March 31, 2004

THE UNIFYING HEAD

"This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head" (Ephesians 1:10, TEV).

The primacy and centrality of Christ in the cosmic universe is highlighted in this title. He will bring all creation together under His headship. All Christ's creative and redemptive activities are summed up in this sublime title.

Through Christ as the agent, a perfect and harmonious universe was created. The fall of man, however, disrupted that order. The original unity of all things was thrown into disorder by the intrusion of sin. This intrusion has produced death, suffering, and hostility. This state of fragmentation is alien to God's original plan. It was to rectify this disjointed state of affairs that Christ came to earth.

God's master plan for restoring harmony is the plan of salvation. As the center of this plan, Christ came in the form of man, lived and died vicariously, and rose again. From the incarnation to the final restoration, Christ is the preeminent, unifying figure.

In the final restoration, Christ will "bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth" under His unifying head (Ephesians 1:10, TEV). This will usher in the reign of everlasting righteousness and peace under the sovereignty of King Jesus. Here's a sublime pen-picture of the universe under Christ's headship: "The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space."--The Great Controversy, p. 678.

My Prayer Today: Lord, hasten the day when Christ will bring all things together in one. Amen.