The Fallen Protagonists
Have you ever played a first-person video game? It’s called first-person because the experience is seen through the eyes of the main character, placing you right in the middle of the action. In a similar way, God has designed our lives to be experienced in the first person. We are the main character of our own stories, living and making decisions from our own perspective. But here’s the twist: while we’re the protagonists, we’re also invited into a larger narrative that’s unfolding beyond us. It’s a story bigger than our own, and the choices we make not only shape our journey but also the world around us.
The Fall: From Victims to Villains
We all start as both the victim and the villain. It’s a sobering truth we can’t escape—we’ve all sinned, and the weight of Adam’s fall has marked us. But even though we were crowned with glory and honor, we’ve fallen short of that calling. As Romans 5:10 says, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…” we have to face the fact that, before Jesus, we were enemies of God. This tragic reality makes us the villain in our own story, turning our backs on the Creator who made us for greatness.
Restored to Glory: Jesus as the Hero
In the midst of this, God speaks to our dignity, as revealed in Psalm 8: “You have made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor.” That’s the glory and honor we were meant to live in—to reveal and represent God to the world. But, like Adam, we fell short. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We became victims to sin’s power and villains in our rebellion.
The Hero’s Redemption: Restoring What Was Lost
But here’s the beauty: Jesus didn’t leave us in that broken state. He took on our victimhood, took on the penalty of our villainy, and offered us a way out. As Hebrews 2:9-10 says, “But we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” Jesus is the Hero who lived up to the glory and honor we failed to represent. He has restored it to us. He didn’t just die for us—He resurrected us into new life, enabling us to bear the image of God once more.
The Hero’s Journey: Transformation
Through Jesus, we’ve been rescued from the victimhood of sin and delivered from the villainy of rebellion. We are no longer enemies of God. Instead, we are adopted as sons and daughters. We’ve been restored to glory and honor, entrusted with power. We carry His image and bear His name. This transformation means that we’ve been born again—filled with the Holy Spirit, the living water that flows through us, making us more like the Hero who saved us.
The Process of Becoming a Hero: Character Arc
Becoming a hero doesn’t happen in an instant. Every hero goes through a process of development. We are not yet fully what we were created to be, and in every good story the hero has a character arc that takes place. The Bible is clear that we are on a journey, a process of being transformed. In Philippians 1:6, it says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
From Victims to Victors: Embracing Your Calling
As Jesus transforms us, we move from victims to victors, from villains to heroes. We start to embrace the calling on our lives, rising to the occasion of the challenges and the character-building moments He allows. And in that journey, we also begin to step into the role of the guide—helping others along the way, pointing them to the Hero who has rescued us all.
Partnering with God: The Key to Transformation
The key to all this is partnering with God. We have a role to play, and just as any hero must choose to fight for the good, we must choose to partner with God in His transforming work. This means surrendering to His will, seeking His guidance, and embracing the changes He’s making in us.
The Hero’s Journey: Embracing the Struggles
The journey is hard. It’s full of challenges and obstacles, but every step of it shapes us into the hero God always intended us to be. We are not defined by our past failures, but by the new life we have in Christ. So, the question becomes: How will you partner with God in your own journey of transformation? How will you step into the heroic role He has designed for you?
The Role of the Guide: Empowering Others
In the next post, we’ll explore what it looks like to embrace the role of the guide—helping others unlock their potential and empowering them to walk in the same victorious transformation we’ve received.
(This post is inspired by Wellspring Group, John Eldredge & Donald Miller’s work, with my personal application of some of their concepts.)
The Randalls 
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