Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Thank you for tuning in to the Bibleofile Podcast with Corey Ramsey.

I am Corey Ramsey, and today, we will be continuing in our study of the book titled, “The Wonderful Works of God” by Herman Bavinck.

In this episode, we will be looking at Chapter 3 in which Bavinck speaks of General Revelation.

If this is your first time tuning in, the format in which we do this is something like a summary of the book, expounding on the important points from the chapter and talking about what I think Bavinck to be saying, while adding in feedback from my own experience and study.

Also, if you are unfamiliar with how the program works, I would like to remind you that you can follow along chapter by chapter as we go through them, but it is not required in order to benefit from the program.

If you would like more information about the show, you can visit www.thebibleofile.com

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Before we begin todays discussion on General Revelation, lets recap what was discussed in the last episode.

Recap & Transition

In the last chapter speaking on the Knowledge of God, I would summarize by saying that the point he was trying to make is that knowing Christ personally is knowing God.

He mentions that Christ is God expressed and God given.

A true knowledge of God leads to a love of God that far transcends all other goods.

This true knowledge of God logically leads to eternal life.

This knowledge is distinct in its origin.

It is a knowledge completely dependent on Christ.

This knowledge is different in its object.

Everything else we know is temporal whereas God is eternal.

Finally, this knowledge is distinct in its essence.

This knowledge is not mere information but consists in a real knowing of God.

This true knowledge of God is a knowledge of faith.

He says, “If we understand the knowledge of God in such a way, it need occasion no surprise that its operation and effect is nothing less than eternal life.”

As we begin to look at General Revelation today, which is a way in which we know God, we will see that these chapters and topics are closely related.

Chapter 3

As we begin looking at Chapter 3, I must say that I enjoy Bavincks writing style in that the first sentence in his chapters seem to be very definitive and straight to the point.

He starts this chapter off by saying, “If it is true that man can have a knowledge of God then this fact presupposes that God on His part voluntarily chose to make Himself known to man in some way or other.”

“We cannot credit a knowledge of God to ourselves, to our own discovery, investigation, or reflection” he says.

Such knowledge we are absolutely dependent on God for.

This knowledge of God that we speak of is different than a knowledge we can have of say created things.

We were given the task of having dominion over the earth and an interest to do so at creation although we are still dependent on God for this knowledge.

Even this knowledge is limited in all types of ways says Bavinck.

He says the more we know about something, the more the mysteries seem to increase.

Speaking of living, animated, and rational creatures, our limitations become even more obvious.

Reflection

I mentioned in a previous episode that at one point of my life after I was saved, I became very interested in chess.

I put a lot of time in playing and studying thinking I would become a very good chess player in a short period of time and realized this was a very unrealistic goal.

I seemed to be studying and playing a lot while climbing the ranks extremely slow.

Sometimes it even seemed as if I was moving backwards.

A chess website tells me that there are over 318 billion ways to play the first 4 moves in chess.

To master a game such as this, that has so many possibilities after only 4 moves, seems impossible and in many cases it has driven people to craziness.

If we are limited in knowledge in such a thing as chess, which consists of a board and pieces, how much more would we be limited in trying to understand living things such as animals and humans.

There are many different species of animals and a countless number of humans throughout history all of which are the same in a sense but unique in their own ways.

The limitations are apparent.

The Nature of Man

Now looking at the nature of man, he says it is mans external manifestation that we perceive.

Behind this external manifestation of the person lies mystery life which is not perfectly expressed in the external form.

Man also has the ability to conceal his inner side from others.

Bavinck says that “He can so control his facial expression that not a muscle betrays what is going on inside him; he cam employ language to hide his thoughts; and he can in his actions assume an attitude which is in conflict with what he is within.”

We must depend mostly on what he chooses to reveal about himself although sometimes due to his imperfections, unintentionally reveals things about himself.

He summarizes this point by saying “Knowledge of a person is possible only if he involuntarily or consciously and deliberately reveals himself to us.”

Reflection

I am sure that probably every one of us has encountered people in our lives that were not who they appeared to be.

I am reminded of a news clip from Cleveland, Ohio when a woman who had been missing for quite some time was found.

The intereview in the news clip was with a guy named Charles Ramsey, no known relation, and he was speaking of the man who had kidnapped the woman.

He said he saw this guy everyday.

He said he barbequed with this man.

Listened to salsa music with him.

He seemed like a normal guy to Charles.

He had no idea that he had kidnapped multiple women and had them living in the basement of his house.

I am sure if Charles would have examined this guys life very closely he may have seen clues that led him to believe there was something going on there but from normal aquaintance, this seemed like a normal guy.

It is the same with a lot of people whom I had known in my life.

They appear to be one way on the outside until one day their actions clearly betray who they really are on the inside.

Nature of God

We have briefly looked at the nature of understanding creation and now move forward to our knowledge of God.

Bavinck says that we have no way to make God the object of our study and reflection.

Why is that?

Except God lets himself be found, we cannot seek him.

Think about it this way.

God is invisable.

How can man find something he cannot see?

This invisable God dwells in unapproachable light

If he keeps himself hidden, we simply cannot bring him inside our physical or spiritual perception, upon which our knowledge of him is dependent.

Bavinck also points out that unlike humans who are imperfect and can unintentionally reveal things about themselves, God is perfect control and only reveals himself to the extent that he wills to do so, and only because he wills to do so.

He summarizes this idea by saying that “Knowledge of God is possible therefore only on the basis of a revelation from Gods side.

A knowledge of God is avaialbe to man only when, and in so far as, God freely chooses to reveal himself.”

What is Revelation?

God revealing himself to us is called revelation.

In this revelation, God does not always reveal himself to us in the same way.

Bavinck makes a great point when he says, “All the works of God, whether of word or deed, are constituent parts and elements of the one, great, comprehensive, and always continuing revelation of God.

He points out that things such as creation, maintenance, rule of all things, the calling and leading of Israel, the sending of Christ, the pouring of the Holy Spirit, the inscripturation of the Word of God, and the sustaining of the church, are altogether ways and forms by which a revelation of God comes to us.

Everything that is and that happens leads up to the knowledge of God.

Reflection

Do you look at everything that is and that happens as leading you to a knowledge of God?

I was just reading a biography on A.W. Pink by Richard Belcher and he mentioned somewhere in the book that Pink barely ever spoke about himself so the task of writing the biography was somewhat challenging.

So if Pink is no longer alive and not much was written or known about him personally, how was Belcher able to write this biography?

Pink was known for his extensive writing on the Scriptures so Belcher was able to look to the works of Pink to come to a pretty good understanding of who he was.

As was mentioned earlier, God is invisable and also unapproachable but has chosen to reveal things about Himself through his work.

It just so happens that all of creation is his work so we can look to everything that has been created and learn something of the creator.

Characteristics of Revelation

Revelation is typically referred to as either General or Special

No matter which type of revelation you are speaking of, it always comes from God acting in his freedom.

Bavinck says that “Every revelation proceedes from the idea that God exists personally, that he is conscious of Himself, and that He can make Himself known to creatures.”

He continues to say that “Our human knowledge of God has its basis and point of origin in the knowledge which God has of Himself.”

God knows himself perfectly therefore he can reveal himself to us.

Also, every revelation which proceeds from God is self-revelation or God is the origin and content of His revelation.

He points to Christ, the highest revelation of God, who has revealed the name of the Father to men.

He says “All of the works of God in nature and grace, in creation and regeneration, in the world and in history teach us something of the incomprehensible and worshipful being of God.”

Reflection

It says these works teach of the incomprehensibleness of God.

If I were looking to the cross when Jesus died, I would have thought to myself what in the world is going on.