EVERY STORY HAS A BEGINNING - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  First, notice that it begins with a person, not something.  It starts with God’s existence before anything else. The universe is not eternal, but God is.  He is an everlasting Spirit with no beginning and no end. He spoke the universe into existence out of nothing, demonstrating His sovereignty over all things. Every aspect of creation reflects His intentional design, showcasing His glory and wisdom.

Furthermore, because God is good, everything He created is inherently good.  And because He created it all, He owns it all. He is the King above all kings.  This Creator King made the first man and woman.  Think about this: God spoke everything into existence except for humankind. The Lord stooped down and hand-crafted the first human couple out of the dusk of the earth.  Humanity is created to participate in God’s creation by reflecting His character and exercising dominion over the earth. As creatures dependent on their Creator, humans are designed for a purpose within God’s good plan. The Creation story sets the stage for understanding humanity’s relationship with God and the world and inspires us to be grateful for the goodness of His creation.

Despite being created good, humanity rebelled against God's authority and chose to disobey Him. We know what happened, of course. The serpent deceived Eve; she ate and gave Adam the fruit, and he ate. This rebellion led to the Fall of mankind, as depicted in Genesis 3. Every human being who has been born since then is a sinner, with the exception of Jesus. Adam and Eve's disobedience introduced sin and brokenness into the world, disrupting the harmonious relationship between God and His creation.

The consequences of sin include spiritual separation from God, physical death, and a distorted human nature prone to sinfulness. The Fall highlights humanity's need for redemption and restoration due to its fallen state. It marks a pivotal moment in The Story when brokenness enters God's perfect creation.

In response to humanity’s fall into sin, God initiates a plan of redemption to restore what was lost. Throughout the Bible, we see glimpses of this redemptive plan unfolding through various covenants and promises made by God to His people. Ultimately, redemption finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ enters The Story as the Redeemer who offers salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross. 

Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus provides a way for humanity to be reconciled with God and experience forgiveness for sins. Redemption through Christ signifies God’s love and mercy towards fallen humanity.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not a random or arbitrary event but rather a central part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. It was foreseen and ordained by God as a means of atonement for sin and reconciliation between God and humanity. The Bible teaches that Jesus’ death on the cross was part of God’s eternal plan to bring salvation to all who believe in Him (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

The theme of restoration runs throughout Scripture and points towards a future hope where all things will be made new.

The restoration is the final stage in the story of God, creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration. In Christian eschatology, it is described as the new heaven and new earth, in which God will dwell with his people and there will be no more suffering, death, or pain. This restoration is not just for humanity, but for all of creation, which has also been affected by the fall.

This final restoration completes The Story by bringing about ultimate reconciliation between God and His creation.