Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration

We as Gods Children are so blessed! The Gospel is so expansive and implicative, relevant and potent for every avenue and corner of our life. However, it is also declarative and simple, able to be distilled while still maintaining all of its fullness. It is simple, yet complex. Singular, yet dynamic. Correspondingly, when it is declared, usually in a simple way, the spark becomes a forest fire, the explosive power of the atom is released as the Holy spirit splits it. Its simple story, "Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration" is life giving and when it is believed death turns green.

So often though, we can substitute a part of that story for ones that we want. This is what God calls idolatry. The section most commonly substituted is redemption. We usually "create saviors" by trusting in them to be our safety, our validation, our rest, instead of Christ. Many times we put our trust in how we appear to people, how well we work, how much money we receive, or our spouses rather then the power of God to save. Romans 8 asks the beautiful question. "who is to condemn, it is God who Justifies". What are putting out as a false justification? We need not look any further then our belief in the gospel to deal with our sin. It is in Christ where we find life.

Also, in order to be the sent people that God has saved us to be, we need not look any further then Gods story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration to display the kingdom. What parts of this story do our coworkers, family, neighbors, etc. believe in? What dont they believe in? Many contexts believe in fall- some dont. This context maybe thinks that there was once a better time (this time could be a former ideology, political structure whatever) and now it is worse then before because of a man. This sounds familiar doesn't it? However, they believe in a redemption and restoration different then Gods story. It could be brought forth with a man or with a human structure. Here after listening we can start to discern where their unbelief is. We can ask them questions and display how Gods story is so much better then theirs. "How can a man fix mans problems?" "How can mans structures be expected to restore what man's structures broke?" "Wouldn't we need to go back to the begining and see if the creator of the creation could repair it?" You see how aptly Gods story can substitute man's story?

This is why we must view the Gospel as a story, beacause we are a story people. Live in Gods story, sift your life through and see new life.