The Bible Story

THE BIBLE’S STORY

Anyone who thinks the Bible is the story of humanity’s search for God is only half right. The Bible is a story, but it isn’t the story of humanity’s search for God. Rather, it is God’s story, the account of his search for us.

The story begins by revealing God as the Creator of all that is. The creation he fashioned was good. Everything was in harmony and functioning as he created it to function. At the apex of his creative enterprise God placed human beings—creatures made in his image, made to rule over his creation, and made to have fellowship with him.

Sadly, humans choose to rebel against God’s authority. Historically the church has called this act of rebellion the fall. While God made humans to enjoy him in humble dependence upon him, they willfully choose to go their own way. The official term for this is sin. Sin brings evil, suffering, and death into the world. It is a gross distortion of God’s original design. Sin separates humanity from God and the gap is so wide there is nothing humanity can do to bridge the gap. A great deal of the Bible records the tragic impact that the fall into sin has had on the world.

Nevertheless, thankfully the Bible reveals that despite the mess human beings have made out of things, God has enacted a plan of redemption, a means whereby he will deliver them out of the mess they are in because of the fall. This plan centers in the person of Jesus Christ who was God in human flesh. Throughout the Old Testament he was anticipated and in the New Testament we find that he came to deliver people from the sin to which they have been in bondage since the fall. Out of his great love for sinners he died in their place, taking the penalty they deserve because of their sins and giving his righteousness to those who believe in him.

The story does not end there, however. The final chapter centers on restoration. In the future Jesus will return to judge his enemies and save his people. He will undo the damage done by the fall.

This is the grand story of the Bible. No greater story has ever been written.