When I do not attempt to make myself the hero, but submit to Jesus as the Hero, then my life—my actual flesh-and-blood existence, problems and all—becomes my strategic opportunity to serve him. I am liberated to simply be me, surrendered to Jesus. Because of the champion who has defeated the enemy of God on my behalf, I am liberated to live my

I must fight to understand my life and circumstances in light of redemptive history that has been fulfilled in Christ.

Ask: Why did Jesus have to be crucified and resurrected for this text to bring me joy? How can I conduct my life in line with the gospel and render the obedience of faith? How can I apply my life to the gospel truth of this text?

Ask: What is the relation of this text to the character and work of Christ? What does Jesus perfectly do or fulfill in this text that we could not do for ourselves? How does Jesus resolve the redemptive theme of this text? How does Jesus complete the story of this text? How will Jesus’ return complete the story of the text?

Ask: What heroic person or heroic action is walking in line with the gospel in this text, and how does he or she (or the action) remind me of Jesus? What are the flaws of the heroic person or action in the text that remind me that everyone needs Jesus and that only he can walk perfectly in line with the purposes of God?

One of the glorious things about Scripture is the way it reveals the flaws of key figures in redemptive history. The temporal saviors and heroes in the biblical narrative all need the ultimate Savior and Hero in order to be adopted into God's family, forgiven, and saved from the penalty of their sins.

Just as we personally identify with the bad guys in the text, we should identify the heroic action in the text with Jesus.

Who does this text say is out of order with the purposes of God? In what ways am I prone to be out of order with the purposes of God in a similar manner? What is this text saying about what must be done, or who we must be, to abide in the purposes of God, and how do I fail to do what it says?

Simply coming to the text and asking, “How am I like the people in the text who are doing the wrong thing?” is transformative and beneficial in gaining a gospel perspective in understanding our relationship to the text. This approach helps us to remember that the Bible is not a book of rules or a manual on morality; it is a story of God's grace to