your life story

“Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. 3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts.” 2 Cor. 3:2-3

The story of the Gospel truly is the greatest story ever told. The words of early church father Irenaeus, “our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through His trandscendant love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself” are among the richest words ever penned.

Irenaeus recognized that the story of Jesus is incomplete if it is only about Jesus. In fact, Jesus might say that it is not His story but “our story”. The Gospel could never be told in one story or one person’s story. It is a collection of countless stories of broken images of God who meet the One who is trandscendant Love, and thus find themselves caught up in a story of becoming what He is.

My story-your story is one of restoration to the image of God. Jesus is the “image of the invisible God”. He is what Designer God has/had in mind for all of us. Jesus life has recast the mold. Like ancient works of art that undergo a meticulous restorative process so the artists’ original rendering can be fully appreciated, so our lives are the story of being restored to God’s original intention.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory.” Rom. 8:28-30

As hard as it is to keep this in focus, all of the events of my life have a Master design-all of them- good or bad. The days, weeks, months and years are pages and chapters of a good story. The greatest story ever retold. Our story is a story complete with an innocent beginning, plot twists, failures, enemies, heros, and a surprise ending. And believe me, we have a role! In the end, it is more about what we have become than what we have done. And what we are becoming is “even what He is Himself”.

May Jesus be retold in you!
May your life, when it is over, and the story retold, be good news.

Join us @ NCC This weekend for the new series:"The Greatest Story Ever Re-Told"

Chris Bennett
New Community Church lv.com