The Story of It All

Lately I've been reading a bunch of novels: sci-fi by Lewis and a few fantasy novels by Andrew Peterson. What I've realized is how much I've come to love the story of the gospel. If you had seen me four years ago, you would have seen a passionate, zealous guy who wanted to know as much theology as possible, preferably systematic. I wanted to know the propositions and know them well. I was propelled toward further knowledge as I discovered more and more new propositions to add to my newly formed reformed theological framework. Everything was systematized, organized and zealously pursued.

What I've found lately is that at some level propositions don't breed perseverance. Yes, they are absolutely fundamental to the faith (I'm not going way out emergent on you all with my proposition hating) but they are not sufficient in and of themselves to generate the type of faith that lives and moves and breaths for a lifetime. We must know the truths of the Scriptures: our sinful condition, God's free grace, justification by faith, spirit-empowered sanctification; as well as how to practice them: church order, sacraments, worship, etc. However, we also must know the Truth of Scripture--and here I mean the one transcendent Truth that is the story of Scripture. Jesus calls himself the Truth not merely because he speaks truth but because he is the sum, the climax of the entire true story of scripture. We must know the True Story if we want our faith to survive the perils, threats, and difficult trials of life on a fallen, screwed up and terribly seductive world.

What does this mean? We need a biblical theology that understands the story of Scripture--that understands why Genesis and Judges and Zechariah matter, that understands how Jesus fulfills the promises and types of the Old Testament, and ultimately, that shows us that the whole story, from alpha to omega is really centered on the Alpha and Omega. Jesus is at the center of the story. And until we see the unlikely rescue of Jesus for his people planned out in eternity past and fulfilled in the most unexpected of ways for the most undeserving of people, only when we see that story, will our hearts love the gospel for a lifetime. In one of his songs Jason Gray remarks, "It's gotta be more like falling in love than something to believe in, more like losing my heart, than giving my allegiance..." When we get caught up in the Story that we are called to be a part of, it is then that we are truly equipped to endure and persevere through all the challenges of a lifetime of faithful walking in our role of the grand Story of Existence.

Check out these related resources that I've been spending time as the Story has been challenging me and changing my heart:

Andrew Peterson: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! or Be Eaten
and his CD Behold the Lamb of God on itunes.

Sally Lloyd-Jones: The Jesus Storybook Bible