The Bible Story
30 September 2020
Key Verse: Ephesians 1: 9-10 “he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
When looking at God’s divine story, let us consider the fact that the Bible is pre-eminently a story. Theologian John Scott says of the Bible “some people seem to think of the Bible as a trackless jungle, full of contradictions a tangled undergrowth of unrelated ideas. In fact, it is quite the opposite, for one of the chief glories of the Bible is its coherence.” and he adds “The whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation tells the story of God’s sovereign purpose of grace. His master plan of salvation through Christ.” When we read scripture we read a series of stories that blend together to tell an overall story, Len spoke about this on Sunday 20th September about the fig tree following on with the temple clearing and going back to the fig tree at first glance disjointed, but as Len showed, totally connected. For many, our use of the Bible is in the same way we use the internet. It is somewhere to go when we are in trouble and need information or advice. There is nothing wrong in looking up appropriate memory verses or passages when we are feeling low or in need of spiritual help. We must however learn that the Bible has much more to give us than prescriptions on how to stop worrying, how to avoid anger. It is God’s living Word and His way of telling us about Himself and His wonderful plan for us. John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
First and foremost the Bible is a story, how God is at work (and has always been at work) moving from a plan laid down in eternity to a point in history with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then to fulfilment in the future 1 Peter 1:20 “He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.” This story that God is telling in each of our lives is wonderful but more wonderful still is the living story that God is telling us through scripture 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”
Dr Larry Crabb, founder of Newway Ministries, said that “God’s story consists of seven chapters, 1. God in Trinity, 2. God and the angels, 3. Evil begins, 4. Paradise created, 5. Paradise lost, 6. Glory revealed, 7.
Glory enjoyed forever.” The apostle Paul was given the gift to show this through his epistles, look at Galatians 3: 15-26 and we see that in a few short verses how he condenses God’s story. He gives us in a few short verses a period of 2000 years, we see him describing a vast mountain range whose peaks are Abraham and Moses, with the highest peak being Jesus Christ. Paul’s message is simply God’s promise to Abraham was confirmed by Moses and fulfilled by Jesus Christ. John 8:42 “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.” and John 12:47 “I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” In these verses from Galatians Paul is teaching the unity of the Bible, while at the same time providing us with a sense that throughout history God has been at work, pursuing a purpose that might have been unseen at the time but was nevertheless part of His eternal plan. 1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face.”
Let us get caught up in the story God is telling in the Bible, let us not be preoccupied with our own problems instead let us be empowered by faith in Jesus Christ to live daily for Him. Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.