Did you know that people and classic cars have a lot in common?

Both have a very similar story that can be told in five brief chapters.   God's Restoration Story is found in the Holy Bible.

 

CHAPTER 1:  CREATION

Every classic had its Day of Creation as it rolled off the assembly line.  A beautiful work of art, the new car served as an original expression of its designer and builder.  The price tag of that brand new creation reflected its value.

 

In the same way, through Adam and Eve, every man and woman was created by God in His expressed image.  On that special sixth day of creation, God looked at His handwork that He called Man and Woman, and saw both were perfect, sinless, and full of meaningful value in His eyes (Read Genesis 1:26-31).

 

CHAPTER 2:  DESTRUCTION

After many years of abuse, neglect, and unfortunate accidents, the once-perfect car is now deemed worthless and undesirable.  So, it's hauled off to the salvage yard, destined to rust and ruin.

 

In a similar way, Adam and Eve neglected to obey God and abused their rights given by God.  This destroyed their relationship with God and caused them to fall away from His presence.  The Bible calls this "sin."  And ever since Adam and Eve, we are all born in this state of sin and destruction.  (Read Genesis 3; Romans 3:23).  This is a very sad chapter in all our lives, until we reach Chapter 3, that is.

 

CHAPTER 3:  REDEMPTION

This is actually where the Restoration Story begins to get good.  Chapter 2 left us with an old rusty classic abandoned in the salvage yard called Destruction.  In this chapter, a master craftsman of classic restoration sees great potential and value in what others see as a pile of useless junk.  All the money, work and time it will take to restore this old classic is nothing to the master restorer.  He pays the price to "redeem" the old car from total destruction, and takes it to his shop to begin his work of reconstruction.

 

A similar but much greater event happened for all of us.  Because we were all born in sin, we are all headed for an eternal destruction.   Regardless of race or background, unless someone rescues us from our own destruction, we are doomed forever.  Well, Jesus paid the price of redemption for all of mankind when He died on the cross of Calvary.  Our only hope is to accept what Jesus did for us, and trust Him as our personal Master Restorer, our Savior.  (Read Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; ; Romans 10:9-11; John 3:16-17)

 

CHAPTER 4:  RESTORATION

After paying the price for redeeming the old car out of salvage, the master craftsman begins his work of complete restoration.  From bumper to bumper, top to bottom, inside and out, all the work of restoration takes place in this chapter of the restoration story. 

 

God's divine work of restoration begins immediately after someone has trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Once a person's relationship with God has been restored,  God begins to carefully and masterfully restore the character and shape the lifestyle of a new Christian.  The goal of a life restoration is to transform the person to be more like Jesus Christ. (Read 1 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 3:2)

 

CHAPTER 5:  REWARD

The final chapter in the restoration story of a classic car is the Reward.  The finished project is truly a work of art.  With perfect paint and meticulous mechanics, the restored classic has been transformed into a show-stopping trophy.   Certainly, the value of the restored vehicle has greatly surpassed the value of the original.

 

In the end, the life that has been completely restored by the hand of God has great rewards in store.  On a special appointed day known only to God, Jesus Christ will take all believers into Heaven to be with Him forever.  In that instant, we will all be changed to be perfectly holy, just like Jesus Christ.  Once in Heaven, we will receive crowns and other rewards for God's completed work of restoration in our lives. (Read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 1 Thessalonian 4:13-18; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4)

 

CROSSOVER'S INVITATION TO YOU

If you'd like to know more about how God can restore your life or the life of someone you care about, please give us a call or stop by for a visit.  Nothing would please us more than to share God's purpose and promises for your life.