Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…

  - 2 Corinthians 5.18, 19

Now the careful words of repentance must be said for me. He from whom I hope for the stole of immortality and the ring of dignity, who for my arrival slays the fattened calf from the herd, whose blood restored the structure of the whole world…

  - Moucan, “Prayers”, Irish, 8th-9th century[1]

We do well to remember that God sent Jesus out of His unfathomable love for the world (Jn. 3.16).

When Jesus advised Nicodemus that God loved the world, He meant precisely that. He meant the cosmos, the whole created order – the far-flung stars and planets, the soaring clouds and majestic hills, the roaring deeps, and every infinitesimally small creature and thing.

He meant the world of human beings, together with their culture, societies, institutions, families, languages, stories, and stuff. God loves the world, even though much of the world is locked in the grip of sin and rebellion.

And the blood which Jesus shed, sent by the Father’s love, is intended for the restoration of the world.

God made the world and everything in it; He loves what He made and grieves, as it were, at the ruin our sin inflicts on His creation.

Evidence of God’s love for the world is everywhere apparent. The mere continuance of all created things depends on God. The beauty of the creation, its grandeur and glory, all its goodness, bounty, and mystery – all indicate God’s continuing love for what He made, and what He sent His Son to redeem.

Moucan understood this profound truth: the blood of Christ restores the structure and the entirety of the cosmos. It begins by cleansing the souls of those who believe, and flows from there into all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities, all our work and culture, even the very land and its creatures entrusted to our care.

The creation awaits the blood-bought liberty of the sons and daughters of God, that they might bring that restoring power to bear on every aspect of life and the cosmos.

We work and pray for partial restoration now, but we know full and complete restoration is coming, because of the blood of Jesus. The new heavens and new earth, where righteousness dwells, will only be possible because of Jesus, Whose blood takes away the sin that blights the cosmos.

How great is the love of God for you? How powerful to cleanse and renew is the precious blood of Jesus? How much power is in the blood to make you an agent of restoration everywhere you go, with everyone you meet, for every situation and all of life?

Only consider, that the crimson drippings of that hideous cross ensured the complete re-creation of the vast cosmos in God’s good time, and you will surely understand in a new way how deep, how strong, how sure, how limitless, and how completely transforming is the blood of Jesus for you.

And with that blood coursing through the veins of your spirit, the only limits on restoring power are whatever you have not yet dared to think or ask (Eph. 3.20).

Psalm 98.4-9 (Duke Street: Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord)
Raise to the Lord your loudest voice!
Break forth and sing! Rejoice! Rejoice!
Praise, praise to You, our God and King,
With all our hearts and strength we bring!

Now the let the whole creation ‘round
Burst into song with joyous sound!
Jesus will come to judge the earth;
Let all proclaim His matchless worth!

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that Your blood restores my soul, my life, my all!

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The Lord supports our work through the prayers and generous gifts of those who share our vision and are served by our ministry. I ask you to seek Him in prayer, whether He might be pleased to use you in this way. You can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction VT 05452. Thank you for prayerfully considering being part of this effort.

T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.