And The Word Is?

The question was once asked; “Could you sum up all of Scripture in one word?” Needless to say this brought on quite a flood of possibilities. For some the answer was obvious; “Well, it is love of course.” After all, the gift of Christ was motivated by the love of God, who loved the world so much that “He sent His only born Son.” [John 3:16] The Apostle Paul speaks of being “compelled” by the love of God. Throughout the Bible we see God’s love at work. I had to agree that this sounded like an apt answer.

For others, the answer that came to mind was ‘redemption.’ Since the fall of man recorded in Genesis 3, God has been actively at work seeking to redeem man unto Himself. From the guidance of the Law to the great gift of Jesus; from the call to be His own “special people” to the call to evangelize; God is constantly working to bring man back into a state of reconciliation with Himself.

Still others said an emphatic ‘GOD.’ Let’s face it, Scripture is His story. In God’s word we find His acts of love and redemption. Scripture is a telling of God’s great faithfulness and grace even though we do not deserve it and often times refuse or at the very least neglect it. “In the beginning God….”

I found these answers to be quite thought provoking, along with the many other answers given. As I began to ponder this rather difficult question I came to a realization. All of God’s great love and all of His redeeming work were really for one key purpose, He desires to have a relationship with us. The work of redemption was so that our severed relationship can be renewed. The love given to the world in the person of Jesus Christ was so the price of separation could be paid and we could have a relationship with God. I have come to believe that Scripture can be summed up in the simple truth of relationship.

I then moved on to rephrase the question to ask how I would sum up all of life. And once again I came to the conclusion that the word “relationship” is still the key. Our lives are driven by relationships. We find them at home, church, work and at play. At home we may be seeking to relate to our children across what can seem an insurmountable generation gap. We work seeking to do our jobs in a way that our supervisors will approve. We even find relationships in our play, as the old grade school report card once said; “She works and plays well with others.” The list could go on and on about the many relationships that shape and even drive our lives. Life is full of relationships. God created you to not only have relationships, but to also thrive in those relationships; whether they are within yourself, with others around you, or with God Himself. To be in a relationship is, at its simplest form, a true God given need. 

The ultimate human relationship that God gave us, and even designed us for, is that of the relationship between a man and a woman in Holy Matrimony.  When you enter into marriage you have entered into a relationship which is ordained and meant to be blessed by God.  We will explore this concept further in later posts.