We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

-Romans 8:28

The whole message of the Bible can be summed up in four words: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration.

Creation is the story of how "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) in order to demonstrate His majesty and power and share His love with the human race created in His own image and after His likeness.

The Fall is the story of how our first parents rebelled against their Creator God and in so doing plunged themselves and the whole universe into a destructive cycle of suffering and death.

Redemption is the story of how God in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, entered into our world to rescue us from sin and all its consequences and restore us to our rightful position as the children of God.

Restoration is the story of how, in the fullness of time, God will create a new Heaven and a new Earth in which righteousness will reign and where God's people will enjoy eternal glory in His presence.

Read this way, the Bible is more than a series of interconnected stories with some added moral guidelines. Instead, it reveals one comprehensive narrative of how God moves in history to accomplish His eternal purposes for His people. That not only inspires awe, but gives purpose and meaning to life like nothing else ever can!

John Visser is a retired pastor living with his wife, Michelle, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada where they attend Maranatha Church. They have four children and twelve grandchildren. He has pastored churches in Alberta, Nova Scotia and Ontario. His passion and calling is to help people find and fulfill their destiny in Christ.