Far As The Curse is Found

He comes to make his blessings flow, Far as the curse is found.

TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN:

In these remarkable lines we broadcast in song a gospel as large as the universe itself. The blessings of redemption “flow as far as the curse is found.” This hymn reminds us that the gospel is good news to a world that has, in every imaginable way, been twisted away from the intention of the Creator’s design by the powers of sin and death, but that God, in Christ, is putting it back into shape.

Because God created peoples, places, and things, and because sin has corrupted peoples, places, and things, God intends to redeem peoples, places, and things. In Christ, God intends to redeem not only individuals but also neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. He intends to redeem not only environmentalists but also the environment; not just lawyers but also law; not simply government officials but also government itself (Isaiah 9:6‑7). His goal is to transform every cultural sphere, from art and education to commerce and communication—everything! His mission is to redeem, renew, and regenerate all that is twisted and corrupt, broken and crusted over with sin.

Furthermore, this is a mission God will never abort. He refuses to quit until he has renewed every last inch of his good creation that has been contaminated by evil. “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). The apostle Paul says that God is using the power of Christ’s cross to “reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven” (Colossians 1:20). He speaks of God’s “plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:10).

Theologian Cornelius Plantinga notes the comprehensiveness of it all: “In a thousand ways, God will gather what’s scattered, rebuild what’s broken, restore what has been emptied out by centuries of waste and fraud. In a thousand ways, God will put right what’s wrong with his glorious creation.”

God promises nothing short of total cosmic renewal. Our confident anticipation of that renewal—our living hope of it—triggers and sustains our excitement and motivation for making a difference by living unfashionable lives.

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