The Gospel story captures God’s redemptive plan that progressively unfolds throughout the Bible, in both Old and New Testament, from Genesis to Revelation. Not only that it reveals His grand plan, it also communicates His characters and His heart.
Creation
The Gospel story is a story of a generous God. As the story begins with creation, God presents Himself as the uncreated, independent, self-sufficient God. He does not need anything or anyone to sustain His existence. In His ability to create and rule, He shows that He alone is powerful and sovereign. Yet, out of His generosity, He shares existence with all of His creation. Not only that, He goes out of His way to share His image with us (mankind) and allows us to participate in His story. This depicts His relational nature.
Highlighted God’s characters: generous; relational; omnipresence (uncreated, independent, self-sufficient); omnipotence (powerful, sovereign)
Fall
The fall of mankind into sin is significant, pervasive, and damaging because it is a sign of our rebellion against a holy God. As Adam and Eve who disobeyed God’s commands and sought power for themselves (Genesis 3), they defiled the God who is in creation and broke the covenant that God has made with them. Therefore, God, who cannot tolerate wrong, must act with holy justice in response to this rebellion. Yet, God is merciful and forgiving. He did not leave us to battle sin alone for the rest of our lives. He could have used anger to not only curse Adam and Eve but to leave them to burn in hell for eternity due to their sinfulness. Instead, He chooses to let mankind live and continually shows mercy even when the Israelites or us now fall into sin over and over again. Our sinful nature will never allow us to have a close relationship with God, but He still pursues us.
Highlighted God’s characters: holy; just; merciful; forgiving
Redemption
God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to be the atonement for our sins (John 3:16). This shows God’s redemptive power and that He is unconditionally loving and faithful. His promise of salvation and redemption was completed when Jesus died and resurrected from the cross, fulfilling the prophecy God has promised hundreds of years before (Numbers 24:17). His work is absolute and indisputable, it is once and finished. He is still the same God who will judge our sin at the end of days but he does not doom us to this fate, each of us has a chance to declare faith in Him and be saved (Romans 10:9-10).
Highlighted God’s characters: unconditional; loving; faithful; absolute; indisputable; powerful
Restoration
What Jesus did is a source of hope and joy that ought to move us in faith to live a life that is pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). Though His work on the Cross has finished, He has not stopped working. As we look forward to eternal life where we will never be separated from His love again (Romans 8:31), He will continue the work that has begun in us (Philippians 1:6). He is still actively pursuing us and transforming us to be more like Him, in His image and likeness like what we were meant to be (Philippians 1:6). The hope that we have in Christ is never meant to be kept to ourselves but provided to all men (John 12:32). The Good News invites us to think beyond ourselves, to look out for each other and fulfill the great commission. It also moves us even more to proclaim about Christ to those who have not heard.
His characters which have been mentioned are few and His goodness and power cannot be explained in a few paragraphs. So as you continue to be more Gospel fluent, it will become evident that God’s Characters are constant and consistent, endlessly highlighted throughout the Gospel. We have a whole lifetime to read His word and discover more about him. Do not wait, start now for there will always be more to learn.
Highlighted God’s characters: bringing hope and joy; actively pursuing and transforming; constant; consistent; just; merciful
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