Once Upon A Time . . . & Happily Ever After
Many fairy tales begin with something like “Once upon a time”, often ending with “happily ever after”. This is because a fairy tale, by definition is a magical folklore story, often for children, that feature fantastical creatures (fairies, dragons, talking animals, etc.), enchantments (spells, magic), and a simple narrative of good versus evil, typically ending happily. These originate from oral traditions and have been frequently repeated (and often altered) over the years. They explore themes like transformation and justice, inspiring one’s imagination with extraordinary events in faraway lands. Many fairy tales weren't originally for children but served as moral lessons.
But not all narratives that begin with “once upon a time” and end with “happily ever after” are fairy tales. Take for example, the seemingly perfect marriage. Some, in our current society, where marriages are too often easily ended, call such marriages “fairy tale” unions. Recollection of these goes something like, “once upon a time” this man met this woman. They fell in love, married, and after a while they bore and raised their children, grew old together and then lived “happily ever after”. Oh, that marriage should be so simple, and that more marriages ended with living “happily ever after”. Fairy tales and marriages are things of this earth. But there’s another thing that started “Once upon a time” and can end with “Happily ever after” that is not a fairy tale.
Once upon a time (before time was), God formulated a plan – (Heb 4:3). In that plan, all those who were obedient to God would receive blessings from God, as He Promised Abraham in (Gen 22:18). If we peek ahead to see how this could be possible, we might see (Gal 3:26-29) where the Promise of God to Abraham becomes a reality. This is where the “once upon a time” leads up to present time. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There were things before that Promise, and things after the Promise that need to be examined so we get the full picture of God’s plan, how this all leads up to a conclusion, and what we might learn from it, and how it applies to us.
The place in which all this was to occur had to be created. We know from Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, how the earth was created and how man came to be (contrary to man’s wild speculations). We then see how sin entered the picture in chapter 3. As time continued, so did life, but mankind became so wicked, God put an end to all humanity, except for one man, Noah, and his family. We read this in Genesis 6 through 9. Once again, the earth became populated, and sin rears its ugly head, so the battle of good versus evil raged on. Then, in Gen 12:1-5, we read of the call of Abram, the initial obedience of Abram (Abraham) as he heeded God’s call, and the Promise of God to Abram as it was originally stated.
This separated out a people, (the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who was called Israel), so that God’s plan would be carried out. When it was proper to do so, God gave these people (Israel) a Law to follow, that they could know how to live, and that the bloodline would remain pure as God’s plan for the “happy ever after” could be realized. If we again “peek forward” several years, we read in Gal 4:4-7, that in accordance with God’s time-frame, His Son, Jesus, which was first Promised in the Garden of Eden, would come to earth, being born of a virgin, live under God’s Law to Israel, and die on Calvary’s cruel cross to bring God’s plan to fruition.
But wait, the “happily ever after” is not yet. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, dying on the cross wasn’t the end of the story. It was as necessary a part of God’s plan as was the O.T. Law. However, Christ dying on the cross did not save a soul. Happy ever after still was not in place. First, that “Old Law” had to be taken away. Col 2:14 tells us in Christ’s death, He “took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” This aligns perfectly with Heb 10:9 as the first covenant had been fulfilled, and had to be taken away, “that he may establish the second.”. This is why we are told in Rom 10:4 “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”.
However, the taking away of the Old Law, and establishing the New Law, did not give everyone their “happily ever after”. This is because not all have obeyed God under this New Testament Law. Many are still refusing to “yield” to God and His Word. Rom 6:16-18 clearly shows that the one we obey is the one to whom we yield. 1Tim 6:19 also makes it perfectly clear that one can make preparation for “happily ever after” while they are “Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
So, when does “happily ever after” happen? Read 1Thess 4:13-18 and see that this applies only to those who are “in Christ” whether they have died and await Christ’s return, or if they are faithful and “alive and remain” when He comes again. Verses 14 & 15 of this passage emphatically state that Jesus will bring those “which sleep in Jesus” with Him and that those who are “alive and remain” will not go into heaven before the dead in Christ. Verses 16 & 17 lay out the sequence of events for the beginning of “happily ever after. All those who have obeyed God in FULL ACCORDANCE with His Word will receive the fulfillment of that Promise of eternal life.
Once upon a time God put a plan in place. Obey that final plan today, become His child, remain faithful until death, and be “happily ever after” with Him in Heaven. The other option is eternal misery in Hell. Think about it.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
