Listening to God - General Revelation

Listening to God in decision-making is important for a Christian business owner. There are four main ways that God communications to us: general revelation, special revelation, through Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. This post is about general revelation.

General revelation is truth about God which he gives to all mankind.[1] Two passages immediately come to mind: Psalm 19:1–4 (CSB) and Romans 1:18–19 (CSB):

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. 4 Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-19)

The Psalm 19 passage teaches that we can discern the glory of God by looking at the stars—the heavens—which are the “work of his hands.” Though their voice is inaudible, their speech reaches all nations, “poured forth” every night, and their message is equally intelligible to all.[2] Psalm 19 is quoted in Romans 10:18 and is thought to be the basis of Paul’s argument in Romans 1:18–20 that God’s eternal power and deity are clearly perceived by that which is made.[3]

Creation itself testifies to God’s power and divine nature. Implied in Romans 1:19–20 is the notion that a person with no extraordinary capacities can discern there is a God, that this God is eternal, that he has a divine nature, and that he is not silent.[4] This incomprehensible God is knowable,[5] but we must actively listen because every day, God communicates to mankind through his creation about who he is. “No day passes in which God does not show some signal evidence of his power.”[6]

Yet we should not assume that man, in his fallen state with a corrupt mind, can correctly interpret what God is communicating through nature.[7] For example, just by looking at the stars, God’s eternality, power, and divine existence can be demonstrated (Romans 1:20).[8] God’s eternal power and divine nature are “clearly seen” because God took the initiative to “show” his attributes to us through his creation.[9] “People cannot miss God’s revelation of himself, because he is actively making his revelation ‘fully known, evident, and clear.’”[10]

Yet, many continue to posit the notion that a God, as described in the Bible, does not exist.[11] Their minds are so blinded by the enemy that they cannot discern obvious truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). When they look at the stars, they do not find a God who is consistent, eternal, powerful, and reliable.[12] Instead, they look at the stars and see everything else except the message God is communicating.[13]

General revelation says much about the nature and existence of God. General revelation is one of four ways that God communications with us. The question is this: are we listening?

Bill English, PhD.
Publisher
Bible and Business

[1] Faithlife, “General Revelation.” In Logos Bible Study Factbook. (Faithlife, October 7, 2024.) https://ref.ly/logos4/Factbook?id=ref%3abk.%25GeneralRevelation.

[2] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. (Victor Books, 1985), 807.

[3] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1–72: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. (InterVarsity Press, 1973), 115.

[4] Francis A. Schaeffer, The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer: A Christian Worldview. (Crossway Books, 1982) v1, 326.

[5] Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God. Translated by William Hendriksen. (Baker, 1977), 13.

[6] John Calvin and James Anderson, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, (Logos Bible Software, 2010), v1, 310.

[7] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. 2nd Edition. (Zondervan Academic, 2020), 144.

[8] Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology. Translated by George Musgrave Giger, Edited by James T. Dennison. (P&R Publishing, 1992), v1, 169.

[9] Richard Alan Young, “The Knowledge of God in Romans 1:18–23: Exegetical and Theological Reflections.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43, no. 4 (2000): 695–707.

[10] Bruce A. Baker, “Romans 1:18–21 and Presuppositional Apologetics,” Bibliotheca Sacra 155 (1998): 287.

[11] Ravi Zacharias, The Real Face of Atheism. (Baker Books, 2004), 19–34.

[12] Tremper Longman, III, ed., Psalms Thru Song of Songs. Vol. 5. Layman’s Bible Commentary. (Barbour Publishing, 2010), 20.

[13] Major Gherman Titov, a Soviet Astronaut, reportedly claimed that God did not exist since he saw “no God or angels” during his seventeen orbits of the earth. The New York Times. May 7, 1962. https://www.nytimes.com/1962/05/07/archives/titov–denying–god–puts–his–faith–in–the–people.html#