God’s story has been told to all creation through all of time and has been revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. Here is a quick, easy to remember way to see the story of God in 6 symbols. Seeing the gospel in the context of the full story helps us tell others of God’s full plan and how he has been working this since day 1.
V Creation: God created all things for His glory (John 1:1-5). He made humanity to enjoy Him and all that He had made, bringing Him more glory. God & humanity had a perfect relationship .
X Chaos: Humanity rebelled, wanting to be God. Sin entered the world as they chose to try to be in charge. God, the one actually in charge, expelled them from the garden. With sin’s entrance came death, pain and brokenness (Eph 2:1-3).
> Old Covenant: God pursues humanity, loving them, protecting them, caring for them, continually revealing Himself to them through covenants and relationship. Though God keeps His part of the covenants, His people (Israel) continually fail on their end. The perfect relationship is long gone and humanity is in need of redemption.
+ Cross: The Father sent Jesus, His Son, to redeem His people. Jesus lived the perfect life, died a criminal’s death as an innocent man, took the full wrath of God on Himself for humanity’s sin and rose from the tomb three days later.
> New Covenant: Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving His followers the Holy Spirit to renew them and enable them to fulfill His call to restore all of Creation through Him (Eph 1:20). The Church exists to declare the mystery of the Gospel (Eph 3:6).
V ReCreation: Jesus will return bodily to set up His Kingdom here on earth. The dead will rise; those in Him will rise to life and those opposed to Him, to death. All of Creation will be restored to what it was intended to be, the best that it ever could be, to His glory. (Eph 2:10)
Watch Andrew demonstrate how to use this useful tool.