Today it’s easy to suffer from information overload - our information age is cluttered and noisy. When hearing God’s voice through the Bible it can feel like information overload too. There’s a lot happening in the Bible, so how do we cut through the “noise” and dial in to what God is saying?
The big message of the Bible is God getting himself to his people so he can get his people to himself. And he accomplishes this through Jesus Christ.
The big message broken up into three parts:
Justification: God makes his people right.
Sanctification: God makes his people holy.
Glorification: God makes his people perfect.
On JUSTIFICATION: since the Garden the Bible records God’s grace to make his people right before him through no effort of their own.
Rather than role models to follow, the people in the Bible (Abraham, Noah, David, etc.) are examples of God justifying his people despite their sin.
The Exodus is the major event that puts on display God saving his people through no effort of their own.
Application: You will hear God’s voice in the Bible clearer when you see the Bible is for you, but it’s not about you. In others words, the Bible is primarily about what God has done for you. God will speak to you about your justification - he will remind you of it, cause you to rest in it, and to worship because of it.
On SANCTIFICATION: “Sanctification or holiness is conformity to the likeness of Jesus Christ.” Jerry Bridges, Disciplines of Grace.
The bible won’t make much sense if you don’t understand that a holy God is speaking to his people about being holy so they can be with a holy God forever.
The ceremonial laws (animal sacrifices, clean laws) was God’s gracious way of making it possible for a holy God to dwell with his people.
The moral law is still binding on us today. We obey because of our justification, not for our justification.
Application: when you read through the OT and come to the ceremonial law, read it and hear God speak that the holiness of his people is of utmost importance to God. Without holiness we can’t be with God. And also hear the grace of these laws that God would show us what holy living looks like.
On GLORIFICATION: this is when the final removal sin happens. When this happens God will dwell with his people forever, his glory will fill the Earth, our bodies will be resurrected like Christ’s, and the Earth will be renewed.
Our glorification is the completion of God’s plan to get himself to his people so his people can be with him forever.
The Old Testament prophets speak a lot about a renewed Earth both physically and experientially. The physical Earth will be renewed (deserts blossoming, mountains flowing with wine, etc.), and how we experience the Earth will be renewed (no weeping, there will be righteousness and justice, etc.)
When reading these prophecies keep in mind that they will happen when Christ returns.
Application: this is our great hope, especially when we suffer. Our suffering pales in comparison to the glory that is coming. We suffer for a little while, we are glorified forever.
May we be a church that rests in our justification, pursues our sanctification, and hopes for our glorification.
