Redemptive History can be broken down to four main periods: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation.
1. CREATION – First of all God is the one from whom, through whom and unto whom are all things. As the creator. In the beginning God created. Gen 1 – this is where we begin and where we will end. This is the point. Christian theistic method must be God-centered.
We begin with God. Herman Dooyerward calls God the archimedian point of all of life. God is Father, Son, Holy Spirit. He is the person who is author of all truth, fountain of all truth, gives meaning to all things, author the plan of salvation… Jesus Christ is the son – mediator of creation, salvation… Holy Spirit – who is the spirit that gives life and in the redemption gives new life. Jesus Christ reveals the father and gives the spirit.
The doctrine of creation is one of the most critical doctrines of all of our handbook… according to Calvin, it is distinct yet connected/not separated. We believe in a creator/creature distinction. No other philosophy believes in this. We believe in two kinds of being: creator and creature. God made the world by fiat – outside of himself, out of nothing. He created this good.
We are passionate vitality. We’re moved, we’re alive. Our aliveness is for the praise of God. Murder is wrong, we are robbing God of his worshippers. Human beings live in history. We have been given a task. Cultural mandate: let them have dominion v. 26 and 27-28. God made them in his own image and blessed them… the development of life in human history. As the word implies it has the meaning of cultivation. We are bringing life into history. The earth is not developed in the beginning it needs to be cultivated. Cultural mandate requires many different vocations – to be fruit bearers. Almost every significant heresy has a low view of creation.
2. FALL – rejecting the conditions for this dominion. Rejecting the passionate vitality of the rule of God. Sin is violation of the law of God or want of conformity to the law of God. Instead of being prophet, priest and king for God, we do it for ourselves. Idolatry takes the place of worship. There is elevation of the creature over the creator. We believe in total depravity. We are corrupt in every part of who we are. We become unable to reason our way… we become foolish and ignorant. The fall is described by RC Sproul is cosmic treason. CS Lewis – the bent people, twisted people.
For example: abuse, tyrants, men lusting after men, vanity, pollution, sickness, natural catastrophes. Creation groans, it is absolutely devastating
Al Wolters states that the Fall affects structures – marriage was created good but bad marriages happen… work was noble but work in the fallen world is drudgery.
Os Guinness says we should wear bifocals – creation is good yet fallen… there is a common misconception among some philosophers and religions that creation is bad. Example: Camus – the plague – fight creation where we find it.
Christians should not fight creation, we should fight sin where we find it. Jesus wept not at creation, but at the corruption of creation, at sin and death.
3. REDEMPTION – It is the costly mercy of God. The cultural mandate had been seriously attenuated by the fall. Redemption brings hope to life so that we may fill the earth and bring passionate vitality through the earth. The terms of the cultural mandate are throughout the bible. Gen 1, Psalm 8, even after the fall, God should not be mindful of man… Jeremiah 29 – famous letter to the exiles. But they long to be back. False prophets tell them to wait, God will break the yoke…. But Jeremiah tells them to build houses, get married, have children. God tells the exiles to seek the peace and prosperity of the city. Hebrews 2 – quotes Psalm 8 – we still have dominion, but we see Him who is leading us into the new humanity. Jesus is the new humanity and doing culture. He is the finisher of our outlook on all of life. Passionate vitality of all of life.
In redemption, Jesus tells his disciples to “go to all nations and make disciples and teach whatsoever he has instructed them.” It is coming under the lordship of Christ. The great commission is the cultural mandate with Christ at the center. It is abundantly clear in the bible.
We are currently part of this redemptive history. God has made the church the body and bride of Christ. We now act as representatives of Christ and for Christ in the world.
4. CONSUMMATION – Finally the return of Christ and the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. Man is as he should be in his glorified state. What was once unseen is now seen. Every tear is going to be wiped away, there will be no death, there will be no sorrow or mourning. God calls us to be his people and we will be his worshipers. We look forward to this time.