How is Christianity not like some big game? (Part 2)

One student who is currently doing our Scripture Under Scrutiny courses, has emailed me a bunch of their questions. I will post my answers here over the next week or so. These Notes will also import into our Facebook Page, so feel free to head over there and discuss further.

He wrote:

"I'm struggling to work out how it isn't one big setup, or a game. God made us for his pleasure, and is omnipotent. So He could've stopped Satan from tempting us, but didn't. So He allowed us to fall and become separated. Then all people have original sin from then on due to some intrinsic rebellion, so humans have to sacrifice animals to be forgiven in the OT. Then God saves us with Jesus, but He was in control of the whole thing! I know that God wants us to come to Him freely and not feel forced, but it sounds like the whole story has been set up so that we're failing from the start and need a saviour.
Right, so 1. How do you see this? (response here)" "2. Why did God behave so differently in the OT and suddenly decided to change tack? He's omniscient/present, so time isn't an issue."

My response:

The Bible speaks about itself as a progressive revelation, where God is deliberately taking time to unveil his plans and purposes. It is not that God changed his mind or his nature between NT and OT, in fact there is fundamental continuity between the OT and NT portrayal of God. Rather, God is working out his purposes gradually.

So, for example, the animal sacrifices in the OT are not a different way to be forgiven. They are recognised as symbolic and intrinsically inadequate even in the OT itself. They are rather signposts, showing God's desire to forgive and what is needed for forgiveness. Jesus is the true object to which these sacrifices point.

Why did God do it this way? There are a range of reasons we might give. But here are two important ones:

1. To Teach: the whole OT gives the categories of thought that enable us to understand what God eventually did in Jesus.

2. To Demonstrate: slightly different to teaching, demonstrating refers to the way God is shown more plainly to be God and we are shown more plainly to be sinners. The time God took in the OT provided real-life proof of God's justice and patience, and real-life proof of our desperate need for forgiveness.