The Gospel Way Catechismنموونە

QUESTION 17: How Does God’s Rescue Plan Unfold?

ANSWER

God called Abraham and promised to create a worldwide family of faith. He rescued the children of Israel, gave them the Law, and called them to be a light to the nations. Salvation comes not through human ingenuity but divine initiative.

Everywhere you turn, you find gurus who say the starting point for personal success, fulfillment, and salvation is in yourself. The world is what you make it…Your decisions determine your destiny…You have the power to create your destiny, shape your reality, and make meaning on your terms. Ultimate authority and absolute agency are in your hands. Through the ingenuity of human thought and action, we can fix what’s wrong with the world and with ourselves.

The Bible has a different starting point. We don’t begin with a self-help plan engineered by people, but with a rescue plan initiated by God. God moves first in salvation. Grace comes first. In Genesis 12, we see this rescue plan go into motion when God called an ordinary man, Abraham, and promised to bless him and make his descendants a great nation through which blessing would flow to the world.

God’s choice of Abraham rubs many people the wrong way. Why choose just one person? Why work through one nation? Why can’t there be multiple paths to salvation? Isn’t it unfair that God implements his plan through a particular people? These questions arise because they come into conflict with the assumption that all paths lead to God, or that all religious expressions are equally valid, or that salvation is something we deserve.

But just as the Bible demotes us in making God to be the center and point of everything, so also God’s rescue plan demotes us in making clear it is God’s power and purpose that prevails, not our own (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, John 14:6). Once we understand God’s rescue plan from a biblical perspective, we find liberation from the burden of attempting to achieve salvation on our own. We experience peace and assurance when we respond to God’s grace that goes before us and marks out the way.

As the Old Testament story unfolds, we meet the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). We hear the groaning of the Israelites in slavery to Egypt, and watch God raise up a deliverer, Moses, to lead them out of captivity and into the promised land. God gives his people the Ten Commandments as part of the Law intended to guide them in righteousness. The Law is a gift that reveals the holiness of God. By obeying the Law, God’s people are to be a light to the nations, showing the rest of the world the breadth and depth of God’s heart for humanity (Exodus 19:5-6).

The call of Abraham reminds us that our lives are part of an ongoing saga, each of us intricately woven into God’s redemptive plan, pointing us to the ultimate fulfillment that can only be found in his salvation. Once we believe the Bible’s description of this divine rescue plan, we can reject our paltry attempts to achieve salvation for ourselves, recognize the beauty of God’s divine initiative, and rest in his providential plan to bring about redemption for his glory and our good.

Reflection Questions

How does the Bible’s vision of salvation as God’s initiative stand in contrast to the prevailing notion that we determine our destiny and achieve fulfillment on our own? Reflect on how modern values of individualism and self-sufficiency shape your perception of fulfillment and destiny. How do these values align or conflict with the Christian belief in God’s unfolding plan and divine initiative?

In what ways have you experienced the tension between trying to fix the world (or yourself) on your own and the biblical teaching that God’s rescue plan requires surrender and trust? Consider moments when you felt the pull between following your path and trusting God’s plan. How have these experiences affected your faith and understanding of God’s purpose for your life?