God: His Self-Revelation

Introduction:

The view a person has of God affects the entirety of their lives.

Some Distorted views of God may include:

God is a divine police officer who looks for the chance to bust erring human beings. That God is a malevolent being who exists to punish people.

God is a divine grandfather in the sky who is a kind gentleman who exists to make human beings happy and to ensure that everyone had a good time - looking over our sin and

Other distortions can arise as we see people who excessively analyze God in a manner in which is speculative and the goal is not to know God better, but to prove a pre-conceived idea or preference - a God created in their own image - an idol.

God has chosen to self-reveal himself to his human creation. We should be grateful for this, we can know God. Because God is infinite and we are finite, we cannot know him unless he chooses to reveal himself to us in manner with which we can know and have fellowship with him. Because God has revealed himself we can know him and have a relationship with him - a relationship of a son or daughter in the family.

God is knowable but also we cannot fully know him - states, “Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens-what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol-what can you know?

Job expresses the incomprehensibility aspect of God - yet while we may not be able to know God exhaustively or completely we can have real and sufficient knowledge of God as human beings.

This is because of God’s Sovereign Choice - God has Chosen to Reveal Himself

Revelation - God has Chosen to Reveal Himself

How does this take place?

- General Revelation

General revelation is God revealing himself to all peoples at all times and in all places. The creation, human conscience, providence and the sense of a moral law that resides in human beings. Nature, history and the makeup of human beings reveal that there is a God.

, “ 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. 4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. 4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

2 Day after day they pour out speech;

Special Revelation

- Special Revelation

night after night they communicate knowledge.

, “ 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

3 There is no speech; there are no words;

When we stand in front of the ocean and see the power of the waves or the beauty of a sunset over a vast mountain range, or in biology when studying the anatomy of animals or human beings we are witnessing the power and greatness of God.

As Calvin states it, “wherever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory.” (Institutes, Ch.5 Pt.1)

wherever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory.

their voice is not heard.

Historical events also point to the one true God and his providential power over human affairs. The history of the nation of Israel and its survival over many years in such a hostile environment is proof of God’s existence.

The cosmological argument for God’s existence deals with the laws of causation - in order for their to be what exists their has to be a cause or mover if you will…their had to be a first cause that was not acted upon - a necessary being to bring about causation. Of course in Christianity we know that this is God.

Teleological argument - There is a designer. The order that is found in the universe reveals that there is a divine creator who has ordered it all and placed it together.

The makeup of human beings, physically and mentally...n that we have a sense of moral right and wrong that is hard-wired into us. We also see that worship is innate to humans.

- Special Revelation

John Calvin, “God has given us an objective, valid, rational revelation of himself in nature, history and human personality. It is there for anyone who wants to observe it.”

declares, “ 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth,

Sin distorts the ability for human beings to embrace the witness of general revelation.

J.I Packer, “Fallen humankind is in one sense ignorant of God, since what people like to believe, and do in fact believe, about the objects of their worship falsifies and distorts the revelation of God they cannot escape. In another sense, however, all human beings remain aware of God, guiltily, with uncomfortable inklings of coming judgment that they wish they did not have. Only the gospel of Christ can speak peace to this distressful aspect of the human condition.”

The fall and the curse have subjected even the creation to futility-this world is not as God first created it. It is to be freed and made new by God. Likewise, human beings are by nature fallen and have distorted loves and affections. This cause people to reject God and darkens their understanding. tells us that the work of Satan is blinding. It is only through the lens of faith that human beings can see correctly and clearly. This is the work of God in regeneration as men and women respond to the gospel.

Therefore general revelation is insufficient to enable people to have a personal knowledge of God that leads to true worship and trust in God. True knowledge of God comes thru faith.

21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. - Special Revelation

- Special Revelation

and their words to the ends of the world.

- Special Revelation

Erickson defines this as, “God’s particular communications and manifestations of himself to particular persons at particular times and particular places, enabling those persons to enter into a redemptive relationship with him.” This revelation is necessary because of sin and the fall. God has further revealed himself as the savior of sinners through Jesus. This revelation is found in scripture and makes possible the path to salvation for the lost.

Abraham is an example of this. A pagan who worshipped the moon, God chose to reveal himself to Abraham and God made a covenant with Abraham. God reveals himself by giving his name to Moses in , “I am who I am” or “I will be who I will be”. God is basically saying in the burning bush with inexhaustible life that was not consumed, “This is my name forever”. This personal name for God reveals his self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal and sovereign nature.

Noah likewise entered into covenant with God. In the New Testament, the same is seen with the Apostle Paul with Paul’s goal stated “that I may know Him.” () These are personal interactions. God is revealing himself as a personal being that can be known by faith. God is transcendent, that is he is beyond us, above us. There is no way I could reach up to God and his level - he has come down to my level in that sense that he has revealed himself in a way in which I can know him as a finite human being. What a remarkable, merciful and gracious God!

What are the types of special revelation:

The Scripture - this leads men to faith in Christ and tells us how to live to glorify God. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, a language the common man used and could understand.

God reveals himself by giving his name to Moses in , “I am who I am” or “I will be who I will be”. Noah likewise entered into covenant with God.

, “15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Historical Events - God delivering his people from Egypt by way of the Exodus.

Divine Speech - “The word of the Lord came to me, saying” the prophets message was not their own - but God’s - he was speaking through them. As the writers of scripture wrote, God placed within their minds the words and thoughts he wanted communicated.

The Incarnation - Jesus’ life and speech were a direct and special revelation from God.

Erickson states, “When the prophets spoke, they were bearers of a message from God and about God, When Jesus spoke, it was God himself who was speaking.” (Introducing Christian Doctrine, p.49)

, “ 1 Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe, through him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

God has chosen to reveal himself and does so by telling us something about himself. Therefore our faith is personal and practical. That is, we come to know God by believing certain things about him. How can we trust a God that we do not know something about? Believing in God means believing something about him and thankfully he has revealed that to us through general and special revelation. God has made it possible for sinful and lost human beings to know him and grow in their knowledge of him and what he has promised to his children and what he expects of them. This knowledge includes a personal relationship and clear truths about God. Yet we should remember that we cannot fully know everything about God.

, “ 29 The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

God has chosen to reveal himself and does so by telling us something about himself. Therefore our faith is personal and practical. That is, we come to know God by believing certain things about him. How can we trust a God that we do not know something about? Believing in God means believing something about him and thankfully he has revealed that to us through general and special revelation. God has made it possible for sinful and lost human beings to know him and grow in their knowledge of him and what he has promised to his children and what he expects of them. This knowledge includes a personal relationship and clear truths about God.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at some of the attributes of God.

29 The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law. Next week, Lord willing, we will look at some of the attributes of God.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at some of the attributes of God.