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Biblical Theology of Desire From Creation to Redemption

The biblical understanding of desire traces a path from the original creation, through the fall and its consequences, to the ultimate redemption offered in Christ. In the beginning, God created all things out of nothing, an act attributed to the entire Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and done for God's own pleasure and purpose [1, 2]. This initial creation was inherently good, with no "poison of destruction" [11].

However, human desire, when separated from its created purpose, became a conduit for sin. James 1:15 states that "desire, after it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is brought to completion, gives birth to death" [4]. This highlights a fundamental shift from a state of perfect creation to one where human nature is corrupted, requiring a new birth [5]. The Apostle Paul describes creation itself as subjected to "bondage of decay," awaiting deliverance into "the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21) [3]. Gregory Thaumaturgus similarly notes that "the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that subjected the same in hope" [11].

Redemption, therefore, addresses this fallen state. It is defined as a deliverance from the bondage of the law, the curse of the law, the power of sin, and all iniquity [6]. This redemption is accomplished by God through Christ, specifically by His blood [6]. Charles Hodge emphasizes that Christ's work aims to remove the curse of sin and provide an inward transformation of the soul [12, 15]. This transformation is often described as a "new creation" or a "new birth," where the individual enters a new spiritual existence [5, 14]. John Calvin notes that repentance, a turning from sinful desires, is a special gift of God [13].

The scheme of redemption is ultimately for God's glory, displaying His unmerited love and boundless benevolence [10]. It is a process that involves God's determinate counsel and foreknowledge, with the purpose to create preceding the purpose to redeem in the divine plan [8]. Believers are sealed unto the day of redemption and are represented as waiting for its full realization [9]. This assurance of redemption is produced by faith, confirmed by love, and is an effect of righteousness [7].

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Creation — "In the beginning" God created, i.e., called into being, all things out of nothing. This creative act on the part of God was absolutely free, and for infinitely wise reasons. The cause of all things exists only in the will of God. The work of creation is attributed (1) to the Godhead (Gen. 1:1, 26); (2) to the Father (1 Cor. 8:6); (3) to the Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16, 17); (4) to the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30). The fact that he is the Creator distinguishes Jehovah as the true God (Isa. 37:16; 40:12, 13; 54:5; Ps. 96:5; Jer. 10:11, 12). Th”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Creation — The formation of things which had no previous existence -- Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3. Effected By God. -- Ge 1:1; 2:4,5; Pr 26:10. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3,10; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 26:13; Ps 104:30. By the command of God. -- Ps 33:9; Heb 11:3. In the beginning. -- Ge 1:1; Mt 24:21. In six normal days. -- Ex 20:11; 31:17. According to God's purpose. -- Ps 135:6. For God's pleasure. -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. For Christ. -- Col 1:16. By faith we believe, to be God's work -- Heb 11:3. Order of First day, making light and dividing it from darkness. -- Ge 1:3-5;”
  3. Romans “that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. -- Romans 8:21”
  4. James “James 1:15 (LEB) — Then desire, after it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is brought to completion, gives birth to death.”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: New Birth, The — The corruption of human nature requires -- Joh 3:6; Ro 8:7,8. None can enter heaven without -- Joh 3:3. Effected by God. -- Joh 1:13; 1Pe 1:3. Christ. -- 1Jo 2:29. The Holy Spirit. -- Joh 3:6; Tit 3:5. Through the instrumentality of The word of God. -- Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23. The resurrection of Christ. -- 1Pe 1:3. The ministry of the gospel. -- 1Co 4:15. Is of the will of God -- Jas 1:18. Is of the mercy of God -- Tit 3:5. Is for the glory of God -- Isa 43:7. Described as A new creation. -- 2Co 5:17; Ga 6:15; Eph 2:10. Newness of life. -- Ro 6:4. A spir”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Redemption — Defined -- 1Co 6:20; 7:23. Is of God -- Isa 44:21-23; 43:1; Lu 1:68. Is by Christ -- Mt 20:28; Ga 3:13. Is by the blood of Christ -- Ac 20:28; Heb 9:12; 1Pe 1:19; Re 5:9. Christ sent to effect -- Ga 4:4,5. Christ is made, to us -- 1Co 1:30. Is from The bondage of the law. -- Ga 4:5. The curse of the law. -- Ga 3:13. The power of sin. -- Ro 6:18,22. The power of the grave. -- Ps 49:15. All troubles. -- Ps 25:22. All iniquity. -- Ps 130:8; Tit 2:14. All evil. -- Ge 48:16. The present evil world. -- Ga 1:4. Vain conversation. -- 1Pe 1:18. Enemies. -- Ps 106”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Assurance — Produced by faith -- Eph 3:12; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 10:22. Made full by hope -- Heb 6:11,19. Confirmed by love -- 1Jo 3:14,19; 4:18. Is the effect of righteousness -- Isa 32:17. Is abundant in the understanding of the gospel -- Col 2:2; 1Th 1:5. Saints privileged to have, of Their election. -- Ps 4:3; 1Th 1:4. Their redemption. -- Job 19:25. Their adoption. -- Ro 8:16; 1Jo 3:2. Their salvation. -- Isa 12:2. Eternal life. -- 1Jo 5:13. The unalienable love of God. -- Ro 8:38,39. Union with God and Christ. -- 1Co 6:15; 2Co 13:5; Eph 5:30; 1Jo 2:5; 4:13. Peace with ”
  8. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 60: precede the means; and, according to Paul, the purpose to create precedes the purpose to redeem, and therefore cannot be a means to that end. Our Lord, we are told, was delivered to death “by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” But his death, of necessity, supposed his incarnation, and therefore in the order of thought, or in the plan of God, the purpose to prepare Him a body preceded the purpose to deliver Him to the death of the cross. The only passage of the Bible which appears to teach explicitly that creation is a mean”
  9. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 103: says, Luke xxi. 28 , that when the Son of Man shall appear in his glory, then his disciples may be sure that their “redemption draweth nigh.” They are sealed unto the day of redemption. ( Eph. i. 14 .) Christ has “obtained eternal redemption.” ( Heb. ix. 12 .) Believers are represented as waiting for their redemption. ( Rom. viii. 23 .) It is therefore the plain doctrine of Scripture that, as before said, Christ saves us neither by the mere exercise of power, nor by his doctrine, nor by his example, nor by the moral influence which He ex”
  10. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 66: dispensations of his providence. The consistent opponent of this doctrine must, therefore, reject the truths even of natural religion. As Augustinianism agrees with the facts of providence it of course agrees with the facts of Scripture. The Bible declares that the salvation of sinful men is a matter of grace; and that the great design of the whole scheme of redemption is to display the glory of that divine attribute, — to exhibit to the admiration, and for the edification of the intelligent universe, God’s unmerited love and boundless be”
  11. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Methodius, Arnobius — PART I. (part 5): God created all things that they might have their being; and the generations of the world were healthful, and there is no poison of destruction in them."(3) And Paul clearly testifies this, saying, "For the earnest expectation of the creature(4) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature(4) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that subjected the same in hope: because the creature(4) itself also shall be delivered from the 366 bondage of corrup”
  12. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 23: the wrath of God in the first instance. The inward transformation of the soul into his likeness is provided for by other means. In the sixth place and finally, the fact that we are saved by grace proves that the ground of salvation is not in ourselves. The grace of God, his love for the unlovely, for the guilty and polluted, is represented in the Bible as the most mysterious of the divine perfections. It was hidden in God. It could not be discovered by reason, neither was it revealed prior to the redemption of man. The specific object of ”
  13. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: being previously enamored of righteousness. This view, as it is the simplest of all, seemed to me also to accord best with Scripture truth. 21. Moreover, that repentance is a special gift of God, I trust is too well understood from the above doctrine to require any lengthened discourse. Hence the Church 321 321 French, “L’Eglise primitive du temps des Apostres;”—the primitive Church of the Apostles’ time. extols the goodness of God, and looks on in wonder, saying, “Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life,” ( ”
  14. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 6: acknowledged, they should be) devoted to securing them for ourselves and others. This is one of the forms in which the Bible sets forth the doctrine of regeneration. It is raising the soul dead in sin to spiritual 35 life. And this spiritual life unfolds or manifests itself just as any other form of life, in all the exercises appropriate to its nature. It is a New Birth. The same doctrine on this subject is taught in other words when regeneration is declared to be a new birth. At birth the child enters upon a new state of existence. Birth ”
  15. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 108: CHAPTER IX. THEORIES OF THE ATONEMENT. The history of this doctrine is commonly divided into three per nods, the Patristic; the Scholastic; and the time of the Reformation and from that event to the present day. The method which the writers on this subject have usually adopted, is to pass in review in chronological order the distinguished theologians living during these several periods, and present a general outline of the teaching of each. The two great objects to be accomplished by the work of Christ are, the removal of the curse under”
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