Word Pictures of the Gospel

From The Gospel Coalition blog:

The Bible uses different word pictures to articulate the breadth and depth of the gospel. The language of the law court (justification, punishment, judgment) illuminates the fundamentally moral character of redemption. The language of the temple (atonement, sacrifice, sanctification) highlights the mystery of the universal presence of God as creator interwoven into the local presence of God as redeemer. The language of the family (adoption, bride and bridegroom) explores the central relational quality of God’s dealing with his creatures. The language of the marketplace (ransom and possession) captures the dynamic of God’s ownership of his people in all of life.

Why so many word pictures? Not because God wants us to choose whichever one appeals to us the most. Rather it is because life is full of dimensions that can never be fully captured by one word picture. Different word pictures help us capture different aspects of this reality. Recognizing this helps us understand the multiple ways in which the gospel serves as the glue to the complexities of life. We must refuse to accept the realities of a distracted world at face value, and look instead for ways to build bridges between the disconnected parts of peoples lives through the richness and depth of the gospel.