When it comes to doubt in the Christian life, we often don’t talk about it very much. While there are good reasons at times to avoid those types of conversations, it is still helpful to consider how to process doubts in our own walk with the Lord.
One aspect of working through healthy doubt is considering and reflecting upon God’s Mighty Acts in Humanity or History.
The first step in consideration of God’s Mighty Acts is God’s Word. We understand God’s Word because Christ, the very Word of God—the 2nd Person in the Trinity, makes God known. This is revealed at the beginning, middle, and end of all human history.
BEGINNING – Life ex nihilo “out of nothing”
- John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
- Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
- Genesis 1 “Then God said…then God said…then God said…then God said…
MIDDLE
- Colossians 1:17 “…in Him all things hold together.”
- Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
END
- Revelation 19:11-16 “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. … 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
The second step, after accepting that God spoke, sustains, and consummates all of history and humanity, is to examine the story of God’s Word.
At this point, the meta-narrative or story of the Bible will serve us well. To understand the meta-narrative, we must ask at least two questions:
1. What is the thesis of the overarching message God communicates to us through the Bible?
- The message is GOD’S GLORY…
- What is God’s Glory? This is the praise, worship, and adoration that He has always received, currently receives, and will always receive for eternity.
- How is God’s glory revealed?
- It is most evidently revealed through GRACE…
- What is GRACE? This is the granting or giving of underserved favor or blessing….
- The key in this definition is undeserved…
- What about the glory of God that requires Grace to be revealed?
- This would be called SIN…
- Sin is missing the mark or rebelling/disobeying God’s Word with a high hand…
- How is God GLORIFIED by extending GRACE to those who have SINNED, currently SIN, and will SIN?
- This is through REDEMPTION…
- What is redemption? This is the bridge or remedy for reconciling the Holy God and sinful people. It simply means to buy back with a payment (ransom)…Mark 10:45…
- God cannot wink at sin and just overlook man’s offense. No, that would be against the character of God [holiness and justice]. So God must intervene and bridge or reconcile man to Himself.
So, the meta-narrative of the Bible is the glory of God revealed through the grace given as a result of man’s sin that is realized through redemption.
2. How did history and humanity begin according to the Bible, and how did God work in history and humanity?
It begins at the beginning of time—Genesis 1…
Creation
- There are Adam and Eve–created in the Image of God…
- There are the beautiful sights, sounds, and life of the creation…
- There is fellowship with God…walking about in the cool of the day…
- There is a command—an injunction that must be maintained…
- There is a serpent distorting the message and communication of God…
- There is Eve considering this alternative message…
- There is Adam standing by…
- There is a decision, followed by and act—SIN enters the world…
- There is shame, isolation, and manipulation. God: “…Adam where are you…” Adam: “…the woman—You gave me…”
- There is a deceiver desiring evil…there is God taking what was evil and using it for good…
- Thus, there is SPECIAL GRACE and redemption—an animal’s blood to cover their nakedness and shame…
- There are children—still in the image of God, but now cursed with a heredity and imputation of sin…
- There is a sacrifice that is acceptable and one that is not…
- There is hate…there is jealously…there is blood and death…
- There is sin manifesting itself in its most primitive and honest form—I AM THE RULER OF MY DESTINY—I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SHIP, THE MASTER OF MY FATE—I AM…GOD, I CAN TAKE LIFE WHEN I WANT…
- There is God…in Genesis 4, calling to account, “what have you done? Listen! THE VOICE OF YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD IS CRYING TO ME FROM THE GROUND…”
- There is a seed, Seth is born to Adam and Eve…then after several generations, Noah…
- There is sin increasing and spreading…
- There is COMMON GRACE given through the rise of civilization and rulers…
- There is a promise in Genesis 7 of grace given to Noah and 7 others…
- Then there is destruction…God is glorified—followed by Genesis 9—a promise to not destroy in the same way…
- Then there is a repopulation of the earth…
Patriarchs
- There is a man called from Ur of Chaldees, not chosen for his righteousness, but by the grace of God for His glory…
- There is a promise given to this man, Abram, in Genesis 12, 13, 17, 19—Look to the north, the south, the east, the west… I will give you this land, make you a great people, make you a blessing to all nations…
- There are children—12 of them…
- There is evil against one of the brothers—Joseph; however, what they meant for evil, God used for good…
- There is a sojourn in Egypt—the Israelites grow in blessing and number…
- There is a forgetful Pharaoh who persecutes the Israelites and makes them slaves…
- There is a child born—of the tribe of Levi—sent down a river to his death…
- There is Pharaoh’s daughter drawing Moses out of the water…Grace, redemption–the glory of God…
- There is Moses standing by as his people are destroyed…until he too kills a man and flees…
- There is Moses in the desert, a shepherd—and God appears to Him in a burning bush…
- There is God telling Moses to set His people free…
- There is Moses doubting himself, doubting God, but still God using Him…
- There is Aaron, his brother coming alongside him to lead the captive Israelites out of Egypt…
- There are 10 plagues given to make the release final…
- There is the last plague—the slaying of the firstborn who are not protected by the lamb’s blood over the doorpost…
Exodus
- There are the Israelites wandering in the desert…
- There is God ordering the tribes…
- There is grumbling…
- There is a spy expedition that returns in fear—except for 2 young Israelites…
- There is the curse given to that generation—40 more years of wandering…
- There is the golden calf—man making for himself an idol—the sin of sins…
- There are the 10 commandments—God’s law given to man…
- There is Moses disobeying God and striking the rock—not being able to enter the land…
- There is the tabernacle, and God’s providing a way to fellowship with Him…
- There is Moses given the instructions to teach God’s truth to their children…
Conquest
- There is Joshua taking the promised land…
- There are people forgetting God’s Law and doing what is right in their own eyes…
Judges
- There are judges rising up to maintain the precepts of God—7 cycles of blessing and sinful destruction…
- There is a faithful widow Moabite Ruth to her mother-in-law, widow Naomi…
- There is the line of Judah continued—the promised line of Messiah…
- There is Eli and Samuel…Samuel being called by God…
- There is the sin of Samuel’s sons and the cry for a King just like the Gentiles…
- There is Saul…and the decrees of God…
- There is David…a shepherd boy…
- There is Saul going into battle (missing the mark) by offering a sacrifice to God without Samuel…
- There is the blessing removed from Saul and given to David…
- There is Saul spiraling out of control meeting with the witch of Endor—an act he previously outlawed…
Kingdom
- There is David uniting the Kingdom…
- There is sin…death and adultery—and resulting punishment…
- There is the wisest man on earth taking over 700 wives and concubines, not abiding by Deut. 17—laws for kings…
- There is the prideful son dividing the Kingdom and Jeroboam taking 10 tribes north…
- There are two alters for sacrifice placed in Dan and Bethel—a complete rebellion to God’s decree for sacrifice to be only in Jerusalem…
- There are lines of evil and good kings (but only a few in the Southern kingdom)…
- There is God speaking through the prophets who are writing…return to the ways of God…
- There is the Assyrian captivity in 722 BC and the destruction of the northern Kingdom…
- There is God again speaking through the prophets who are writing…return to the ways of God…
- There is Babylonian captivity beginning with Daniel in 605 BC to Babylon…
- There is the faithful Daniel and his 3 companions…
- There is the Babylonian destruction of the Southern Kingdom in 586 BC…
- There is Daniel faithful in the face of persecution and decrees of kings who oppose God…
Exile
- There is the 70 years of captivity…
Return
- There is God moving Cyrus—King of Persia, to let Zerubbabel return to Jerusalem…
- There is the building of their own paneled houses and the neglect of God’s temple…Haggai and Zechariah admonishing and exhorting…
- There is Esther and Mordecai in the face of Haman and Xerxes…
- There is the temple being rebuilt…
- There is Ezra reading the law and revival breaking out in the land…
- There is Nehemiah rebuilding the wall in 50-something days…
Silence
- There is silence and the warring of the Maccabees…
- There is the establishment of the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots…
Gospel
- There is the Angel appearing Zachariah—then to Mary—then to Joseph…
- There is the birth of the Baptist…
- There is a virgin conception…
- There is a census called by Herod…
- There is a pregnant mother with nowhere to birth the Christ-child…
- There is a stable next to an inn—the dirt, the grime, the animals…the trough…
- There are the shepherds encountering angels…crying out–glory to God in the highest and on earth peace—for unto you this day, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you, and His name is Christ the Lord….
- There is the agony of a mother in birth, and then the cry of a baby…THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH…
- There is the star in the East…
- There is the Christ-child there fleeing to Egypt and then to Nazareth…
- There Christ is growing in wisdom and stature…
- There is the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord…repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand…
- There is Christ the God-man, the 2nd person in the Trinity, walking to the Baptist there in the Jordan…an act of utter humiliation, yet identification…
- There is the Baptist shying away from such a task—and Christ assuring him that it is the will of God…
- There is Christ receiving baptism in the Jordan…
- There is the Spirit falling down and the Father speaking out, ”…this is My beloved Son”…
- There is Christ being led into the wilderness, fasting for 40 days…
- There is the serpent of old…twisting Scripture and Christ redirecting Scripture…
- There are the angels ministering to Christ after the deceiver leaves…
- There is Christ preaching repent—believe the Gospel…
- There is Nicodemus, the teacher of the law, asking about eternal life—Christ saying you must be born again…
- There is the woman at the well—Christ offering her the opportunity to never thirst again…
- There are the healings, the miracles, the feeding of the 5,000, the sermon on the mount…
- There is the raising of the Dead—Lazarath come forth…
- There is the upper room discourse—Jesus washing the feet of His disciples…even the one by whom He would be betrayed…
- There is the High Priestly prayer—“Father, make them one even as We are One”…
- There is the Passion week…
- The most unassuming coronation for the King of the universe “…blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord…Hosanna”…
- There are prophecies after prophecies fulfilled…
- There is the prayer in the Garden…
- There are the disciples asleep…
- There is the kiss of betrayal…
- There is the abandonment of his disciples…
- There is Christ alone brought to a botched trial, convicted for crimes He didn’t commit….
- There is the sinner murderer set free while the Creator of the world is sentenced to crucifixion…
- There are the Jews crying out… “His blood be on us and our children”…
- There is the cross…the agony…the pain…the suffering…the blood…
- There are the criminals mocking…scorning along with the rest of the onlookers…
- There is the one thief turning to Christ…remember me…Today, you will be with me in Paradise…
- There is dereliction…the separation… “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”…
- There is silence…then “It is finished…” Colossians 2…
- There is the earthquake…the temple veil split in two…
- There is the centurion “Surely this was the Son of God…”
- There is Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross…
- There is his body falling upon them…staining them in His blood…making them ceremonial unclean….
- There is the tomb…the seal…the guards…
- There is Mary going and seeing…it is empty…
- There are Peter and John testifying…
- There is Christ appearing to them, Thomas, the walkers toward Emmaus…
- There is the forgiveness of Peter…
- There is the promise of the Holy Spirit…you will be My witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth…
- There is Christ ascending into the Heavens…
Church
- There are the 120 gathered in the upper room praying…
- There is the Spirit falling upon them on the day of Pentecost…
- There are tongues given speaking in languages that understand the works of God….
- There is Peter preaching…5,000 souls saved…
- There are Peter and John walking along the temple courts and healing the lame man at the beautiful gate…
- There is Peter preaching at Solomon’s portico…
- There is the arrest of Peter and John…the release with the command to never preach Christ…the response that they never stopped preaching or proclaiming Christ…
- There is sin in the church—racism—Hellenistic or Greek Jewish widows were not being served food…
- There is wisdom and delegation…
- There is the first Christian martyr…Stephen…there is the young Saul holding the coats for the stoning….
- There is Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus to decimate the ‘Way’–Christians…
- There is the conversion of Cornelius and the council to confirm Gentiles into the church…
- There are three missionary journeys and then Paul’s imprisonment…
- There are churches being planted, elders appointed, and growth north from Jerusalem, into Antioch, Asia Minor, across Troas, into Macedonia, and through Thessalonica into Greece and Rome…
- There are letters written by the Apostles and Prophets inspired by the Holy Spirit being passed around to the various churches…
- There are heresies and false Christ’s rising up…
- There is martyrdom and witnesses through the blood to the message of Jesus Christ…
- There are the Apostles and Prophets passing on what they learned to new disciples…
- There is 2,000 + years of Church history…
- There is us today.
Take a minute to reflect on God’s work in your life. Consider the great things He has done despite the challenges you had to and still have to overcome.
Amen and Amen.
— December 15, 2022