WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW THE WHOLE STORY?

You can.

In the Bible reading plan that I’m currently using every day, I finished the last book of the New Testament yesterday (Revelation) and began the first book of the Bible today (Genesis 1-3). By God’s grace and the kind discipling of others early in my life, I’ve read through this sacred book over and over again for 57 years.

How glorious, and how important to continually read and increasingly understand the entire sweep of the real, unrevised history of this world, and the preparation and future of the next.

IN THE BEGINNING

The fourth word of the first book is “God.” He is the character of the story most often mentioned. The Bible is about Him, and we must remember this, and His gracious creation of us and continual pursuit to bring us back to His presence.

He made us in His image, like Him in every way except our dependency. We must have Him and His nearness and life to fulfill our destiny, to play our part in the great story.

Our great enemy slithers into history in Genesis, Chapter 2 and we are introduced to the one who is angry with God for creating us to rule, thus taking his authority and place. He works to do one thing: to separate us from God’s presence, knowing that we will fail in our task if we are disconnected from God. He is a devious enemy, with a great army of demons. Whether we realize it or not, we are in a mighty battle with Satan and his hosts throughout human history. The dark side of history records all he is doing and fostering. All evil has its genesis in him.

IN THE MIDDLE

For the next millennia of history, we read the sad story of Satan’s warfare and man’s failures—our vain attempts to live without God. But we also read the glorious, unrelenting pursuit of God to make a people for Himself that will rule throughout eternity. He consistently calls us (“Draw near to me and I will draw near to you.”) He came and dwelt among us so we could experience His presence in human flesh. And then, God gave His Son, the spotless Lamb, who willingly gave His life for us so we can be pardoned, forgiven, and reunited with God. This is granted to all who believe in Him.

In this continuing story, after His physical ascension back to heaven, He sends Himself in Spirit form to be “with us and in us” so that we might have His indwelling presence every moment of our lives after we come to believe in Him. He literally inhabits us, giving us the power to live as He has ordained. This power is dependent upon our willingness to look to Him daily and be filled with His Spirit (willingly, gladly surrendering control day by day and hour by hour).

Christ was in one human body while on earth. But now, through indwelling every believer, we see His mighty Body rising again (the Church) and moving through history calling others back to God, and “the gates of hell will not prevail against her.”

THE NEW BEGINNING

Jesus Himself comes to his most beloved disciple, John, and gives him a Revelation of the future. There is coming a day of final war and judgment. Everyone who has chosen to reject Christ will be judged according to their deeds. They have chosen to rebel against God’s gracious offer of mercy, and so they will live forever separated from His presence. The severity of each one’s judgment will be in relation to the depth of their sins against God. Everyone’s judgment will be completely just and utterly righteous.

After this final judgment, God will purify this current earth, and a “New heaven and new earth” will come upon this earth, a new world of Christ’s making. There will be no Satan and no sin, no unrighteousness or evil of any kind. Every true believer will then rule exactly as we were made to rule with God for all of eternity.

It is Eden restored, but with no satan forever. No darkness, no fear, no pain, no death … no tears or sorrow. This is the new beginning of the rest of history.

Hallelujah for the true story of mankind and the privilege to know God through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord! He is the way to all that is ahead.

So here is the great question this side of the second reign of history: Have you trusted in Christ, or are you vainly trying to create your own story? Are you seeking to be your own savior, or are you humbly admitting your sin and need and crying out to the only One who can save you, bring you back into His kingdom, and prepare you for eternity with Him?