Basic Concepts of Tracking God^©

Five Basic Elements to Bible Study

1. The Bible Tells a Story (from Eden lost to Eden restored)

Everything of which the Bible speaks, centers around this step-by-step return to God's original intentions for life on this earth.

2. There is a Unifying Plot Conflict Throughout the Bible

From Eden lost to Eden restored, there is the interplay of God versus Satan who both are striving for the our mental, physical and spiritual allegiance.

"Almost every story, poem, and proverb in the Bible contributes to this ongoing plot conflict between good and evil.  Every act and attitude shows God's creatures engaged in some movement, whether slight or momentous, toward or away from God."

3. The Prevalence of Human Choice

All choices have consequences, either immediate or future, or both.

"The presence of the great spiritual conflict makes choice on the part of Biblical characters necessary.  Every area of human experience is claimed by God and counter claimed by the forces of evil.  There is no neutral ground.  Every human event shows an allegiance to God or rebellion against Him.  The Bible concentrates on the person at the crossroads."

4. Human Choice, not External Environment, is the Crucial Point

Humanity in general and individuals in particular must face their responsibility for the problems inherent in our fallen world.

"People's problems do not stem from outward events or the material world. . . Its [the Bible's] plot is thus a moral/spiritual action in which external events provide the occasion for significant action, whether good or bad."

5. The Bible is the Story of God

The events and stories in the Bible were recorded for "our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Corinthians 10:11).  They were written so that we can know our Saviour and "hear His voice" when He calls us out of sin to live righteouslessly by His power.

"The story of the Bible is the record of God's acts in history, in nature, and in the lives of people." (all quotes from Leland Ryken, How to Read the Bible as Literature, pp. 177-179)