It is truly incredible that infinite God has chosen to communicate to finite men, and yet that is exactly what He's done. Because of this, although God is incomprehensible, He can be truly known, but not fully known. He hasn't told us everything (Deut 29:29), but He has told us everything we need to know. And one way God has chosen to communicate to all mankind is through general revelation.
He has done this through creation:
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world (Ps 19:1-4a).
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 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. (Rom 1:18-20)
From looking at creation, we can know that God is powerful, that He is above creation, and that He has a personality — He isn't just an abstract concept. And when Paul says this information is "evident," means that we are capable of knowing it. Therefore, ignorance is willful disregard of God.
Another way God has communicated through general revelation is through man's conscience:
For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them (Rom 2:14-15).
Conscience is the inward sense of right and wrong, and everyone has it to one degree or another. The ability to know right from wrong is part of the image of God in man, but it can be become seared, making it less sensitive. (Reminds me a bit of that line from Finding Nemo — "Are--Are you my conscience?""Y-yeah yeah yeah, I'm your conscience! We haven't spoken for a while! How are you?")
While we do have some knowledge of right and wrong, it is only through the Bible that we can learn about all of God's standards. So the statement "Let your conscience be your guide" is not exactly right. People often don't feel any guilt about their sins because conscience decides on the basis of the standard given it. And if the standard is not God's word, then the standard is wrong, and the behavior will be wrong. Therefore, conscience is an unreliable guide.
The purpose of general revelation is to reveal general truth about God; such as, 1) God exists; 2) God is the creator; and 3) God has established standards of right and wrong that must be obeyed. Therefore, it renders all men inexcusable before God.
General revelation by itself cannot save, however. It doesn't have enough content. It communicates enough truth about God to make a man responsible to seek God for salvation (Heb 11:6), but it does not communicate the gospel message (Rom 10:14).
The following question is frequently brought up: "But what about the native in some remote corner of the world who has never heard the gospel? If he follows the light that he has, acknowledges the God revealed in nature, and sincerely seeks to do what is right, won’t he be saved?" The answer is found in John and Acts:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (Jn 3:16).
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (Jn 14:6).
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
... Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved ... (Acts 16:31)
No one responds to general revelation by being saved. That’s why we need special revelation.
And regarding the so-called remote native: I don't see that the Bible specifically says what happens in such circumstances. But I do know that God always knows what is truly in a man's heart (Ps 44:21; Lk 16:15; Acts 15:8; Rom 8:27; 1 Jn 3:20), and that He is a God of justice AND of mercy.
What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy (Rom 9:14-16).
So I must leave this in His hands.
No comments:
Post a Comment