In Romans 3 the word “justified” is used several times (Rom. 3:4, 10, 20, 24, 26, 28, 30 [see also “righteous” Rom. 3:5, 21, 22, 25, 26). Only God can declare a man righteous and yet men continually seek ways to make themselves righteous.

“THERE ARE fundamentally only two doctrines of salvation: that salvation is from God, and that salvation is from ourselves. The former is the doctrine of common Christianity; the latter is the doctrine of universal heathenism. “The principle of heathenism is, negatively, the denial of the true God, and of the gift of his grace; and, positively, the notion that salvation can be secured by man’s own power and wisdom. Whether the works through which heathenism seeks the way of salvation bear a more ritual or a more ethical characteristic, whether they are of a more positive or of a more negative nature, in any case man remains his own Savior; all religions except the Christian are autosoteric . . . And philosophy has made no advance upon this.”

Being justified is an act of God (Ro 8:33) Who takes the initiative (cp Eph. 1:4, 1Pet. 1:2, 2 Thess. 2:13) and provides the means through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. The sinner who believes in Christ receives God’s gift of righteousness (Rom. 1:17, Rom. 5:17), which then enables God to  pronounce him righteous (both Just & Justifier – Rom. 3:26).

Being justified is once and for all time and as such defines the believers permanent state. Just as you may not be tried for the same crime again after being acquitted, God’s justification means you will never be tried or condemned by Him again for your sins–past, present, or future. This is good news indeed.

To reiterate, justification is not an act of God that makes us righteous but is an act of God that declares us righteous based on what Christ accomplished on Calvary.

Wayne Grudem writes, “A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith. Even today, a true view of justification is the dividing line between the biblical gospel of salvation by faith alone and all false gospels of salvation based on good works.

It is this truth of our just standing before the Father in the Son that we wish to note and celebrate in this study. In the next post we will look at five elements about justification within the Scripture that one must come to grips with if they will stand before God right and live free.

Romans 3:19-31
How can I be right with God? What does it mean to be right with God? How would you like to never have to worry about God being mad, angry, or upset with you? How would you like to find rest in the midst of life’s struggles? How would you like to finally measure up to God’s righteous expectations for you? Apart from sounding incredible, it also sounds impossible. But you and I can be right before God.

The book of Romans has already created a dilemma within man by revealing his position of complete spiritual bankruptcy before God (Romans 1:18-3:20). Chapter three verse ten is emphatic, “there is none righteous no not one.” In light of his condition man is barred from God’s presence, guilty of sin and a recipient of God’s full and undiluted wrath. In our next post we will consider the doctrine of justification by faith.

1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:1-3).

This singular idea cannot be abandoned when seeking to understand what the book contains. Everything about the story is from God, through God, and for the glory of God. The centerpiece to the story is the person and work of Jesus Christ as He works to save His people from their shame, fear, and guilt. The Book of Revelation provides “a last word” that enables the reader to see how the story will end. Neither the beginning, nor the middle, nor the ending of the story are left to chance. God neither wonders nor questions how the story will end. The Revelation is not simply speaking of something that is still hundreds of thousands of years in the future. The Revelation speaks of story “which must soon take place.” It speaks of a story that is near and not far off. “When the author walks on to the stage the play is over.” (http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/phd/depriest/1defined.html) It is this “last word” that explains our present conflict and provides immediate hope. It is interesting to remember how the last handful of biblical books to be written are the Gospels ([Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] “The Hero’s Arrival and Work”) and Paul’s last letters ([1 and 2 Timothy] The Hero’s Legacy”). Most of these works were written 25-30 years before the Revelation of Jesus by John (about 90AD). The Holy Spirit left us with a story that highlights what is necessary for us to continue in the retelling of the story. The story will carry on with the continued expansion of His kingdom on earth until such a time (an exact and predetermined time) when the Father will send His Son once more to fully establish His kingdom on earth just as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). At such a time there will be a revisiting of conditions as existed in the Garden of Eden. The villain will finally and fully be assigned his residency in a place where God’s goodness will no longer be felt. Those who persist in their rebellion against the king will similarly languish in the horror of the Hero’s absence.

The Hero’s work will prove lavish for those whom He calls His own. They will  experience the fullness of His unveiled presence in unimaginable ways.They will bask in the King’s glory. All those things the created currently deem best will pale in the presence of their Creator, their Deliverer, their Hero, God’s Hero. All of the shadows will give way to the substance. No longer will the shadow even tempt those who live in fellowship with the King. Every residue of faith will give way to unhindered sight. In His presence is fullness of joy and in His presence are pleasures forever more (Ps. 16:11). We will forever be at rest. We will never experience discontent again. No sin, in any way, will taint the palatable presence of the King.

There will be no concern as to who is or is not present. There will be no concern of reward or missed opportunity. All regret will be forever removed. We will not concern ourselves with streets of gold or gates of pearl. All those “things” that currently occupy our thinking as it relates to the “end times” will be of no consequence in that day. In that day all of our failure will give way to constant conformity. In that day we will finally and forever lay down the shield of faith used to quench the fire darts of the devil (Eph. 6:16), our relentless adversary (1 Pet. 5:8).

Words like delicious, thrilling, mouth-watering, adrenaline pumping, mind blowing, and exhilarating will be fittingly inadequate to describe that which is exceeding abundantly beyond what we could possibly ask or think (Eph. 3:20). How can a creature possibly capture in language or act the Creator? How can the rescued speak effectively of the Rescuer? How can the delivered thank enough the Deliverer?

Yet this is the story’s end. There is coming a time when, “EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10, 11). There is coming a time when, “Every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, [will say], ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped” (Rev. 5:13, 14).

The story will end where it began . . . with God: God, in all of His glory, receiving the tribute worthy of His person and work. This is the storyline of the Bible. It has been and will forever be about Him. It will forever be about who He is, what He has done, and who His people are because of Him. Let us never lessen our pursuit of Him. Let us find all He is as being enough in this life and in the life to come. May we now and forever “determine to shout the supremacy of God in all things (Rom. 11:36) by finding, celebrating and declaring He is enough in this life and the life that is to come (Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 4, 5) through the systematic study of His Word (2 Tim. 2:15) and to share this message with every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 5:9).” Amen and amen.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

“All the nations” in Luke 24:47 are “the remotest part of the earth” in Acts 1:8. The thought of Jerusalem is common in both. The Hero’s legacy, His redemptive work in behalf of His people, is to be proclaimed to everyone, everywhere, at all times. The work of the witness is to be who they are in whatever role they find themselves. The story of God is not bound by the chronicling of it in the Bible. The story exceeds its literary boundaries and is to overflow into every area of life. There is no part of life that is not a part of His story. Each of us, in our own special way, is a part of this divine story. This includes housewives, working mothers, husbands who find themselves in repetitive jobs whose sole interest is to clothe his family, put food on the table, and keep a roof over their heads. This is a part of the story. The story has various sub-plots but every sub-plot keeps taking the reader back to the four primary themes: creation, transgression, condemnation, and redemption. At times in the story, it is the author’s delight to keep parts a mystery to the reader, but this does not make the mystery any less necessary. Its placement is designed to push us toward the author and His purpose.

Our witness, no matter where we find ourselves, is to keep retelling the story. It is not for us to edit the story. Equally, there is no need for us to embellish the story. The story has enough weight to carry itself. It is a story where Jesus Christ sits at center stage. He is the subject matter of all stories. Its retelling penetrates powerfully into each of the inner sanctuaries of the reader. The story touches indiscriminately. There is power in the story and in the retelling of it. God promises, provides, and performs all that He promises and gives all He provides. The story is to be retold when a parent speaks its words to the child or when a grandparent retells the story to a grandchild. It is told when an aunt or uncle tells their niece or nephew. It is retold when an employee responds with integrity and honesty to their employer even when it might cost them their job. The story has power to change lives. It can change the defiled into a thing of beauty. It alters one’s mindset and attitude. It changes everything. No one can encounter the story without it touching their life. Yet there is an ever-present danger, a real threat to the stories retelling. We can deny the story by believing what those initial disciples had with Jesus or in the Book of Acts is different than what we have. There are three ways as to how the story might be denied.

First, we might believe our lives are too ordinary and do not see how who we are or what we do as a part of the one story.

Secondly, we might not see ourselves as a part of a local church and how this local church is a part of the larger, global body of Christ. We do not see how we fit into the larger story of God.

Thirdly, our view of eschatology can greatly affect how we understand this idea. I believe it is wrong for us to deny the one story of God. I believe it is wrong to think everything is worse now than during any other period of time. We have a very defeatist view of history. I believe wickedness will exist until Jesus comes. But His coming is not based on our commitment or corruption but on His calendar. The Father has set a time for the Son to come (Acts 1:7).

Because of the story of God, and how He unfolds and moves it forward, we are to be highly optimistic. The entire Book of Acts is a testament to the carrying forth of the legacy. Although there is a progression to the expansive nature of the work of the witnesses, it is also cyclical in so far that every remotest part is to become a Jerusalem. This is the greater work done by His disciples after the promised power came upon them. Acts wants us, 2,000 years later, to be encouraged and empowered to continue what has already begun. The spread of the Hero’s legacy has been constant and continues to this day. The gospel has been preached globally, and His kingdom has spread global, but it is not over. Our Captain, our King, our Hero has never rescinded the order, “Go into the entire world and make disciples of all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem!”

We are not to live in defeat or in any way be discouraged. We must know and believe that God has won the victory, and we are carrying out His continued conquest. Friend, you and I are living in a kingdom reality. It is different than what it will be, but it is no less real. When we see ourselves as a part of this one story, then we will see that God is working and His purpose is unfolding according to His timing. We are a part of this divine lineage and legacy. It is ours to possess and to proclaim. This is our legacy, this is our mission. Until the time set by the Father, we are to be busy telling the story to everyone, everywhere, at all times.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

We are the means God has established for the proclamation of His story to all the nations. This is His legacy to us. He left us with this inheritance. What we have in the story is the only thing in life that is truly priceless. The story is the treasure. Of all things created this is the one thing we cannot duplicate. The person and work of the story’s Hero is beyond us, and there is nothing we can do to do what was done. This work is the treasure that we are to share with all the nations.

Initially we spoke of the kingdom being the vocabulary of the story. Thus it is important to remember, “God’s redemptive purpose is expressed in a Kingdom theme and made known through a mission vocabulary.” God’s eternal purpose is expressed through a Kingdom imagery using the language of missions. The mission of God is the establishment of His rule over all created things. None of God’s activities are trivial or unrelated. God’s program is neither dysfunctional nor disjointed. Everything is a part of the whole. The following verbiage captures this idea.

We are determined to shout the supremacy of God in all things (Rom. 11:36) by finding, celebrating and declaring He is enough in this life and the life that is to come (Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 4, 5) through the systematic study of His Word (2 Tim. 2:15) and to share this message with every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 5:9).

It is safe to say, “Missions is the means God is using for the establishment of His Kingdom.” The Kingdom idea is the visual or imagery that God uses to communicate His thoughts to finite beings. Thus to speak of missions is to speak of His Kingdom. And to speak of His Kingdom is to lay hold of His eternal purpose, the story of Scripture. Notice how our Lord ties all of this together in Luke 24:39-49. It is as if we have a large puzzle with various pieces, and the puzzle maker shows us the big picture and how all the various pieces now fit together. In looking at Luke 24 there are several notable features.

First, our Lord speaks to the foretelling and figuring of His arrival and work from the Old Testament text (vv. 44, 45). Our Lord reviews the story in order to prove what is now apparent. All that He is and has done is in accordance with what was spoken of previously.

Second, He accents the central idea of the entire story, and it is the sacrificial and vicarious suffering of the story’s Hero. Paul captures this idea in the statement, “Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14). I firmly believe there is continuity inside of God’s kingdom program but there is one thing that is significantly different from what we preach and what was preached prior to the cross and it is this, Christ crucified. All of the foretelling and figuring was exact enough for those who sought Him to find Him, but all of the foretelling and figuring was still a shadow of something greater. “The Old Testament picture was like a dark negative as compared to the white positive of the New Testament revelation.” (C.C. Ryrie, The Grace of God, 122).

Third, the Hero’s coming had a distinct purpose. His work would secure for His people forgiveness of their rebellion against Him (v. 47a). This is the consequence of His cross work. The Hero’s work was to remove from us our shame, our fear, and our guilt. This is what it means to be forgiven. It is only when we repent of our own self-efforts of covering our shame, fear, and guilt and accept His sacrifice that we can be truly covered. This language resonances back to the Garden of Eden and that original act of rebellion by our initial parents, Adam and Eve.

Fourth, what the Hero initiates His people are to disseminate (v. 47b). I do not know why we miss this but we are to be proclaiming the story of God to our community, our nation, and our world. There is nothing that can absolve us of this responsibility. No amount of delegation can fulfill our responsibility as a local church to think, pray, and act aggressively in the carrying out of our Master’s wishes. This is His legacy to us. We are to share the story with everyone everywhere at all times.

Fifth, our text specifically calls us to be witnesses of the story’s content (v. 48). We are to be retelling the story to those around us. It is like us gathering around the open fire and relating the story to those who sit with us. It is sitting with our children and grandchildren and telling them the story. Although much of what we learn is from the written page, we must remember our oral history. The story is be told and retold orally to all who have ears to hear. We are the witnesses to whom He has entrusted this legacy. No matter who you are or what you do, you are to be witnessing of God’s story. We need to repeat the story of creation, transgression, condemnation, and redemption to all the nations, beginning in our immediate Jerusalem.

Sixth, the author of the story provides the means for His purpose to be fulfilled (v. 49). He gives to those whom He saves the power to witness for Him, to tell the story to others. No matter how formidable the task may appear, we have all we need to do what is necessary. You and I have the power as husbands, wives, young people, seasoned saints, parents, children, employees, employers, or whatever our role is, to be witnesses of the story, God’s story.

All of us have the power. What we fail in is how we understand the power and what we are to be doing. We already have the power and we are already where He wants us. What we need to do is simply do what God did: speak and act, proclaim and image the story. We need to begin where we are at and allow the story to spread naturally like a fire without boundaries. Much has been done and much still needs to be done. I do not believe kingdom advancement is so much linear as it is cyclical. While more and more people groups hear the story, we must always be working so that every uttermost becomes a Jerusalem. This is our calling and this is our destiny. The story God wrote includes you and me, and we are to tell His story to every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. May we never tire of telling the story to each and every generation.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

In the story of God, it is not simply the hero’s presence that secures for His people deliverance from their shame, fear, and guilt. It is the hero’s work that will conquer their shame, fear, and guilt. Our text tells us that what He does will secure for His people redemption from the Law and adoption as sons. This immediate text does not tell us how this end would be secured. The Book of Galatians, however, does. There are three verses that describe the event that “fills the gap” at the end of verse 4 and the beginning of verse 5. The first verse is Galatians 1:3, 4, the second is 2:20 and the third is Galatians 6:14.

3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:3, 4).

20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal. 2:20, 21).

14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).

The hero’s work was death by means of crucifixion. Jesus knew this was His “Father’s business.” When Jesus was requested by His disciples’ to eat after His conversation with the Samaritan women in John 4, He “said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work’” (John 4:34). When Jesus prayed in the Garden on the eve of His death by crucifixion He prayed that “if it were possible for this ‘cup’ to be removed from Him, then so be it. Nevertheless not His will, but the Father’s will be done” (Luke 22:39-46). It was the Father’s “pleasure to crush Him, putting Him to grief” (Isa. 53:10). When the hero took upon Himself the sins of His people (2 Cor. 5:21) and finished the work to which He was called (John 19:31), both He and His Father rejoiced because of the consequences such actions on their part secured for their people (Isa. 53:10, 11; Heb. 12:2).

The hero’s work was “to be tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:12). It was not simply the cross that marked His work, but all of the temptations faced and conquered that led to the cross (Matt. 4:1-11). His battle for obedience and in submission to the Father’s will was marked by struggle, blood, sorrow, pain, and even joy. He voluntarily and vicariously did what only He could do. He gave His life for His sheep. He was in a bloody conflict that cost Him His life and He was victorious in it. He destroyed the works of His enemy and paraded the defeated foe openly before all so that no one would doubt or deny who won (Col. 2:13-15; Heb. 2:14, 15; 1 John 3:8). Our hero stands with His foot on the adversary’s throat and raises His arms and voice in triumph and trumpets His conquest for all to see and hear. This is what the Father wrote into the script. His end and the means to that end would neither be denied nor defeated. Our God Reigns!

And one day, when times and seasons cease, all of heaven and earth, that which is seen and unseen shall openly and unashamedly declare,

12 “‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped” (Rev. 5:12-14).

Oh friend and fellow pilgrim, this is the hope we have and this is the truth we now live in. Let this be the transforming truth that shapes and guides us in this earthly pilgrimage while we still see through the glass dimly knowing that a fuller and crisper image waits (1 Cor. 13:12).

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

In the story God wrote, He created a world in which His script would be played out. His story includes individuals whose wills can reject His and cause sin to exist. Their rebellion places them in a position of shame, fear, and guilt. All of their attempts at rectifying the problem end in failure. Failure begets failure. Something or someone must come to their rescue. Fortunately, God’s story not only includes a villain, but also provides a hero. The hero of God’s story was foretold as a deliverer who brings deliverance. This individual would be foretold and visualized in prophecy, promise, picture, type, shadow, and figure. The foretelling created hope and caused the true believers to live in expectancy and anticipation. They looked and longed for the hero’s arrival.

Nothing in the story of God is arbitrary or random. Everything contributes to the storyline. Everything and everyone moves the story forward. As is true in many stories since then, there are parts to the story that appear to make no sense or seem disconnected from the larger picture. It is not until the end of the story that the reader has their “aha” moment. This is equally true of God’s story. Because we do not understand the part, or the subplot appears dark and foreboding, we should not conclude that the story is poorly written or unnecessary to the whole. For true believers the ultimate “aha” moment will come when they shall meet the author of the story face-to-face (1 John 3:1-3; 1 Cor. 13:12).

It is perhaps ordinary but “History is His story.” His story is not simply what we read from Genesis through Revelation, but all history is His story. God did not simply work through a nation called Israel. He moved the Assyrians, Babylonians, and all the inhabitants of a land called Canaan. God was not simply writing a story that included only a select few people groups. His story includes the Mayans, Russians, Hispanics, Ethiopians, Africans, Europeans, Asians, and people groups whose names we do not even know and whose names have been erased from ever being known by us. Yet God knows each person in His story. Each one served and serves a purpose. God moves all of history to fulfill His story. Each past, present, and future moments move the story forward.

Our text tells us that there was a “full time,” a time that was right (NLT), a time that was set by the Father (The Message). The author of the story, the author of history, placed the various pieces in position in order that this moment, this time would exist for the arrival of His hero. Various world powers and rulers, nations and governments, cultures and religions would all exist to form the perfect setting in which the gem of His person and work would shine most.

There was no delay or forced appearance. The hero came at the exact moment determined by the author of the story. His arrival was so “perfect” that all who were looking for him would find him. All that was foretold and imaged would find their “perfect” match in His arrival.

He is the piece to the puzzle that cannot be forced. But the deliverer promised would not simply arrive. It is not his presence that creates the release, it will be his work. Therein lays the great fulfillment. It will be the person and work of the hero that brings the promise of deliverance from the rebel’s shame, fear, and guilt. It is now for us to note the hero’s work.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

When we consider the season of Advent, our own actions and attitudes toward Christmas appear vulgar, if not blasphemous. We have so commercialized the story of God that only a hard right turn will put us back on course. In life, it seems that greed and not God controls us. It is self-serving action and not sacrifices on any level that marks us and characterizes our lives. We are heirs of the promise and joint-heirs with Christ, yet we live puny lives simply because we do not know and live in the story.

We have so ignored the whole that we can barely discern the parts. God is calling to us from the distant shore. He invites us to open our eyes and to stop the clutter that blocks our vision. Let’s stop the incessant noise that drowns out the striking sound of His glory. Friend, you and I are living in the miracle called Christmas. We are living in the story, His story. He wants us to see His person and His purpose, and He is convinced that if we but hear the whisper of His voice and but touch the hem of His garment, we will never be the same. I would like us to consider two verses. The one is familiar and the other perhaps not so much. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16, 17).

In reading these verses we see that God sent His Son, His only begotten Son. This entire idea of Christmas is the sending of God’s only begotten Son into the world. This babe in the manger is none other than God’s only begotten Son. Again, think of how we have trivialized this truth. My attention is not focused on the secular media or the unbelieving world. I would expect them to ignore this truth. My attention is on us as to how our actions and attitudes have betrayed the depth of this truth. It is wrong that we do not commemorate His arrival.

Regrettably, most of our Christmas celebration is about us. It is not with the same amount of energy or attention that we prepare for His arrival. All of our financial expenditures, all of our stress, all of our anxiety, all our focus is on our parties and gifts. This mindset is flawed. It is not that these “things” cannot exist, but such “things” as these must not block us and blind us from the true meaning of Advent.

My fellow believer, it can be different. Today, may the Holy Spirit awaken us to the significance of His arrival. The story is all about the person and purpose of God. What are we doing in recognition of this? What valuable insight might we offer to those younger than us in order to guide them into this most blessed time? What do we need to change in order to honor the hero’s arrival? What preparation are we making in anticipation of His arrival? As believers we have the unique privilege to pause each year and reflect on the storyline of God, to consider the villain and the hero and to give God glory for His power, justice, and grace. May we not squander this tremendous opportunity and trivialize the hero’s arrival.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

Because the Bible is a story we can freely speak of author, villain, and hero. Just as the author wrote into the story a villain, so also is the hero spoken of as the antithesis to the evil. The word “hero” comes directly from the Greek language and means “defender, protector.” The hero is distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength. Usually the hero is the principal character and will fight for a cause. http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Even though the adversary is strong and inflicts significant damage, God works victory from defeat and hope from despair. God is not threatened by the action of the enemy. In fact, God uses that which works evil for His glory. Inside of this story, God writes in the hero. From the very beginning, God foretells of one who is to come that will bring ultimate defeat to the adversary.

Just as the transgression of all is a part of His story and will bring Him glory, so also is the resultant condemnation. Both the mystery of God and the justice of God are for His glory. Such things are hard to grasp. Yet, just as it is wrong with any piece of literature to view chapters independent of the entire storyline, so also is it wrong to consider transgression and condemnation apart from the larger theme of the story’s purpose. Yet God has not left us without hope. In addition to the villain and the sentence against him, He has written the deliverer, the hero, and deliverance into the story. In this appears the grace of God.

God initiates the prophecy, and for thousands of years keeps the prophecy alive through types and shadows. From the beginning, God wrote into the story the presence of a deliverer. As such, the need for deliverance is presupposed. We have already noted how the story is about the person and purpose of God. His purpose is seen in the presence of a villain and the “advent” of a deliverer or hero. The character of God will be accentuated by the villain and the hero.

When those whom He created rebelled against His wise and good rule, God extended mercy. The prophet Habakkuk remembered God’s mercy when he prayed, “LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2). This is what God does in Genesis 3:15. In His sentence against the insurgent, He remembers mercy. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen. 3:15).

Charles Haddon Spurgeon accurately notes, “Here a blessed promise lies like a pearl in a shell.” (Spurgeon’s Devotional Commentary on Genesis 3:15). Four ideas are prominent in this prophecy. First, there is going to be an ongoing animosity between the offspring of the woman and that of the serpent. Second, each will inflict the other with injury. The serpent’s injury is primary (i.e., “the head”) and that to the woman’s offspring is secondary (i.e., “the heel”). Third, this text speaks of something that is persistent and far-reaching. Fourth, the promise will come through the woman and not the man.

This text tells us that a conflict will transpire between the seed of the woman and that of the serpent. Therein is the promise of future justice and grace against the present debacle caused by mankind. In addition to the stated prophecy God not only speaks, He acts. Genesis 3:7 describes their shame, guilt and fear and as a result their paltry attempt at addressing this newly “felt” corruption. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Gen. 3:7).

Despite all that man did and what this meant as an affront to God, God acts. He takes the first step and seeks the sinner, the rebel, the fallen, and He extends grace. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21).

This is an initial act of grace on God’s part toward those who stood in rebellion against Him. New Testament Scholar Marcus Dods provides this excellent commentary on what all this meant. “Adam took leaves from an inanimate, unfeeling tree; God deprived an animal of life, that the shame of His creature might be relieved. This was the last thing Adam would have thought of doing. He had to learn that sin could be covered not by a bunch of leaves snatched from a bush as he passed by and that would grow again next year, but only by pain and blood.” (Marcus Dods, The Book of Genesis, 25, 26 quoted in Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988], 149).

Consider how vain this first attempt was at covering shame, guilt, and fear. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that all of our righteous works are as filthy rags. There is nothing we can do to undo what was done. Our depravity is so great that nothing short of God can undo what was done. What God initially foretold in Genesis 3:15 and “imaged” in 3:21 carries enormous implications as to the hero’s character and mission. In this one verse, five ideas can be noted. First, there is an established limitation as to what man can and cannot do. Man’s response to his shame, guilt, and fear was woefully inadequate. Only God could undo what was done. Second, there is the introduction of an innocent victim. The animal from which the skin was taken did nothing to deserve death. Third, there was the shedding of blood. When the animal was offered in sacrifice, its blood was shed. From the beginning God’s pattern was established, “Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin” (Heb. 9:22). Fourth, there is the idea of substitution. The innocent animal sacrifice took the place of the guilty party. Adam and Eve were the ones deserving death, but their place was taken by another. Fifth, there is an acceptable offering that satisfied the immediate demands of the king against His rebellious subjects. God accepted the blood sacrifice of the innocent offering in order that the sin of Adam and Eve could be forgiven.

These five elements help us understand the person and work of the future hero. First, the hero will be capable of doing something that the natural man cannot. Second, the hero will be blameless of the sentence against Him. Third, the hero will offer up His life and shed His blood. Fourth, the hero’s sacrifice will replace the shame, guilt, and fear of the deserving party. Finally, what the hero does will satisfy the eternal demand for justice by the offended party.

From this initial event, God will continue to provide significant indicators to cultivate trust and stimulate hope in His subjects. He will promise to Abraham a seed through which the world would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). He will challenge Abraham to offer up his only son, and Abraham’s faith will affirm that God will provide for Himself a sacrificial lamb (Gen. 22:8). God will speak of a hero who rules and before whom all will bow (Gen. 49:10; Num. 24:17; Isa. 9:6, 7). He will provide graphic imagery in the delivering of a nation from bondage and the blood sacrifice that will preserve the first born among them (Exod. 12:13, 21-23, 27). He will give daily reminders to address temporal atonement for individual and national sin (the book of Leviticus). Through constant and unbending repetition, God will create a longing for the permanent and eternal sacrifice brought by the hero. All of the sacrifices and feast days are shadows foretelling the greater substance and future fulfillment of the hero who is to come. He will provide prophets who speak with such eloquence as to move future generations to worship (Isaiah 53). Finally, God will speak of a forerunner who will come in the spirit of Elijah before the arrival of the One, the Anointed of God, the Hero (Mal. 3:1, 5, 6). This forerunner is the divine pointer who will cry as the voice in the wilderness, “Behold, the Lamb [i.e., the Hero] of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

In the story of God, the condition of man is bleak beyond comprehension… but God. God will provide a way, an only way, and a way that He makes open. All of this prepares us for the coming and leaves us with a spirit of anticipation, of expectancy.

Imagine if we were Old Testament believers: We know in all of the shadows there is something more – something more is to come, something more than what we have. We live contented, but yearning. We live with promise, but unrest. There is a restless faith. There is uneasiness, there is something more, and we die in hope having not yet attained the promise. All of this leaves us with a spirit of hope. It is with joy we can now consider, “The Arrival of the Story’s Hero.”

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

Why the villain? “In fiction, villains commonly function in the dual role of adversary and foil to the story’s heroes. In their role as adversary, the villain serves as an obstacle the hero must struggle to overcome. In their role as foil, the villain exemplifies characteristics that are diametrically opposed to those of the hero, creating a contrast distinguishing heroic traits from villainous ones.” Wikipedia

One of the great problems that exist for many is how God can be the author of the story and still write into the script the villain. I would like to consider three basic ideas present in the storyline. First, God is the Creator of all things outside Himself (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16, 17). God created everything. He is the Creator. That is His position, role, and function. This is His status. He is the Creator and everything outside of Him is created. Thus, He may do what He wants with what is His, and what He does is always right.

Second, everything inside of creation is for Him (Rom. 11:36; Eph. 1:9, 10). There is no part of creation that does not service God. Everything created exists in subjection to His rule. He may do what He wants with what is His. He can, if He so willed, allow everything to exist independent of Him. He can, if He so willed, allow everything to exist in complete dependency on Him. Or He can, if He so willed, allow everything to exist in co-dependency with Him.

Finally, everything inside of creation will ultimately glorify Him (this includes the fall of all, the salvation of some, and the condemnation of others [Rev. 4:11]). This brings us back to the introduction to the villain. The fall of all is for His glory. Remember, transgression will ultimately glorify Him. This does not mean that one can say they sin to the glory of God. I personally struggle thinking that sin is operating outside of the author’s intent and that somehow the story did not have sin originally written into the script. If the fall is not a part of God’s intentional purpose to redeem His people, then everything after Genesis 2 is a response to something He did not intend, desire, plan, or purpose. If our only fundamental argument is that such thinking is a violation of man’s free will, then when has man ever been completely free or autonomous?

It is not my intent to address the area of man’s will; however, I would be negligent if I did not make some initial comments. First, inherent to the image of God in man is the ability or faculty of choice. Thus, everyone, everywhere, at all times has the power of choice. Second, to deny man’s will is wrong. To place it on the same level as God’s will is wrong. Regardless as to what any of us might believe about man’s will, we should not see it as being equal to or superior to God’s will. Man’s will cannot trump the eternal purpose of God. Third, no one, apart from God, has total or absolute freedom of choice. Our choices are limited. Fourth, how the will of God interplays with the will of man is, for me, a mystery that I do not understand but I willingly accept.

As this relates to our thoughts in this study, mankind chose to rebel against God by rejecting His expressed will and yet in the choice carried out God’s will. Again, what the interplay was between these two wills I do not understand, but I willingly accept.

It is necessary for us to interpret each episode as a part of the ongoing story and not in isolation from each other. If we fail to see the big picture and make the necessary connections it will have profound consequences for us in our understanding of the entire storyline. Thus, whatever purpose for the villain’s role in the story, it must be viewed as an integral part of the whole and not isolated from other elements within the story.

What the “villain” does is show how the rift between God and man is so vast as to disqualify humanity from ever hoping to achieve resolution apart from the divine initiative. The intent is to show how sin is a part of the story. Genesis 1 and 2 presuppose Genesis 3. Chapters 1 and 2 are setting us up for Genesis 3 through Revelation 22. There are four thoughts inside of Genesis 1, 2 and 3 that prove this idea.

First, this can be seen in their enjoyment of God’s presence (Gen. 1:26, 27). God immediately paints a picture of intimate communion. Genesis lays down the idea of covenant and relationship from the start. He created mankind in order that they might enjoy His presence. God placed man in the Garden in order that man might worship and obey Him. Mankind served as a vice-regent for God. It is hard for us to fully process the interchange between God and man prior to sin, but Adam and Eve would fellowship with God in the cool of the day. This paradise was not because of the absence of pain and suffering or the presence of every notable pleasure, but rather the very presence of God and the enjoyment of such by Adam and Eve. This is what sin will destroy.

Second, this can be seen in a singular prohibition (Gen. 2:16, 17). God places in the Garden of Eden a test for Adam and Eve. God could have absent such a thing if He so willed. Adam and Eve made thousands of choices every day and everyone was completely moral. There was only one choice that would introduce death into the world and it was to violate this singular prohibition. The test was to see whether or not they would obey God or their desires. Before sin happens, God is already speaking of “death.” When we read the statement in Genesis 2:17 it presupposes we know what death is or that Adam and Eve had an idea as to what this entailed.

Third, this can be seen in having no shame (Gen. 2:25). Neither Adam nor Eve had any shame. There was no guilt between them. This is what sin will destroy. It is important to read 2:25 with 3:1. We are being set up by the author of the book for the events that are about to transpire. Finally, this can be seen in the presence of a tempting serpent (Gen. 3:1).

Although our immediate text does not tell us how the serpent became the tempter, he is brought into the story with relative ease. We go from the “very good” of Genesis 1:31 to “Now 3 the serpent was more crafty” (Gen. 3:1). Nothing up to this point is surprising. The story is building up to an initial climax whereby the first test will be played out. Satan, through the serpent, tempts Adam and Eve in the one area where the prohibition exists. He continues to tempt us in those three areas. Everything is perfect and now something dark enters the story. The serpent immediately attacks God’s integrity and position as Creator.

Sin is rejecting God’s will and accepting self-will. This is sin at its essence. When we read the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9, 10 these two elements are present. Whose honor do we desire, whose kingdom do we want, whose will do we seek: God or ours? In the garden, Adam and Eve sought their glory, their kingdom, and their will. In all temptation we are confronted with the accepting of God’s will or the rejecting of the same. What we find in Genesis 3 is the relationship of temptation to the Word of God and to the Will of man. But the issue is still whose will are you going to obey? That which God permits is for our pleasure and that which God prohibits is for our protection. Anytime you disobey God’s declared will you will forfeit peace.

With sin comes death. Just as sin is a part of the story so also is death. “Genesis 3 explains the human dilemma. All the problems in the universe have their origin in the events of this historic account.” http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/90-233.htm The following message was delivered at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, by John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 90-233, titled “What is Sin?” (Genesis 3:1-7).

God tells Adam and Eve that in the day they disobey they will die. Based on what we have already seen, we can begin to understand what is meant by “death.” There are six statements helping us comprehend what this “death” entails.

First, this can be seen in Adam and Eve rejecting God’s will (Gen. 3:1-7). Death is living under self-will. This is the essence of sin and it is the face of death. Adam and Eve determine that they know better than God as to what is best for them. This continues to be the essence of our fallen condition.

Second, this can be seen in their attempt to cover their nakedness (Gen. 3:7). Death is living with shame and guilt. Humanity is fully aware of this shame and guilt and have determined and attempted to do whatever is necessary to cover it. But all of their determinations and attempts have failed. This is the rise of world religions where the true God and His purpose have been rejected.

Third, this can be seen in them hiding from God (Gen. 3:8-10). Death is living with fear. “The Lord had evidently visited the garden and communed with Adam and Eve on many occasions prior to the fall. This time, however, the sound of God walking in the garden aroused fear rather than joyful anticipation.” (John J. Davis, Paradise to Prison: Studies in Genesis [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975], 92). Ever since this moment in time, “The natural inclination of the heart is not to seek God but to hide from Him” (Rom. 3:11).

Fourth, this can be seen in their refusal to accept responsibility for their sin (Gen. 3:11-13). Death is living with self-deception. Sin refuses to accept responsibility for its choices. Self-will is self-rule. In self-will you are the ultimate authority and no one can hold you responsible. You are the law.

Fifth, this can be seen in the pronouncement of sentence against them by God (Gen. 3:14-19). Death is living with suffering and misery.

Sixth, this can be seen in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23, 24). Death is living with separation. This is what was lost with sin and this is what God will restore in salvation. Mankind’s quest to be “like God” removed him from being “with God.”

Lest we think what we have here is an ancient tale that has no bearing on who we are and where we currently exist, let us finish the story. The Bible describes all of humanity as sinners by identification (Rom. 5:12-21). The Bible knows of only two types of people: those in Adam and those in Christ. And not only are we sinners by identification, but also by participation (Rom. 3:9-23).

Although we might argue that it is unfair to be blamed for something we did not do, the Bible makes it equally clear that we are active participants in an open rebellion against the rule of God in and over our lives.

We struggle in understanding how sin can be a part of the story, yet our ability to comprehend the grace of God is significantly stunted until we see sin as a part of the story.

It is always difficult to end the story here without telling you the rest of the story. I will leave this study by simply noting how from the very beginning God planned a deliverer and deliverance. Two passages will simply be noted. First, God provides for a future deliverer (Gen. 3:15). Second, God provides immediate deliverance (Gen. 3:7, 21). Let us take hope knowing that God is coming with a deliverer and deliverance.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.

Often we read the Bible as if it was not a story or as if it were a poorly written story. I have read many books over the years, and all the good ones have a single plot with many different sub-plots contributing to the one story. I just finished reading SHOGUN. James Clavell wrote the work in 1975. It has various characters such as Blackthorne, Toranaga, Ishido, Mariko, etc. Yet with all of the various sub-plots, the story is singular. Everything James Clavell places in the story contributes to the final end. This same idea rings true with J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic work, The Lord of the Rings.

Inside the story of God there are five parts or ideas unfolding the person and purpose of God. It is God’s person and purpose that provide the subject matter or theme of the story. First, God existed before the story. He wrote the story (Gen. 1:1, 31). Second, the stage in which the story will be told is creation. Third, in the story the primary character is God. Fourth, the secondary character is humanity. Fifth, the story has four distinct chapters. To present the various chapters they will be noted with bullet points.

• Preparation in Type/Shadow (Genesis – Malachi)
  • Creation is for His Glory – The Power of God
  • Transgression is for His Glory – The Mystery of God–Evil (i.e., the villain) will be used to further the story.
  • Condemnation is for His Glory – The Justice of God–The response of God to evil will further the story’s subject matter.
  • Redemption is for His Glory – The Grace of God–These four ideas (i.e., creation, transgression, condemnation, redemption) will appear in various forms throughout the one story.

• Arrival in Antitype/Substance (The Gospels)–The hero who was foretold through prophecy and picture will appear.

• Continuation by means of Gathering (Acts – Jude)–The hero’s mission will continue in His absence.

• Continuation by means of Consummation (Revelation)–The story will find its conclusion with all creation either in fellowship with God or banned from His presence.

The story uses the imagery of a ruler, reign, and realm context where the king enters into covenant with His subjects (Dan. 4:34, 35; Luke 1:31-33; Mark 1:14, 15; Acts 28:30, 31; Rev. 12:10). The Creator rules over that which He created and the created exists in obedience to the Creator.

All of creation and all of Scripture speak to two ideas: the person of God and the purpose of God. Because of who He is (i.e., the person of God) and what He does (i.e., the purpose of God), He is to receive glory. All that He is and all that He does is from Him, through Him, and for Him. There is nothing outside of Him that does not fulfill this end. God’s activities are part of this one purpose. God as King reigns over all things created. This reign is expressed through various stages or periods of time. For example,

• Prior to the fall of mankind, His reign was immediate and direct without any necessary mediation.
• After the fall of mankind and through the flood, His reign over all of mankind will start being mediated through select agents beginning with Abraham.
• With the selection of Abraham, God’s reign comes through a single family.
• The reign of God will go from a patriarchal system to a prophet/judge selection to a monarchy.
• Inside the family, an individual son will be progenitor to a blood line. The reign of God will shift from being tribal to that of being a distinct blood line. The reign of God will go from being mediated through a patriarchal structure to that of a monarchy.
• The monarchy will be Judaic and Davidic. Through David’s line comes the Messiah through whom God’s mediation will find its ultimate expression.
• In the church, God is gathering for Himself a bride and to Himself worshippers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.
• From our present place in history, the events that are yet future (i.e., Tribulation, Millennium, and Eternal State) are parts of one whole. They are neither disconnected nor in conflict.

The entire Bible tells this one story. I do not believe it is only creation in general or biblical revelation in particular that tells this story. I believe each of our lives in all of its facets, whether religious or routine is a part of this story and is telling this story. There is no part that is not contributing to this story. It is always about who God is, what He has done, and who His people are in Him. Because I believe this to be true, I do not believe any of life is wasted, and that somehow all of life has meaning to the story no matter how delightful or damaging, no matter how pleasurable or painful, no matter how scheduled or surprising.

All of us who grew up in a Christian home are familiar with the stories of the Bible: The creation of all things by God, the fall of mankind into sin, the flood of Noah, the defeat of Goliath, the birth of Jesus, and His resurrection from the dead. Although we know the pieces, it is seldom the various pieces are placed together in their proper order or theological context. We rarely see the connection between the stories. Often we fail to see the overarching purpose behind all of it. Our intent is to grasp the storyline of Scripture and to see God working out His will flawlessly for His glory.

The stories of the Bible are not randomly selected. Each one is intentionally placed. Each story contributes to two primary ideas. The first is the person of God and the second is the purpose of God. And although we speak of “two ideas” there is really only one and it is God. The Scripture does not record everything knowable only what we need to know. This statement is vital in our understanding of the Bible. What the Bible says is true, yet it does not speak exhaustively on any subject. We cannot fully comprehend all there is to know of God or our own wickedness. The height of one and the depth of the other elude us. Our finite existence cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of either. Because of this inability we can neither appreciate the delight of God or the horror of our rebellion against Him.

Inside the larger thoughts of creation, transgression, condemnation, and redemption there is a definable progression. The following six bullet points show us the unfolding of this progression.

• The Subject Matter of the Story – The Person and Purpose of God
• The Presence of Evil
• The Promise of a Deliverer
• The Seed of the Woman
• The Victory of God
• The Mission of God in the Mission of the Church

Perhaps the most important point to remember in studying the storyline of the Bible is that it is Christ-centered. Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, is the hero of the story. The storyline has meaning only as it is sourced in and flows from Christ. The storyline when studied apart from Christ is hollow and will ultimately become a distraction. Today’s tragedy is that we have made the Bible into a series of independent and unconnected stories that can stand alone. The problem inside the storyline of Scripture is not the fall or sin’s existence, but rather our failure to affirm His person and purpose. It matters not whether we are unbelievers or believers; the failure is in not affirming who He is and what He does. As we read the Bible, let us not forget that it is a story with a singular idea: God. This God speaks and acts. He writes the story and creates the context in which the story will be told. Nothing existing today is outside of this story. Your life is part of His story. Do not believe for one second that you are outside of His control or care. Our responsibility, our act, is to affirm Him as the author of our lives.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church series The Storyline of the Bible.