Denny answers:
God reveals Himself to us through creation, the Bible, and Jesus Christ.
Suppose you see a beautiful painting and want to know about the painter. The painting tells you first that there is a painter (or there would be no painting). The painting also tells you a little bit about the painter. If the painting is a lifelike drawing of a sad woman, you can guess the painter is skilled and maybe a sad person. But you could not know much about the painter unless you read about the painter or met him.
Similarly, we can know about God by seeing the world He created (Psalm 19:1). When we see a beautiful flower or a towering mountain, we can know that God exists and that He is creative, wise, glorious, and powerful (like a beautiful painting tells you about a great painter, even if you cannot see the painter). Creation is called God’s
general revelation.
But creation is not enough for us to know God personally. Thankfully, God tells us about Himself in His Bible and through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is called God’s
special revelation.
As you read the Bible (which is called God’s Word since God is the Author), you can find out Who God is: eternal, holy, just, love, and much more.
However, your sin keeps you from knowing God personally. God is a holy God, separate from sinners. But because God loved the world so much, He sent His own Son Jesus to take the punishment for believing sinners by dying on the cross. If God is working in your heart, turn from your sin and trust Jesus to save you. God will forgive your sins. Then as God’s adopted child, you can know God personally.
Bible Truth
- “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20-21).
- “When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13b).
- Jesus said: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
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