The Bible ultimately tells us one main overarching story, the Gospel. The Gospel is the true story about where all things including history have come from, and where all things are heading toward. Simply put, the Gospel can be explained in four major realities of this story, which is our story, and your story:

CREATION

The One True God created all things out of nothing, and God called His creation “good” (Genesis 1-2; Hebrews 11:3).  By right, God ruled over His creation with loving fatherly care.  As part of this creation, God created human beings (us) in His own image to represent His rule and reign over His creation. (Genesis 1:27-31; Psalm 8:4-8).  At this point, God called His creation “very good”.  God placed the first man and woman (Adam & Eve) in the Garden of Eden providing for their every need as they served God in the unique role He had created them for (Genesis 2:15-16).  In the Garden, they experienced joyous unbroken relationship with God as they served under His fatherly guiding rule (Genesis 2:8-9, 15-25; 3:8).

FALL

The joyous relationship in the Garden with God was soon broken (Genesis 3).  God had abundantly provided for Adam & Eve with all they needed (Genesis 2:15-16).  God, however, had warned them that they were not to eat of the fruit of one particular tree in the Garden.  If they did, they would “surely die” (Genesis 2:17; 3:3).  Eve was deceived by the serpent (who is Satan) and ate of the forbidden tree and led Adam to eat as well.  God, in response, cursed Adam & Eve by casting them out of the Garden of Eden.  This curse demonstrated the broken relationship that now exists, not only between God and Adam & Eve, but between God and all of humanity that would descend from them.  In this one act of rebellion (or sin) against God’s rule and authority, all of humanity came under the curse of death.  Every human being since Adam & Eve has been born with this curse of death, and have been born into this broken relationship that exists between God and His human creatures (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23).  The curse of sin not only corrupted Adam & Eve, but all of creation ushering in the darkness of sin, death, and destruction that we witness all around us. 

REDEMPTION

Even in the curse, however, God promised to restore the joyous relationship in the Garden between God and humanity. God promised that a descendant of Adam & Eve would come to restore humanity to the joyous unbroken relationship that existed in the Garden. He promised to send a Redeemer who would crush the serpent (Satan) and defeat sin and its curse of death forevermore (Genesis 3:15). God’s promise of redemption unfolds as God calls a people to Himself through Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob and later through the great prophet Moses. God’s people, the nation of Israel, would be the people that the promised Redeemer would come out of.  This redeemer would not only redeem Israel, but all people who would come and trust in Him and His redemptive work.  This promised Redeemer has come in the person of Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14).  Jesus lived an obedient sinless life in right relationship with God the Father, and yet he died a sinner’s death that the curse of death may be paid (Galatians 4:4-5; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 4:15).  God raised Jesus from the grave and death on the third day to offer those that trust in Him everlasting life (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14). 

NEW CREATION

This everlasting life includes a restored relationship with God.  By trusting in Jesus, who is the promised Redeemer, humans who were enemies of God because of rebellious sin can come to be adopted back into God’s family as sons and daughters of God (Romans 5:10; 8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:21). Those who come to trust Jesus will be restored to properly reflect the image of God, as God had first designed; yet, in an even greater way for Christ will live in them (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:20). Not only will human beings be restored, but God through Jesus will restore all things in the end as there will be a new heavens and a new earth (Acts 3:21; Romans 8:18-21; 2 Peter 3:7-13; Revelation 21:1-8). All creation will be restored to be even greater than how God created it at first and sin & death will rule no more!

RESPONSE

You may be asking: How can I take hold of this promise of restored relationship with God for myself?

It really is simple. God’s promise of restored relationship is a free gift to us that we can freely have, if we will just take hold of it.  Here’s how:

1) Repent—Repent means to turn away from sin and rebellion against God’s rightful authority as Creator, which has resulted in our being enemies with God in broken relationship.  It also means that we must turn to God to be restored to right relationship with Him. 

2) Believe—We must come to believe (that is trust) that God has acted to restore our relationship with Him through giving His Son, Jesus, to live a righteous life for us and to die a sinner’s death for us.  We must believe that God raised Jesus from that death to offer us eternal life with Him in restored relationship as His child.

3) Obey—When we turn from our rebellion against God and turn to be restored to Him through trusting in Jesus Christ, God gives us His Spirit so that we may live out that restored relationship by following after and obeying all that God has commanded us through Jesus Christ, His Son. 

 

We would encourage you to find a local gathering of Jesus’ people called a church that preaches this same Gospel and make your trust in Jesus public by professing Jesus as Lord and Savior.  That church can help you and encourage you in learning how to follow all that Jesus has commanded. We here at RABC would welcome you here and/or help you find a Gospel church nearer to your location.  May you be found trusting in our Great Savior, Jesus Christ!

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