out into the social life around us into the world. That the Church is to preach the Gospel, but it is also to live the Good News…. Help us! Forgive us! Use us!… Help Thou us, so we ask, and we ask it in no lesser name than the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lamb and our God. Amen.”
Footnote
Francis Schaeffer (1912–1984). An American Presbyterian pastor and philosopher, Schaeffer is most famous for his writing and his establishment of the L’Abri (‘The Shelter’) community in Switzerland. He wrote 22 books, the best known being the trilogy A Christian Manifesto.
Attribution
From an address “A Christian Manifesto” at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1982, available from www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36268
Heavenly Father, help us to know that everything belongs to the Lord Jesus. That he died to save us and to redeem all things. Help us to do all we can to heal this broken creation, that he will one day perfectly heal. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from Francis Schaeffer’s prayer in an address “A Christian Manifesto” at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1982, available from www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36268
Commentary
“Jesus is a Redeemer, that is his name; he came into the world on this very business to redeem…. He hath shed his precious blood…. Therefore let us act faith on [i.e. rely on; believe in; trust in] our dear Redeemer and upon his redemption; and let us believe that shortly the day of our full redemption will come, when we shall be delivered fully and for ever from sin, Satan, and the world; from all our burdens, fears, and sorrows, temptations and tribulations…. Either God is ours, or he is not; either Christ is ours, or he is not; if God and Christ be not ours, we have cause enough of heart trouble…. But if God be ours, and if Christ be ours…and if we have rightly and truly received Jesus Christ the Lord, for our only Lord and Saviour; and have unfeignedly given up our whole selves to him; then may we act our faith upon God, as our God, and upon Jesus Christ as ours, and may claim our right in God and in Christ, and in all that God and Christ is and hath, as our own; and then, what cause of any heart trouble? If God be ours, if Christ be ours, all his ours, life ours, death ours: what if we want relations and friends, honour, wealth and health, is not the all-sufficient God enough? Is not Jesus, in whom dwells all fullness, enough to supply the want of all?… Jesus Christ is all and in all; and if Christ be yours, all is yours; God is yours, and the good of both worlds are yours; and what can you desire more.”
Footnote
John Bunyan (1628–1688). Known as the tinker of Elstow, Bunyan underwent a dramatic conversion experience and became a leading Puritan preacher. As his popularity grew, Bunyan increasingly became a target for slander and libel and was eventually imprisoned. It was during his time in prison that he commenced his best known work The Pilgrim’s Progress, first printed in 1678.
Attribution
From “Heart’s Ease in Heart Trouble” in Bunyan’s Barren Fig-tree (Philadelphia: JJ Woodward, 1828), 191–211.
Further Reading
“Goodness” in Concise Theology, by J. I. Packer.