Christ and the Sabbath

REDEMPTION IS CREATION

It follows very naturally that the one through whom the power of God was manifested in the creation of the heaven and the earth, should be the one through whom he should manifest his power in the salvation of man; for redemption is simply creation! Redemptive power is necessarily creative power, and the redemption of man is simply carrying out God’s original purpose concerning creation. For God’s purpose in the creation of this world was that it should be inhabited by righteous beings. This is still his purpose, and so “we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” So the scripture says: “Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.” Isaiah 60:21. When sin came into the world, it seemed for a time to turn aside, as it were, God’s plan concerning this work of creation. CAS 10.2

But God’s plan is not thwarted, and his purpose still is that this earth shall be inhabited by righteous beings, and not until it is so inhabited will God’s original purpose in the creation of the world and in the creation of man be fully carried out. So it is true that the plan of salvation is but the carrying forward of God’s original purpose in creation, and for this reason it is that conversion or redemption is spoken of as creation. Thus we read: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2:10. So it was that David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart.” Redemption is creation. Converting power is creative power, and unless creative power be displayed, there can be no genuine conversion, and hence no salvation. CAS 11.1

The true God is distinguished from false gods by two special characteristics,-he can create and he can save. The false gods can do neither. Attention is called to this in the following scriptures. In the ninety-sixth psalm we read: “Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the Lord made the heavens.” So we read again in Jeremiah 10:10-12: “But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king.... The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, he hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.” He who can create can redeem. He who can redeem can create. But the one who cannot create cannot redeem. This is, in fact, the very point that the Lord makes against all false gods in his challenge in Isaiah 45:20-22: “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations; they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.” Creative power is a mark of divinity; wherever you find divinity, there you find creative power, and that is redeeming power. CAS 11.2

Again we read: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” Galatians 6:15. The Revised Version, margin, suggests the reading, “a new creation,” and that is true. No form, no ceremony, can save one. There must be a new creation. A new heart must be created. So again we read: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. And the same reading is again suggested here: “If any man be in Christ, there is a new creation,” and that is the very idea of conversion, that it is a creative work. CAS 12.1