• Creation – God is the rightful King of the world and worthy of our praise.
• Fall – Mankind has rebelled against God as his rightful King.
• Judgment – God justly punishes mankind’s rebellion.
• Atonement – God made a way for mankind to be forgiven of their rebellion and have a restored relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.
• Resurrection – God approved of Jesus’ life and ministry, raising Him from the dead as the promised Messianic King.
• Response – God’s redemptive action calls for a response of repentance to God and faith in Christ.
• Consummation – God will ultimately redeem the entire cosmos.

As we consider the Story of the Bible, there are several practical implications that are relevant for us. The Story of the Bible provides. . .

1.     An Outline for Evangelism

This is a great way to share the Gospel, because the story of the Bible is the story of redemption. I think we often have a difficult time communicating the Gospel because we rip it from its context within this overarching narrative, which begins with Creation and ends with Consummation. I’ve found sharing the Gospel comes very natural when I share it within this overarching story. Also, stories just seem to stick with us better than truth presented in bullet-point fashion. This is true of both Christians trying to learn the Gospel better as well as unbelievers trying to learn Christian essentials for the first time. The tract Two Ways to Live: The choice we all face (by Matthias Media) is very helpful in learning to share the Gospel in this way.

2.     A Christian Worldview

Everyone has a set of lenses through which they see and make sense of the world around them, whether secular or religious. The Story of the Bible gives the basics of a Christian worldview. It accurately portrays reality, the real state of affairs — where we’ve been, what the problem is, what the solution is, and where all of this is going. It is the story of this book that answers the big questions of life: Who am I? Where did I come from? Am I valuable? Is there any purpose/meaning to life? The point is that if we want to have a right understanding of reality, of life, of where things are going, then we have to understand this Story.

3.     A Basis for Missions

As we reflect on the Story of the Bible we see that doing missions is not something that can be limited to a few proof texts in the NT. It is firmly rooted in the overarching mission of God to rescue His broken creation. The point is that our mission in taking the Gospel to the end of the world is based on His mission (John 17:18). We do missions because God is on a mission.

4.     A Framework for understanding the rest of God’s Word

Let’s be honest, there are parts of the Bible that seem very irrelevant to us. We are often left wondering, what does that mean to me? Having a thorough understanding of the big picture will help you to understand the parts. When confronted with a passage that is difficult, one of the first things I do is ask some of the following questions. Where does this passage/story fit into the overall story that is being told? How does it relate to one of the big picture points we’ve looked at? How is God bringing about His Plan or telling us about it in this passage? Much of the time, asking these kinds of questions will help you make some headway through those difficult passages.

One of the reasons that people lose faith in times of suffering is our tendency towards a religious rather than a Christian worldview. A religious worldview teaches, “bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people.” Far from a random thought, this is the default of the human heart. The biblical examples are numerous. This is what the disciples assume when, coming upon a blind man, they ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (Joh 9:2) In Luke 13 Jesus recounts two tragedies. One involved Pilate slaying a group of Galileans and mingling their blood with sacrifices. The other concerned a tower that fell on a group of people at Siloam. In both cases the crowds assume that these tragedies took place because the people were greater sinners than most. Finally, remember the words of the natives of Melita when the snake came out of the fire to bite Paul: “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” (Act 28:4) The assumption here is that an injury such as this can only mean that this man is guilty of something. All of this sounds very much like Eliphaz in the book of Job: “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?” (Job 4:7)

The flip side of this, of course, is that good things will happen to good people. Some think that as soon as I give my heart to Jesus my problems will disappear: my grades will come up, the pretty girl will fall in love with me, and grandma will get healed.

The Hebrews are struggling because they have adopted this religious world view of suffering. They cannot help but think, “How is it that we who follow Jesus are losing everything and those who have abandoned Jesus are doing so well?”

The Gospel brings us face to face with the very possibility of suffering. Peter writes boldly, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (1Peter 4:19) In a similar way, the writer of Hebrews shows us that if the sinless, righteous Son of God suffered while following God’s will, it is reasonable that His followers will too. (Hebrews12:5-7) In other words, the Gospel teaches us that pain, loss, and suffering are not a sign that a person is unfaithful to the Lord.

Hebrews 11 illustrates this so well. In this chapter the author takes an inventory of some of the great men and women of the faith. Many of these are described as accomplishing great things. But, note the contrast in the middle of these verses:

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets– who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection.  ////   Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated– of whom the world was not worthy–wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Heb 11:32-38)

By faith some subdued kingdoms; by faith some were subdued by the kingdoms. By faith some escaped the edge of the sword; by faith others went to the sword. Some of these saints glorified God in life; others glorified God in death.

I cannot explain why some seem to live in the first half of this paragraph and why others exemplify the latter. But we can be sure that both were faithful to the Lord.

While there are many passages that teach us how to suffer in light of the Gospel, Hebrews 12 is one of the most vivid. Notice how the author weaves together our suffering with the suffering of Jesus:

Jesus’ Mission (vv. 1-3)

• Jesus endured suffering (vv. 2-3)
• The end of His suffering is glory (v. 2)

Our Mission (vv. 4-12)

• We endure suffering (v. 7)
• The end of our suffering is fruit (vv. 10-11)

For the author of Hebrews, Jesus’ suffering serves as a pattern for us. There is even a repetition of a key word: “endured” (vv. 2, 7). Just like a zipper brings together the teeth on both sides of a garment, the author zips together our suffering with the cross of Christ.

This pattern is not unique to the book of Hebrews. The apostles routinely call us to understand our own suffering in light of the cross. Consider Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Peter does something similar: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

What does this mean practically? The only way that a believer can come to grips with suffering in his or her own life is by coming to grips with the pain in Jesus’ life. We cannot even understand suffering apart from the Gospel. This is why the passage in Hebrews begins with the words, “Consider Him…” (v. 3) In other words, when you as a believer experience a trial, the first move is always to look to the cross.

It has been wisely said, “If God can make sense of the suffering of Jesus, He can most certainly make sense of the suffering in your life.” Hebrews 12 reveals four important points about Gospel-centered suffering: the possibility, the progress, the purpose, and the potential. We uncover the first in the next post.

On the surface these two responses appear to be antithetical. One is conservative and other is liberal. One believes that God judged the nation because of sexual sin, while the other pointed to social sin. What is easily missed here, however, is that both sides are in essence drawing the same theological conclusion: this must be the result of God’s judgment (Retributive). Each side is offering a simplistic answer to a very complex question. There are other possibilities here. Could God have caused or allowed 9-11 to allow His people to weep with those who weep (Empathetic)? Is it possible that God wants to grow Christians through pain and suffering (Disciplinary)? Perhaps this was God’s way of bringing the lost to faith? Why is it that both sides of the aisle automatically assumed a retributive purpose?

This brings us to a second point. Even in a single event, we should recognize that God has many different purposes. As a case study, consider the book of Lamentations. In the book, Jeremiah the prophet laments the capture and fall of Jerusalem. The destruction is so terrible that the prophet finds himself in a state of shock.

Why did God allow the city to be sacked? Why this national tragedy? A careful study of the book of Lamentations shows not one, but multiple reasons. Some parts of the book do highlight a retributive purpose (Lam. 1:12; 2:1). God does seem to be judging people for unbelief and unfaithfulness, but there is more. In the midst of this tragedy Jeremiah is given the opportunity to weep with those who weep (1:16). For the prophet, the purpose was empathetic. By the time we get to the third chapter, we see yet another reason. This event was designed to bring glory to God (3:21-26). In addition to all of these, this is a great opportunity for the nation to turn her face to the Lord and grow spiritually (3:20-26). To say that God has only one purpose in any given tragedy is far too simplistic.

In light of the fact God has many reasons for allowing pain and suffering, each individual must personalize a response. The question is not, “God, why did you allow this?” A better question is, “Lord, how do you want me to respond? What are you trying to accomplish in my life?” Even through a single event, the Lord may have a different purpose for each individual.

III.         Submitting to the Sovereign

In the process of decision making, the most important ingredient is God Himself. Proverbs repeatedly encourages the reader to consider the Lord’s role in one’s decisions. Several things can be said about the Lord’s role in one’s decisions. However, it is important to note that in all of these things the theme of God’s sovereignty is constantly present.

The first thing to which Proverbs alerts the reader, is that the Lord is the one who gives approval to your plans. He is the One who answers. Prov. 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” This verse brings the reader face to face with the reality that while he may seek wise counsel and make good plans, it is ultimately the Lord who determines the outcome (cf. Prov. 16:33)

Second, Proverbs also emphasizes God’s role as the Judge of one’s motives. Prov. 16:2 says, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit” (cf. 17:3; 21:2). The Lord sees both what we do and why we do it. Not only does this verse speak of God’s sovereignty, but it also implies that an individual should be suspicious about his motives. In that way, this verse echoes the declaration of the prophet Jeremiah about the wickedness of the heart of man (Jer. 17:9). This is also a good time to remind ourselves of what Gospel-driven motives look like. In the Gospel, we do things out of a love for the Lord, not to exalt ourselves or in an attempt to manipulate Him.

Third, Proverbs notes that, in the end, God’s plans are what will prevail. Prov. 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (cf. 21:30-31). We are forcefully reminded that no plan of man can possibly upset the designs of God for this world. The LORD reigns! Practically, this should do at least two things for us:

1. Inspire confidence in believers as we face an uncertain future.
2. It should also encourage the believer to ask whether his plans are in line with those of the Lord.

How is the reader to respond to God’s sovereign role in the decision making process? Proverbs gives instruction here as well.  First, we must trust in the Lord rather than our own wisdom. Prov. 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Prov. 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”The Hebrew word translated “commit” (galal) properly means “to roll.” This is a colorful way of saying that we should give the burden and weight of our plans to Him. The emphasis is placed on depending on God in the things you do.

Second, we must respond in humility to our limited knowledge. Prov. 27:1 reminds us of the reality of unforeseen events. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”Prov. 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?” This is an acknowledgment that sometimes we are just clueless about how God is working in our lives. Sometimes even the best of plans don’t go the way we expected and we are left wondering, what in the world is God doing? This is why the trust is so important.

Decision-making is a rich subject in the Proverbs. It overlaps with many other themes, from friendship to God’s sovereignty. Yet, Proverbs clearly emphasizes at least three main ingredients in making wise decisions: advice, planning, and submitting to the Lord. If one is going to make wise decisions that honor the Lord, none of these things can be neglected.

II. Making Plans

Having a well thought out plan and direction is emphasized throughout Proverbs. Wise decisions are not usually made “on the fly,” but involve weighing the options. For those who will take the time to plan, the chances of success increase. Prov. 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” This proverb reminds the reader that there are no short-cuts when it comes to being successful; those who are willing to pay their dues by making adequate preparations and working hard find great blessing awaits them. As with all the proverbs, this is not an iron-clad promise. Rather, it is a general principle which recognizes that, generally, planning and hard work pay off (cf. 14:23).

As with the issue of acquiring advice, Proverbs has much to say about the kind of person who makes plans. Prov. 13:16 says, “In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” This proverb is affirming the old cliché which says “actions speak louder than words.” Prov. 14:15 says, “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.” This verse is saying the prudent person is discerning about the way he lives. He is thoughtful about his course of action. On the other hand, the simple person just accepts everything without thinking about it.

In addition, Proverbs also speaks of one’s thoughts and plans in terms of their rightness or wrongness. That is, Proverbs often casts one’s planning (and the accompanying actions) in a decidedly moral light. Prov. 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.” Derek Kidner clarifies this passage by saying, “Way in Proverbs means ‘conduct’ rather than ‘career’: hence this saying makes moral reflection the essence of shrewdness, whereas we tend to reduce shrewdness to business-sense.” Kidner’s testimony is borne out by the context of this passage which addresses immoral actions (cf. 14:15, 18). The application for us that the Proverbs are primarily (although not exclusively) concerned about making plans and being thoughtful about godliness rather than about the specifics of what job to take or what car to buy. The fact that believers often think first and foremost in categories other than godliness speaks to the distance between their priorities and those of the Word of God.

Further, Proverbs emphasizes the necessity of implementing your plans. Specifically, Proverbs mentions two extremes that one must be careful to avoid. The first is taking no action (14:23). Here, a person is all talk. However, talk accomplishes little. You have to act on your plans. The second is taking the wrong action (28:19).

That is, wasting time with irrelevant activity. The point is that both of these result in poverty. While Proverbs encourages the reader to take the right action based on good planning, it also provides a dose of reality. Prov. 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” There are few things more discouraging than the realization that something you have planned will take much longer than you expected. This verse is meant to help us be realistic about how long it may take our plans, in the providence of God, to be brought to completion.

For all the effort, diligent planning is worth it in the end. As with acquiring advice, there are specific results that come with thoughtfulness and planning. Proverbs cites things such as abundance (21:5), security (10:9, 29), joy (12:20), and a blessed life or long life (12:28) as products of planning.

Making decisions is a part of life. It is something that we do constantly. There are simple decisions, like what to eat for lunch. There are also more complex decisions, like who to marry, what kind of friends to have, what career to pursue, or what house to buy. In all of these things, God’s people should be especially concerned with making decisions that honor the Lord. Several questions naturally arise as a result:

• How does one go about making such important decisions?
• What guidance does the Scripture offer?
• How is biblical wisdom seen in the decision-making process?

According to Proverbs, there are at least three key ingredients to wise decision making: advice, planning, and most importantly, submitting to the Lord. Our goal is to examine these three ingredients and explain how each of them contributes to wise decision-making in Proverbs.

I.              Acquiring Advice

Prov. 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”The first ingredient for wise decision-making is consulting others for advice. Acquiring a variety of opinions about the decision to be made is critical. There is a prerequisite, however. This may seem to be stating the obvious, but getting advice is recognizing that advice is needed. Prov. 19:20 says, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” This verse is an exhortation to recognize one’s own need for advice. In other words, we are called to an attitude of humility. Prov. 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” The fool thinks that he has all the answers. He is so self confident that he will not accept advice. In contrast, the wise man is humble enough to listen to the advice of others.

Good decision making is often thwarted by our own pride. There is, however, wisdom in taking advice (Prov. 13:10). A wise person is one who recognizes the value of thoughtful advice (Prov. 20:15). In fact, Proverbs tells us that one of the great blessings of friendship is “earnest counsel” (Prov. 27:9).

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

While some of the other reasons for suffering can be experienced today, apocalyptic suffering is unique to those who are alive just prior to the close of this age.

Finally, God will often bring suffering into our lives to reveal our hearts. Faithfulness in times of stress and anxiety is an opportunity to prove our love to God. Job provides an excellent example of testimonial suffering. It was God who said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” (1:8) Having felt the affliction of great physical and emotional pain, Job was now in a position to demonstrate his love for God before the entire visible and invisible creation.

Consider someone preparing a cup of hot tea. As the individual dips the bag into the hot water and squeezes it against the spoon, the tea comes out into the water. The heat and the pressure do not create the tea; rather, they bring out what is already there. Or picture the foundation of a bridge cracking as a large truck crosses. The truck did not create the weakness in the structure; rather, it revealed it.

In a similar way, suffering does not create a poor or godly response, but brings out what is already in the heart. As pressure, stress, and pain enter our lives, we have the opportunity to see what is really in the heart.

When I was a kid the dentist gave my brother and me a package of red, chewable tablets. They were intended to reveal all of places that we missed when brushing our teeth. Sure enough, after brushing and then taking a tablet, our smiles were speckled with red. We were amazed at what we had missed. Suffering acts like those red tablets. Everything looks good and healthy until God brings a crisis into your life. Then, while enduring pain and suffering, our response shows exactly what is really in the heart.

This is why seasons of suffering are so ripe for repentance. Thinking ourselves to be righteous, through trials, God shows us how unfaithful we really are and how desperately we need His grace.

While these things are a great blessing and definitely have their place, sometimes I believe we get the cart before the horse. These things are not bad, but they can never replace a robust understanding of the Gospel. We must take the time to map out the theological topography of the Gospel. Any real preparation to reach our society must begin here. This is the most needful thing in evangelism. This may sound like a no-brainer, but this is often the last aspect of our preparation for evangelism. We assume that our knowledge of the Gospel is sufficient. For many, however, this knowledge consists of not much more than the information contained in a simple tract. The sad reality is that if someone asked us to give a clear but thorough presentation of the Gospel many of us would fail the test. Even the ability to define key concepts like “justification” or “repentance” is wanting in many believers. Friends, this should not be! Most of us are concerned about defending our faith, but how can we do so if we don’t know how to articulate accurately the faith we want to defend?  Again, I’m not downplaying the need for apologetics and a missionary mindset as we reach our culture. However, the best place to begin is with a thorough knowledge of the Gospel.

Why should knowing the Gospel inside and out be a priority for every believer? Let me give you several thoughts:

1.)   Only the Gospel can save. The finest philosophical arguments may very well leave the atheist speechless, but will not save his soul. Only the Gospel can do that. So, let us first give priority to knowing the Gospel.

2.)   Unless you are a specialist (i.e. someone with a PhD in an apologetics related field), there is always the chance you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of arguments you cannot answer adequately on the spot. Again, this does not mean apologetic arguments are useless, or that we should not endeavor to find an answer. It only reminds us that knowing the Gospel should be the first priority.

3.)   A clear and thorough articulation of the Gospel may answer many questions before they are even asked. In my experience, many questions about Christianity have to do with some aspect of the Gospel story and how it “fits” with the rest of the story (i.e. How does God’s love fit with the concept of His judgment of sin?).

4.)   Many objections to the faith are simply a cloak for spiritual/emotional wounds from a previous experience with “Christianity.” In other words, there are often personal issues hidden below the surface. Presenting a perfect apologetic argument will not necessarily convince some people because there is something deeper driving their skepticism.

5.)   Knowing the Gospel deeply gives credibility. How can we attempt to defend objections to a belief system that we do not even have a firm grasp of? Few things will hurt a Christian’s witness like not knowing the Gospel.

6.)   Knowing the Gospel gives great confidence. I have seen even the most timid/passive individuals (even teens) pipe up and confidently explain and defend the athleticism of their favorite baseball star or the chances of their favorite football team making it to the Super Bowl. The point is that we rarely have a hard time in our explanation, presentation, and defense of what is important to us, even if we are timid by nature. The fact that even the outgoing among us struggle to explain, present, and defend the Gospel speaks to the reality of misplaced priorities in our lives. When we are growing in our understanding of the Gospel, it gives us great confidence in sharing it in any situation.

I want to encourage every believer to make knowing the content of the Gospel (i.e. the Gospel story) the priority in your life. Of course, the benefits of knowing the Gospel well are far reaching, going beyond the fulfillment of the Great Commission; knowing the Gospel is relevant to one’s daily Christian life. The Gospel Changes Everything!

Although all suffering can glorify God, there are a few verses in the Bible that specifically highlight the glory of God in suffering. In John 9 Jesus and the disciples pass a man who is born blind. The disciples assume that the man is handicapped because of his own sin or that of his parents. However, Jesus states, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (v. 3). The suffering in this man’s life was intended to bring glory to God.

A similar idea is seen in the Joseph narratives in Genesis. Having already been sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph was falsely accused of a sex crime and thrown into prison. As painful as this was to Joseph, he knew that God would glorify Himself through this son of Israel: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:20). God allowed pain in Joseph’s life so that in the end He might have a measure of glory.

This is the comfort that we Christians enjoy. All of the suffering in this world is moving in the right direction; it will ultimately abound to God’s honor and glory. There is not a single pain in our lives, a single tear, or a single sigh that God cannot and will not use to glorify Himself. Nowhere is this more evident than in the cross of Christ. The unspeakable pain that Jesus felt at the cross brought immeasurable glory to God. The Gospel ensures that ours will do the same.

The sixth purpose for suffering is Revelation. Probably unique to the prophets in the Bible, in this category, a person’s suffering reveals something about God. Consider the story of Hosea. Through the trial of marital infidelity, Hosea remained faithful to his wife, Gomer. The pain in this man’s life was intense. Time and time again his children were forced to watch their mother leave home. He was forced to bid on his wife as she sold herself into prostitution. Why did God allow this kind of pain in Hosea’s life? It wasn’t to grow him personally (though I’m sure it did) nor was it to teach Hosea a lesson. The suffering in the prophet’s life served as a revelation from God. It was a picture of God’s faithfulness to an unfaithful people. Through Hosea’s grief, God was calling the nation of Israel to repent.

The ultimate expression of revelation suffering is seen in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 states, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” At the cross, the nature of God is revealed. His love, His justice, and goodness, His mercy, His faithfulness – all of His divine attributes are revealed in the cross and resurrection.

Thus far we have touched on six reasons for pain and suffering in this life. The next post will cover the final two; then we look at some of the implication of the complexity of suffering.