"good works", demonstrate that they are God's poem (A.V. `workmanship'). These

"good works" and such a manner of life were part of God's original intention; they were

"afore prepared that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2: 10 R.V.).

The work of salvation in the hearts of men is a work of restoration to order, God's

original intention for every part of His creation. That salvation is to be lived out by the

believer in demonstration that the effects of sin (lawlessness and disorder) have been

dealt with in his life by the work of Christ. He no longer has to follow the dictates of

"the age of this kosmos" controlled by "the prince of the authority of the air" (Eph. 2: 2

lit.), he is part of God's new poem, a new creation in Christ Jesus. As such he seeks

God's order in his life.

It ought to be pointed out that there are dispensational differences between the

ministry of John and that of Paul.  Both use the word kosmos frequently and not

necessarily identically. Also whereas Paul uses the conception of a "new creation" with

regard to the salvation of man, John speaks rather of being "born of God", a "new birth"

(II Cor. 5: 17; Gal. 6: 15; Eph. 2: 10; Col. 3: 10; John 1: 13; 3: 3, 7; I John 3: 9).

Peter, also an apostle of the circumcision (Gal. 2: 9), is on very similar lines to John,

referring to "being born again" and "begotten again" (I Pet. 1: 23; 1: 3). Peter also uses

kosmos.

Whilst these differences must be recognized and taken into consideration in

exposition, they do not detract from the fundamental idea that salvation, whether it be

expressed in terms of a new birth or a new creation, deals with restoration to order. The

believer is given a "sound mind" (sophronismos, related to sozo, to save and sophron,

sober) and demonstrates it to be so by a walk in harmony with God's order.

The Greek word taxis (referred to above in Col. 2: 5) is translated "order" in its every

occurrence, and also bears upon this theme. But the word is derived from tasso, to

arrange or put in order, especially in a military sense. Since it is obviously connected

also with hupotasso (subject, subdue, submit) it will be considered as part of that word

which also speaks of "order".

This word means literally, to set in order under; it speaks of submission (sometimes

voluntary) and suggests, taken together with the thoughts already voiced on kosmos, that

God in His wisdom ordained a certain arrangement, spoilt since by sin, but being

restored by the work of Christ. A system of "rule and authority and power" was vested in

created beings, but when "the end" arrives all will have been annulled and "put in

subjection under His feet".  Finally, even the Son Himself will voluntarily submit

Himself that "God may be all in all" (I Cor. 15: 24-28).

In the Prison Ministry of Paul another aspect is introduced in connection with

submission to Christ, in that He is seen as "Head over all things" and as such given to the

Church which is His Body (Eph. 1: 22, 23). The Church anticipates the "dispensation of