Hugh Whelchel tells the story of the entire Bible as a play in four acts: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. He then says:
This four-chapter gospel is not just a way to read the Bible. It’s the framework through which we live our lives. Everyone sees the world through a unique view or perspective, a worldview. As Christians, we see the world through the perspective of the Bible. Think of the four-chapter gospel like a set of prescription glasses that helps us focus our actions and decisions on God’s great story of his creation. When we live with a blurry prescription for a long time, our eyes adjust. Life out of focus becomes routine, and we struggle to realize we could be seeing something more. With a new set of glasses, everything becomes clearer. The four-chapter gospel is just that – the sharpest, most complete view of life that is true for all of humanity. It serves as the most accurate prescription to view and understand the world.
Sadly, we often truncate this story merely to the acts of Fall and Redemption, which leaves us with a thin and uncompelling narrative or explanation for human existence. But the story God has given us in Scripture is a beautiful, glorious story that far outshines all others. Whelchel’s piece is well worth your consideration as you aim to keep the big picture in view.
