The Power and Purpose of the Bible | Let's Chat, Part 2

The Power and Purpose of the Bible
Let's Chat - Part 2 (Embracing God's Better Story)
by Andy Holliday

The Bible is no ordinary book. Its pages contain an epic drama that reveals life's deepest questions and God's unfolding answers across the centuries.

While penned by over 40 authors over 1500 years, a unified story emerges. From start to finish, the Bible follows humanity's estrangement from God and God's persistence in pursuing people with grace despite this unfaithfulness. Throughout its pages, God continuously draws wayward people back into relationship with Himself. The biblical narrative spans from creation to new creation, chronicling the human condition and God's unrelenting love for His fallen creation.

This overarching story reaches its climax in Christ, who redeems humanity through his loving sacrifice on the cross and his conquering death through resurrection. When Jesus said "it is finished" upon the cross, he meant humanity's estrangement from God was reconciled and restored. The Bible's diverse books culminate in this saving solution.

Unlike texts from other ancient faiths, we can have full confidence in the reliability of the biblical manuscripts. There are thousands more existing ancient copies of both the Old and New Testaments than other works from antiquity. Additionally, the earliest manuscripts are dated much closer to the original writings than other ancient texts that historians consider trustworthy. This affirms that the Bibles we hold today accurately reflect the original writings.

The Bible is more than a human book - it is "God-breathed," inspired by the Spirit with power to bring new life to all who embrace its message. The Holy Spirit enlightens Scripture to awaken our souls and transform our lives as we engage its words. When the information in the Bible combines with the inspiration of the Spirit, it brings about transformation in the reader. God's Word enlightened by the Spirit enlivens God's people.

By embracing the Bible's story as our own, it reshapes us into people who live out God's love. The transformative narrative in Scripture reorients every aspect of our lives to align with God's gracious purposes for the world. It forms our identity and mission as people called to proclaim God's grace.

The Bible chronicles God continuously moving towards creation with love despite humanity's brokenness. This loving pursuit finds its ultimate embodiment in Jesus. Though fully God, Jesus took on flesh to sacrifice himself for us. His life, death and resurrection make Christ the definitive revelation of God's grace.

But the story does not end there. Jesus' life is now carried on through the lives of ordinary people transformed by God's love. When we embrace the biblical narrative, we become agents of the same undeserved favor towards others that Jesus demonstrated. We are empowered to live as God's restored people shining His goodness in the darkness.

Just as God was fully with Adam and Eve at creation's beginning in the Garden, the Bible promises God will again be fully with His people at the restoration of all things. One day, God will dwell with us in a new creation cleansed of all sin, pain and brokenness.

The Bible is God's story that shapes us as people of his love. May we commit to engaging with Scripture each day, so that through God's Word we grow in understanding his redemptive purposes and are increasingly transformed into agents of his grace. God's grand narrative awaits all who open their Bibles.

This post was inspired by the following message.