God's general revelation, special revelation and the fate of the unevangelized

Psalm 19:1 “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth His handiwork.

Psalm 19:7 “The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul”

John 1:18 “….He has explained Him”.

Colossians 1:16-17 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Introduction: I've got a secret to tell you



Have you ever had a conversation with someone that divulges a secret they have kept hidden for a long time? Prior to their disclosure, you are unaware of what is on their mind. However, upon their telling you the whole secret, you now have access to that which was previously hidden. Sometimes people will use the term "revelation" to describe the full disclosure of secrets.

When we speak about how God has made Himself or His will known to human beings, we refer to such an act as "revelation". Revelation, in its simplest meaning, refers to an "unveiling". For instance, the final book in the New Testament is called by the mysterious sounding title - "The Apocalypse". The term "apocalypse" derives from the same-sounding Greek noun which indicates the unveiling of something previously hidden. Such ideas convey the broad definition of God's revelation of Himself. 

The infinite God, creator of Heaven and Earth, has made available and accessible certain information about Himself in creation and conscience, which Bible teachers call "general revelation". This same God, who being the Creator, is also the Redeemer, and has disclosed specifics about His will and saving intentions in the Old and New Testament scriptures, which Bible teachers refer to as "special revelation". 

What God does through general and special revelation

One of my favorite designations for the Bible is “God’s Book”. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 begins its first article with these words: 

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.” 

The remainder of the article emphasizes how God is the central character and focal point of sacred scripture. The BFM 2000 describes God as the Bible’s “Author”. 

Further reading yields that by the principles of the Bible, God “judges” men’s hearts. Finally, all scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of Divine revelation. In as much as the Bible is “God’s Book”, we need to also know the “God of the Book”. The above verses tell us three main truths about this God: 

1. His existence is revealed in the external world and the moral realm

(i.e. "general revelation").



2. He expresses Himself in scripture 
(i.e. "special revelation").



3. He is explained through Jesus Christ. (i.e. "fullness of revelation through God's special revelation").

All three of the above points consider how God as Creator is revealed by the general revelation of creation and the conscience; special revelation in the Bible and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ. 

Unpacking general revelation



What kind of God is this God? Undoubtedly we have the special revelation of scripture and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ to tell us the specifics about God. However, we also understand that God has expressed Himself in a general, non-redemptive form of revelation that Bible teachers call "general revelation". Why is this term "general revelation" used? The specific knowledge about God (His power, nature and goodness) is accessible to anyone, everywhere who has a heart open to truth. Such revelation about God is discerned through the external physical world and the internal moral intuitions of the human conscience.  

With the increasing tides of secularism and spiritualism, the God of the Bible needs to be explained for what and Who He truly is, the One All-Good, All powerful God. The exercise of discerning God's nature and characteristics from His general revelation in the external world and the moral realm is called "natural theology". 

Prophets of the Old Testament like David in Psalm 8 and 19 and the New Testament Apostles like Paul in Acts 14 and 17 argued for the existence and nature of the true God from observations gleaned from general revelation. Their strategy was to engage their audiences with information they already had about God. Romans 1:18-20 and 2:14 state that all men born into this world have an inherent knowledge of God's  power and moral character. Thus, the pattern of beginning with God's general revelation and the insights of natural theology is one that is advocated by the Bible.

How God can use general revelation to prepare humbled hearts to respond positively to the Gospel


General revelation, though a non-redemptive form of God's revelation, can nevertheless prepare the human heart for reception of the "brighter-light" of God's special revelation, the Bible, and the fullness of His revelation disclosed through the Bible - Jesus Christ. Passages such as Romans 1:18-31 tell us that none can complain before God on judgment day that they didn't have a chance to know Him, since general moral and eternal qualities of God were revealed to them from general revelation. If such persons were to respond positively to the "lesser-light" of general revelation, then God would already have a Christ-follower ready to meet them with the redemptive special revelation of the Gospel. 

Acts 10 is a wonderful example of how God uses general revelation to prepare the human heart for the time they will hear more fully God's redemptive purposes toward them. The man in question is named "Cornelius". Acts 10:1-16 indicates that Cornelius was a "God-fearer", indicating that, at bare-minimum, He had responded positively to God's general revelation. What follows in the remainder of Acts 10 is the arrival of the Apostle Peter to bring to Cornelius and his household the specific, redemptive revelation of God from the scriptures, as well as the fullness of revelation revealed by the death and resurrection of Christ. 

The Holy Spirit brought conviction through Peter's message and the majority of his listeners were gloriously converted. If Cornelius had turned away from the lesser-light of God's general revelation, then he would had demonstrated his lack of willingness and readiness for God's special revelation. Salvation is all of God, and the rejection of the Gospel is all of man. 

Closing thoughts

Today we looked at the concept of God's revelation of Himself and how He makes Himself known through what is termed: "general revelation". We also touched briefly on two other terms: "special revelation", which is God's identity and redemptive-will through the scriptures and the full-revelation of Himself in Jesus shining forth from the Biblical text. By keeping in mind such distinctions, we can begin to explain how God deals with people who may have never heard of Jesus' name. No one can ever say they were dealt with unfairly by God (Romans 2:4-16). All those who respond to the Gospel call of salvation can only say they were dealt with graciously by God (Acts 16:14; Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18). All people who persist in their rejection of the Gospel can never charge God as unmerciful, since they had enough information from general revelation to elicit a forward direction toward Him (Romans 1:18-31). Only the Holy Spirit can open the heart, unstop the ears, take the blinders off the eyes and raise from spiritual death the sinner's will so moved to see, hear and sense the Savior calling them to Himself (John 1:12-13; 16:8-12). The Savior who was moving in the shadows of life in the course of seeing God's general revelation desires to dispel those shadows so that they can run toward Him, the focus of God's special revelation (John 1:9; Titus 2:11-12). 

God The Creator Revealed By General, Special And The Fullness Of Revelation

Psalm 19:1 “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth His handiwork.

Psalm 19:7 “The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul”

John 1:18 “….He has explained Him”.

Colossians 1:16-17 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Introduction:

One of my favorite designations for the Bible is “God’s Book”. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 begins its first article with these words: 

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.” 

The remainder of the article emphasizes how God is the central character and focal point of sacred scripture. The BFM 2000 describes God as the Bible’s “Author”. 

Further reading yields that by the principles of the Bible, God “judges” men’s hearts. Finally, all scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of Divine revelation. In as much as the Bible is “God’s Book”, we need to also know the “God of the Book”. The above three verses tell us three main truths about this God: 

1. His existence is revealed in the external world and the moral realm

2. He expresses Himself in scripture 

3. He is explained through Jesus Christ. 

All three of these points are expounded below as we consider how God as Creator is revealed by the general revelation of creation and the conscience; special revelation in the Bible and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ.

God as Creator is revealed in what we call general revelation

What kind of God is this God? Undoubtedly we have the special revelation of scripture and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ to tell us the specifics about God. However, we also understand that God has expressed Himself in a general, non-redemptive form of revelation that Bible teachers call "general revelation". Why is this term "general revelation" used? The specific knowledge about God (His power, nature and goodness) is accessible to anyone, everywhere who has a heart open to truth. Such revelation about God is discerned through the external physical world and the internal moral intuitions of the human conscience.  

With the increasing tides of secularism and spiritualism, the God of the Bible needs to be explained for what and Who He truly is, the One All-Good, All powerful God. The exercise of discerning God's nature and characteristics from His general revelation in the external world and the moral realm is called "natural theology". 

Prophets of the Old Testament like David in Psalm 8 and 19 and the New Testament Apostles like Paul in Acts 14 and 17 argued for the existence and nature of the true God from observations gleaned from general revelation. Their strategy was to engage their audiences with information they already had about God. None of the Apostle's listeners had formally heard the special revelation of God in the Bible - specifically the Old Testament revelation of Yahweh, Israel's Redeemer. Romans 1:18-20 and 2:14 state that all men born into this world have an inherent knowledge of God's  power and moral character. Thus, the pattern of beginning with God's general revelation and the insights of natural theology is one that is advocated by the Bible. 

The God of creation is revealed by the special revelation of the Bible

As mentioned, the task of drawing conclusions from God's general revelation in both the external world and the human heart what we call “natural theology”. There is an amazing amount of truth we can glean about God, from creation and the moral make-up of man independent from and yet which complements the authoritative Divine revelation of the scriptures. With that said, God's specific identity as the Creator and Redeemer is revealed specifically in the Bible. 

Unlike general revelation, which gets me to "knowledge about God" and is "generally" found everywhere, God's special revelation can get me to "knowing God", since it specifically delivers to me the truth about salvation.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 reminds us: 

"and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

The 66 books of the Bible bear the marks of inscripturated divine revelation. We find for instance hundreds of examples of historically fulfilled prophecy, unprecedented in any other major holy-book of any other religion. The unity of the Bible as a literary work spanning 1500 years, written in three languages by 40 authors on three continents bears witness to the Bible as the only international, cross-cultural book that reveals God, His purposes and and Person. The greatest proof of the special revelation of scripture is the historical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus' constant endorsement of the Bible in his earthly ministry, His fulfillment of 109 of its prophecies in His first coming and His resurrection from the dead confirm all He taught and claimed. In short, the God of creation, revealed generally and specifically is revealed fully in the Person of Jesus Christ.

The God of creation is revealed fully in Jesus Christ

Whatever properties we ascribe to deity (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, all-goodness, the power to create, etc) is equally and eternally expressed and shared by what the Bible tells us about the Persons of the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6-7; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 4-5). The Son in particular, being truly God (John 1:1-3) came to take unto His person a second way of expressing His personhood (i.e a second nature), a human nature, and thus became the man Jesus Christ. While ever remaining truly God, Jesus Christ permanently came to be also truly man. 

Several texts describe how Jesus Christ is the fullness of the divine revelation of God as Creator. First, John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God". Secondly, we find the Lord Jesus Christ being the heir of and agent through which the creation was made in Colossians 1:16-17 - "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Thirdly, we find the Son's equality with the Father being fully expressed in Hebrews 1:1-2 - "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." The remainder of Hebrews 1 explicitly ascribes the unique creative powers associated with Jehovah God in the Old Testament to those of the Son, leading to the inescapable conclusion that this Jesus is no less than God in the flesh (see John 1:14). 

Closing thoughts

Today we sketched out three types of revelation that unfold to us the truth of God being the creator. First, by way of general revelation, we arrive at knowledge about this God. Then, in the special revelation, we arrive at a redemptive plan of salvation by which we can know this God as Creator and redeemer in saving faith. Then lastly, the Bible's central character, Jesus Christ, is the fullness of revelation who amazingly is God coming down and making Himself known to us. 

P2 The God of the Bible Revealed in General Revelation and in Jesus Christ

Psalm 19:1 “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth His handiwork.

Psalm 19:7 “The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul”

John 1:18 “….He has explained Him”.

Introduction:
In yesterday's post we began considering the God of the Bible. We noted that God's essential nature as an all-powerful and all-good God can be discerned from observations in both the external world and the moral order. One of my favorite designations for the Bible is “God’s Book”. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 begins its first article with these words: 

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.” As one goes down through the rest of article, the emphasis is plain: God is the central character and focal point of sacred scripture. The BFM 2000 describes God as the Bible’s “author”. 

Further reading yields that by the principles of the Bible, God “judges” men’s hearts. Finally, all scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of Divine revelation. 

We had also observed that in as much as the Bible is “God’s Book”, we need to also know the “God of the Book”. The above three verses tell us three main truths about this God: 

1). His existence is revealed in the external world and the moral realm

2). He expresses Himself in scripture 

3). He is explained through Jesus Christ. 

God's existence is fundamental to saving faith, along with trust in the specific revelation He expresses in the Bible and in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:6 states: "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

Today we are going to present a couple basic arguments for God's existence, along with showing how they connect to God's revelation of Himself in Jesus. 
  

1. God's power is observed in the external world by noting how the universe had a finite beginning
When we consider that the universe is not eternal, but rather began a finite time ago, we can propose the following argument for God’s existence:

Premise #1: Anything that begins to exist, has a cause for its existence

Premise #2: The universe began to exist

Therefore: The universe has a cause for its existence.

This first argument, though not telling us directly the nature of the cause of the universe, nonetheless suggests that the cause of the universe had to be outside of and prior to its beginning. Other arguments can be brought in to demonstrate that this cause is Personal, Eternal and Self-sufficient. 

The way we know that the cause of the universe is Personal is that one cannot get a finite effect (such as our universe) from an infinite cause unless that cause is endowed with the ability to choose when the universe would begin. The universe is an impersonal, material, finite reality. The cause of the universe would then need to be Personal, immaterial and infinite in power. These reflections upon the external world – such as our universe – lead to the conclusion that this Personal, immaterial all-powerful cause is God. 

2. God's goodness is observed in the moral order as the Lawgiver and source of objective moral values and duties

But now what about the moral order that we see in the universe – which is to say – the reality of objective moral values and duties? Again we can offer what is called the “moral argument” for God’s existence:

Premise #1: If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist

Premise #2: Objective moral values and duties do exist

Therefore: God exists

If people are asked whether or not it is wrong in all places, all times, regardless of cultural context, to harm little children – what will people say? Universally the answer would be: “of course it wrong”. Or again, do people believe in fairness, tolerance, the important of helping out others? When pressed, people will be heard saying things like: “that’s not fair” or “racism is wrong” or be outraged when witnessing a crime and feel the compulsion to decide whether or not to intervene. 

These moral impulses are hardwired into the fabric of humanity. Moreover, humanity has such values because they derive from a Moral Lawgiver. C.S Lewis once remarked that he would not know what a crooked line was lest there be a straight line with which to compare it. The obligation to “do what is right” cannot be explained by scientific hypotheses such as biological evolution. For the sake of argument - even if somebody should subscribe to belief in biological evolution through natural selection and mutation - evolution only serves to explain the biological survival of the fittest, rather than truth. In short, biological evolution has no place for truth - since its aim is not to discover truth, but only to describe what is seen presently and assuming that similar processes were operating in the far past to bring about life. 

On a worldview that believes only in the reality of the natural world, since truth itself is an immaterial property, then one subscribing to naturalism cannot know whether or not their naturalistic worldview is true. God’s existence as a Good God can only explain why there are moral obligations and ethical principles. 

Hence by considering nature and the moral code that the created order has contained within it – imposing itself upon us, we can conclude that the God of general revelation is the all-powerful creator, that is an all-good God.

Romans 1:18-20 expresses the first conclusion, namely that what can be known of God with respect to His Deity and power, is made known to all men. Romans 2:14-25 expresses the second conclusion drawn from natural theology – namely that the moral law written on the heart is evidence from the moral realm that this God that exists is not only all-powerful, but also all-Good.

Connecting God's general revelation of Himself as the All-Powerful, All-good God to the revelation of Himself in Jesus
As we noted at the beginning of this post, God has expressed Himself specifically in the Bible. The Bible is the revelation of Himself to man - as so stated in the Baptist Faith and Message. With that said, the Bible's central character is none-other than the Person of Jesus Christ. 

The remarkable ministry, claims and works done by Christ prefaced His historic death and resurrection from the dead. When we consider the God whom Jesus proclaimed in His earthly ministry as being not only His Father, but also He Himself sharing in the same nature with the Father - Jesus claims nothing less than full-deity (see John 5:18-24). 

Jesus' resurrection demonstrates in both a historical and theological way that the God He proclaimed and claimed to be the incarnation thereof does indeed exist. Henceforth, in Jesus we find general revelation's implicit claims about God and the Bible's specific revelation of God shown to be about the same God. One scholar, Dr. William Lane Craig, has summarized all of this in a fine argument, with which I will close out today's post:

Premise #1 There are four facts which are widely accepted by historians and scholars of different persuasions: Jesus' honorable burial; the discovery of the empty tomb; His post-mortem appearances & sudden faith of the disciples

Premise #2 The hypothesis that God raised Jesus from the dead is the best explanation of these facts

Premise #3 The hypothesis that God raised Jesus from the dead entails that God exists

Therefore: God exists

P1 - The God of the Bible Revealed in General Revelation

Psalm 19:1 “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth His handiwork.

Psalm 19:7 “The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul”

John 1:18 “….He has explained Him”.

Introduction:One of my favorite designations for the Bible is “God’s Book”. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 begins its first article with these words: 

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.” As one goes down through the rest of article, the emphasis is plain: God is the central character and focal point of sacred scripture. The BFM 2000 describes God as the Bible’s “author”. 

Further reading yields that by the principles of the Bible, God “judges” men’s hearts. Finally, all scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of Divine revelation. In as much as the Bible is “God’s Book”, we need to also know the “God of the Book”. The above three verses tell us three main truths about this God: 

1). His existence is revealed in the external world and the moral realm

2). He expresses Himself in scripture 

3). He is explained through Jesus Christ. 

Today’s post wants to consider the first of these - namely, that the God of the Bible is the same God that is discerned from the testimony of the external world and the reality of objective moral values and duties.

Why begin with “The God of the Book” before getting to the “Book of God”
What kind of God is this God? Undoubtedly we have the special revelation of scripture and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ to tell us the specifics about God. However, we also understand that God has expressed Himself in a general, non-redemptive form of revelation that Bible teachers call "general revelation". 

With the increasing tides of secularism and spiritualism, the God of the Bible needs to be explained for what and Who He truly is: the One All-Good, All powerful God. The exercise of discerning God's nature and characteristics from His general revelation in the external world and the moral realm is called "natural theology". 

Prophets of the Old Testament like David in Psalm 8 and 19 and the New Testament Apostles like Paul in Acts 14 and 17 argued for the existence and nature of the true God from observations gleaned from general revelation. Their strategy was to engage their audiences, who had never heard the special revelation of God in the Bible, with information they already had about God. Romans 1:18-20 and 2:14 state that all men born into this world have an inherent knowledge of both the power and moral character of God. Thus the pattern of beginning with God's general revelation and the insights of natural theology is one that is advocated by the Bible. 

Before we can talk about “God’s Book”, we must first talk about “The God of the Book”. 

As mentioned, the task of drawing conclusions from God's general revelation in both the external world and the human heart what we call “natural theology”. There is an amazing amount of truth we can glean about God, from creation and the moral make-up of man independent from and yet which complements the authoritative Divine revelation of the scriptures. 

Such inferences do not lead one to knowing God, but rather knowing about God. Two of several “arguments” for God’s existence can be drawn from reasonable reflections upon the physical properties external world and the reality of objective moral values and duties. In the next post, we will consider those arguments, their implications and what they tell us about the God of the Book. 

The Christian's urgency to paying much closer attention to doctrine

Hebrews 2:1 "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it."

Introduction

We spent the last couple of days considering the overall message of the Book of Hebrews. The twin themes of Christ's supremacy and warnings to not stray away were explored - with the idea of ways in which we can make our faith bullet proof. Today's post focuses particular attention upon what the writer mentions in Hebrews 2:1 with regards to "paying much closer attention". Hebrews 2:1-4 represents the first of five warning sections throughout the Book of Hebrews. The specific concern of Hebrews 2:1-4 is to urge the readership (and us) to not neglect the sound doctrines and thus practices of the Christian faith. 

The opening phrase of Hebrews 2:1 "For this reason" indicates that the writer is getting ready to comment upon what he discussed in Hebrews 1:1-14. Moreover, the concern with the warning of 2:1-4 is to not only urge but to remind readers that the doctrines of the Christian faith are built upon the solid foundations of evidence and testimony. Now it is clear that there are specific truths to which the writer is concerned, being that he then says in Hebrews 2:1 "pay closer attention to what we have heard". Why is this so important? He goes on: "so that we do not drift away from it." The word translated "drift" can also refer to "losing sight" or "wash away" - i.e "erode". 

In other words, sound doctrine prevents the shorelines of the Christian faith from eroding. When we lived in Florida for a time, every so often we would visit one of th beaches of that state. It always amazed me to observe the process of beach erosion, whether witnessing in person or seeing images on television. The communities that based their livelihood on those beaches would spend untold thousands and millions of dollars building up "beach heads" and "bulwarks" so as to prevent nearby homes adjacent to the beaches from sliding into the ocean. This is what I see as the purpose of doctrine spelled out in Hebrews 2:1. 

So the question is, what main doctrines are essential for us to meditate, communicate and put to practice in the Christian life? What doctrines require the Christian's need to pay closer attention as spelled out in Hebrews 2:1? From Hebrews 1:1-14 we can discover the following key truths:

1. Doctrine of God or Theology Proper. Hebrews 1:1 "God". 

What is God like? Who is He? What does it mean when we talk about God being One in existence and yet Three in identity? Such questions address this chief doctrine.

2. Doctrine of revelation. Hebrews 1:1-2 

We discover in Hebrews 1:1-2 that God is a talking God, a God who desires to relate and reveal Himself to His creatures. He has revealed things about Himself in creation or general revelation. He has secondly revealed His will in the scriptures or special revelation. Then in Hebrews 1:2 we see reference to the fullness of revelation in the Son in the New Testament. 

3. Doctrine of Christ or Christology. Hebrews 1:2-13 

The dominate doctrine of this chapter is not just merely a set of propositions or statements, but moreso the Person of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1 spells out some significant highpoints and details of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Peter 3:18 we read - "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." Knowing God and knowing how this God reveals Himself anchors our faith and prevents us from drifting. The fulness of God's revelation in the Person of the Son ensures that our faith won't erode. Notice specifically in short order what the remainder of Hebrews 1:2-14 says about Jesus Christ or the doctrine of Christology...

a. Eternal Pre-existence of the Son. Hebrews 1:2,5

b. Incarnation of the Son. Hebrews 1:2-3a, 1:6

c. Atoning work of the cross. Hebrews 1:3b

d. Ascension (which follows from the implied resurrection) and exaltation of the Son. Hebrews 1:4

e. Enthronement of the Son in Heaven. Hebrews 1:7-9

f.  Second coming of the Son. Hebrews 1:10-13

g. Angels in service to the Son as God in human flesh and to believers. Hebrews 1:7,14

When we consider the three main heads of doctrine emphasized in Hebrews 1 (Theology Proper, Revelation and Christology), we have a three-braided cord that guards our faith-life. Moreover, since the emphasis is placed on Christology, it would seem that if we make ourselves students of the Master, Jesus Christ, we will know God (Theology Proper) and the revelation of Himself (specifically in scripture and appreciating the revelation of Himself generally in creation). Thus let us take seriously this urgency to pay much closer attention to doctrine. 

Four senses of knowing God

Jeremiah 9:23-24 "Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord."

Introduction:

I will never forget the first time I was introduced to the most wonderful human being this side of eternity - known then as Deb Gray. We had a mutual friend who had been attempting to formally introduce us to one another. At the Bible College we attended, I had heard about Deb and had seen her on the campus, but I did not know her. After our friend had shared with me some additional information, I had to write her name down as my friend was bringing me to meet Deb. Soon after sitting down beside her, she and I began to talk to one another. To make a long story short - Deb and I started dating a few days later. We were engaged in six months and got married over a year after the engagement and after my graduation. I had known about Deb and got to know her more and more as we spent time in our courtship. After we got married and she became Deborah Emily Smith, I made it a point to get to know my wife, and she shared this same goal with me. For 18 years our adventure in knowing one another has only blossomed our love for one another. If such a focal point describes what marriage should be all about, then what or Who is the One that we should know Who explains the whole point of life and salvation? God of course! 

J.I Packer in his classic book: "Knowing God" begins with this statement on page 29: "What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the Eternal life that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. 'This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent' (John 17:3). What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God." 

Four senses of what it means to know God

To one extent, it is accurate to say that everyone knows something about God, however, the scripture makes it plain that only believers in Jesus Christ can truly know God. The following four senses of knowing God are spelled out by scripture to explain how people know God to one degree or another.

1. Knowing about God in a general way  Creation

Psalm 19:1 states - "The heavens are telling of the glory of God;And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." Everyone born into this world has the knowledge about God hardwired into their consciences, their minds and their hearts. Even the most hardened Atheist may claim to believe there is no God, however they cannot explain why they have compassion for another human being or why they believe it is wrong to murder within their worldview. Romans 1:21 gives this indictment: "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." 

Everyone knows about God and everyone knows there is a God. This general knowledge is what we call "general revelation" and is accessible and innate in all people: believer and unbeliever alike. To know about God does not equate to a saving knowledge of God, but rather shows that all people are accountable to God. God Himself imprinted information about Himself in the laws governing the universe and in the very fabric of life itself. 

2. Knowing God in a specific way - The Bible

It's one thing to know about generally in general revelation, however how do we gain specific and accurate knowledge of God? God has chosen to not only reveal knowledge about Himself in creation, but specific details about Himself in One book: The Bible. Being that God has chosen to reveal Himself specifically in a Book, Christian thinkers refer to this form of revelation as "special revelation".  

Psalm 119:134-135 states: "Redeem me from the oppression of man,That I may keep Your precepts. 135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes." Jesus Himself, being Immanuel, God with us, God in human flesh, said these words in Luke 24:44 - "Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 

It is by the Bible we come to know the God of the book and in knowing the God of the book we most clearly understand the Bible. God in the Person of the Holy Spirit co-authored the Bible with 40 other human authors. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) To know the Holy Spirit personally is tantamount to and equated with studying, memorizing and meditating upon the Bible, being that He through it illumines the Christian's understanding to the things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)  We come to know God in the Bible, however unless saving faith is united with the testimony of God's special revelation, we only possess head knowledge about God and are even more accountable to Him. 

3. Knowing God in a full way - Jesus Christ
To know God in a general way by the general revelation of creation and the conscience results in knowing about God but not necessarily knowing God. To know God specifically entails going to the one Book He has moved upon men in Divine inspiration to write that reveals specific things about Him. The Bible as God's written revelation about Himself is His "specific", His  "special revelation". 

Now what is it that the Bible is specifically revealing? The what is expressed in terms of the language of "promise" in the Old Testament and in the Person of Jesus Christ in the new Testament. Hebrews 1:1-3 explains: "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things,through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, andupholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." When Jesus was on this earth He said to His disciples in John 14:6-8 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 

Jesus as God in human flesh is the full and complete revelation of the invisible Father. Together with the written word of God - the Bible, Jesus and the scriptures present a "stereo view of God" in both high definition sound and video. To separate Jesus Christ from the Bible and vice-versa is like listening to a video without sound or trying to make out what is being seen in a video with only the audio. Many people in Jesus' days on this earth saw His miracles and even on the surface expressed admiration about Him. 

However, like with God's special revelation the Bible, unless faith is tied to Jesus' full revelation, there is only head knowledge about Him but no saving knowledge. 

4. Knowing God personally - by faith
We have seen that to know God can be defined one of three ways: knowing about Him in creation, knowing Him specifically in the Bible and knowing Him fully in Jesus Christ. These first three methods of God's Divine revelation are outside and irrespective of us. However the Bible makes it plain that unless there is saving faith present to personally connect to Jesus Christ in the Word, there can be  no personal knowledge of God. Faith is a gift given by God to fully persuade sinners to embrace Jesus Christ as revealed in the Word. When a sinner trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, salvation is the result. (Romans 10:8-10) 

To experience salvation by grace through faith is described as "knowing God". John 17:3 records Jesus saying: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Furthermore, to know God personally is at the heart of ongoing growth in santifying faith following salvation. The language of "father-to-child" is used to explain this point in scripture. For example, Galatians 4:9  "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to beknown by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" Romans 8:14-16 "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God."

Closing Thoughts:
We saw in brief today the four senses of knowing God. We know about God generally in the general revelation of creation and the conscience. We then discover that God was revealed speicifically in the Bible. Thirdly, Jesus Christ fully reveals God in regards to His person and glory. Then the fourth sense of knowing God is the most Personal, Faith. Faith grabs hold of and receives the truth revealed in the other three senses. May you and I make it our goal as believers to know God, as a spouse who makes it their goal to know their spouse. 

General, Full and Special Revelation

Revelation 1:16 "In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength."

Bible teachers for centuries have used three categories to describe how God communicates His will and existence to human beings: general revelation, Fullness of revelation and special revelation.  The above passage demonstrates all three categories: it uses the sun, which is part of God's general revelation.  Second, the sun is used to illustrate the more profound and Supreme Fullness of Revelation - Jesus Christ.  Then thirdly, the verse itself is part of God's special revelation - the Bible.  In today's post we will aim to briefly define each of these terms and discover how God has ordained all three of them to work and function together in the revelation of His work of salvation and wonder of glory.

1. General Revelation: Information about God, made available to everyone in general
In the above picture you are seeing the picture of the sun as it appeared yesterday to scientists operating the "Solar Dynamics Observatory" that is in current orbit around the sun.  The sun itself is quite a fascinating object in our solar system.  For one thing, the volume of the sun is big enough to hold 1100 earths.  The sun itself is a million miles in diameter, compared to our planet earth which is roughly 7500 miles in diameter.  The energy output of the sun in one second could light a city like New York for 500,000 years.  At a distance of 93 million miles, the energy we receive from the sun is billions of times smaller than the energy emitted from its surface.  The sun is a huge thermo-nuclear ball that is constantly converting Hydrogen into Helium.  

Now why is any of this information pertinent? Because the sun is part of what we call God's general revelation about Himself.  Psalm 19:4b-6 states about our universe - "...In them He has placed a tent for the sun, (5) Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. (6) Its rising is from end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat." Romans 1:20 states - "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."  The sun is but one star in an ocean of an estimated 200 billion stars populating our Milky Way Galaxy, which in turn is but one galaxy in an ocean of over an estimated 100 billion galaxies strung across the visible universe.  Unless we conclude that the universe was created to display the glory of God, there is no other explanation for its size, complexity and displays of power.  

Revelation 1:16 uses the lesser glory, lesser general revelation of the shining of the sun to illustrate the Fullness of revelation - Jesus Christ.  

2. Fullness of Revelation - Jesus Christ, The Incarnation of God revealed as Savior and Lord
John's whole point in the book of Revelation is to reveal, unveil the Person and glory of Jesus Christ.  We see Jesus Christ and His Church (1-3); Jesus Christ and His throne (4-5); Jesus Christ and History (6-18); Jesus Christ and His Coming Reign (19-20) and Jesus Christ in Eternity (21-22).  The Holy Spirit states in Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."  1 Timothy 3:16 in the KJV reads -  "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  

To say that Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God as God in human flesh (incarnation meaning of course "in the flesh") leads to two other exclusive truth claims of Christianity: that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation and that the Bible alone has specifically revealed Him. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 summarizes the doctrinal truth of Jesus Christ as the fulness of Divine Revelation: Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Jesus Christ is the apex of Divine revelation since He is the Source and Object of it.  All of creation points to Him, since all of creation is upheld and held together by His power. (Colossians 1:16-17).  As theologian Abraham Kuyper once stated - "there is not one square inch of creation that Christ does not proclaim "mine"! 

So with general revelation being information about God in creation and Jesus Christ being the Incarnation of God in human flesh, where do we go to find out specific information about Jesus Christ, creation and salvation? This leads us to our third category: The special revelation of the Bible.

3. Special Revelation - Specific information from God in words, specifically revealing Jesus Christ, salvation and creation's purpose
General revelation is "general" in the sense that all people have access to it and can discern information about God.  However, general revelation is "non-saving", meaning that it by itself cannot lead to salvation.  In order for salvation to occur, there must be the presence of God's Special revelation - the Bible, which reveals the fullness of revelation - Jesus Christ.  Psalm 19:7 tells us - "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." 1 Peter 1:23 communicates - "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."  

How General, Special and Fullness of Revelation work together while still being distinguished
The Bible is "special revelation" because of the fact it is the "specific" source the Holy Spirit uses to communicate God's will and saving purposes.  Romans 10:17 reminds us that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."  In terms of how general revelation and special revelation work together, if a person will but agree with what general revelation is telling them about God, then the Spirit will send a missionary or believer to communicate the scriptures and the Spirit through the scriptures can in turn bring them to saving faith in Lord. (Acts 17:22-34; Romans 10:8-10; James 1:18).  However if a person rejects the "lesser light" of general revelation, then they have demonstrated their persistence in unbelief and thus will not be receptive to special revelation of the fullness of revelation Jesus Christ - hence leaving them without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)  

Think of an illustration of a darkened room.  In darkness, my eyes are completely adjusted.  However if you suddenly were to turn on the lights, the light would sting and cause pain. I may conclude I do not want you to turn on the lights.  However let's say you brought in the dim light of a night-light.  After seeing the benefits of the night-light, I would then be open to further light.  You then come and turn on the overhead lights, prompting me in turn to come to you and trust you, since a lighted room is far better than a darkened one.   

Only in the specific confines of the Bible do we come to know the fullness of Revelation - Jesus Christ.  The Books of Mormonism and the Koran do not contain any information whatsoever about the fullness of revelation Jesus Christ - since they are nothing but religious reflections and opinions of unbelieving, unconverted men.  The Jesus of Mormonism and the Koran is not the same as the Jesus of revealed scripture. This is yet another reason we term the Bible "special revelation", since it alone reveals who Christ is, God's saving purposes in Him and His glory to be revealed at Christ's return. 

May God be glorified as we enjoy the information we receive about Him from general revelation, explore the Truth of His will in the Inspired special revelation of His Word and embrace the fullness of revelation of the Incarnate God, Jesus Christ, that we derive from the Bible's pages.