The Study Of God’s Self Revelation

CREATION

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. —2 Corinthians 3:18

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ² Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. ³ There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. ⁴ Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. —Psalm 19:1-4

For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. —Romans 1:19-20

KEY: As we observe His creation, it reveals three things about God.
1. His invisible qualities
2. His eternal power
3. His divine nature

CONSCIENCE: Mind & Heart

Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. ¹⁵ They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. —Romans 2:14-15

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. —Ecclesiastes 3:11

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. —Acts 17:27

THE BIBLE: God’s Word

But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. —James 1:22-25

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹ By them is Your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. ¹² Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. ¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. ¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. —Psalm 19:7-14

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty… We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. —2 Peter 1:16–19

GOD’S SON: The Living Word of God

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:14

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. —John 1:18

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. —Colossians 1:15

Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. —John 14:9

Therefore many other signs Jesus also did in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. —John 20:30-31

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. ² And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. ³ The Son radiates God’s glory and expresses His very character, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. —Hebrews 1:1-3

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me. ¹⁷ Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own authority. ¹⁸ Whoever speaks on their own authority does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the One who sent him, is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” —John 7:16-18

BOTTOM LINE: God reveals Himself to humans in four primary ways. All that God has created in nature discloses who He is. Our consciences (the human mind and heart) bear witness to the existence of God. He reveals Himself to us also through His Word and the person of Jesus Christ. God does this because He wants to have a living, personal, real, life-giving relationship with us.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. —John 10:10

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. —John 17:3

And I said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ¹⁷ rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” —Acts 26:15-18

Or do you show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” —Romans 2:4-6

Say to them, “As I live!” declares the Lord GOD, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?” —Ezekiel 33:11

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:16