In Season Two, we learned the central theme of Paul’s letter -- the sovereignty of God and the sufficiency of His grace for our redemption in contrast with the insufficiency of any work we can do to earn His favor. Paul emphasizes these points throughout his letter exposing God’s plan for the redemption of all who have faith in the person and work of Christ.
In Season Three, we will begin to highlight two additional themes:
1) The common thread that flows throughout the entire Biblical narrative from Genesis through Revelation. That thread is God’s plan for redemption.
2) The grace of God, as seen in the gospel, is much more than just the forgiveness of sin.
Regarding the first theme, God reveals His plan through a series of agreements and promises that He initiates with humanity. These agreements and promises are referred to as covenants. Over the course of scripture, these covenants reveal His plan of redemption, starting off simple and vague. But as the narrative continues, they become more apparent as the focus of His plan sharpens. No matter what section of the Bible you are reading, you can place it in the context of the covenants and what is occurring within their revelation. This helps you understand the unity of God’s word and its diversity.
The second theme will reveal that the cleansing of sin is not the only thing that gets us into the eternal presence of God. In our fallen condition, a clean slate only gives us the opportunity to fail again because we are still disobedient by nature. Yet, only those who are righteous through perfect obedience can enter the presence of God. This is a critical point of the New Covenant; God promises to make us righteous before Him through the work of His Son, who was perfectly obedient.
So as we proceed into season three, ask yourself two questions:
Is there anything I can add to the work of Christ?
Is there anything I should add to the work of Christ?