FAITH ON TRIAL – Part 1: Is faith reasonable? What is the biblical story of God and humanity?

The story of God and humanity can be broken down into several “acts.”

ACT 1: CREATION: God creates human beings and establishes an eternal loving relationship with them. The first humans experienced safety, security and a sense of belonging to God and each other.

Gen 1 [26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

ACT 2: THE CRISIS: But, instead of enjoying life with God, the first humans decided to do things their own way – against God and against what was best for them. So, there were consequences for their sin. Their love relationship with God was cut off … severed.

Genesis 3 [23] So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

Romans 5 [12] Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man {Adam}, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.

ACT 3: THE CHASE: But, God in his love and mercy and grace didn’t want things that way. He wanted to restore us to himself and be back in relationship with him – the way we were meant to be. So God pursues the human race to restore us to himself.

He decided that he would use one, special nation on earth to let everyone else in the world know about his love for them so others could know God and that he wanted to forgive people for going their own way. To the nation of Israel, God told them his purpose of pursuing every single person.

Isaiah 49 [6] I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.

ACT 4: THE CLIMAX: God decided that the only complete way to fix the problem of separation and restore people to be back in relationship with himself was to come down to earth and live as Jesus Christ. Jesus would provide complete, permanent restoration to life the way God intended to all who trust him and follow him. Romans 5 [1] Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Corinthians 5 [19] For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

ACT 5: THE CALL: God now offers a personal, spiritual relationship to everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ. So we can live life the way he intended – the way we were created to live as recorded in the story of Genesis.

John 12 [32] But I {Jesus}, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.

ACT 6: CONSUMMATION: God gives all followers of Christ life in heaven forever.

Revelation 21 [1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away … [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”