A trinity of revelation I, “General revelation”.

Recall how I am using the word “trinity” (with a lower case t) as  having three interconnected components. The trinity of revelations is general revelation, the Bible, and Spirit to spirit unveiling. Spirit to spirit (Holy Spirit to the human spirit), was what I was talking about in the last post.

Let's start with what the scripture says about general revelation (well it is a trinity – the components are interconnected). In Psalm 19, David declares “The heavens declare the Glory of God”.  When we can see the stars on a dark night,  far away from man made lights, the heavens are glorious. Without saying a word, they communicate the Glory of the one who created them. The Psalm goes on to say “Day unto day utters speech” i.e. creation talks to us on a daily basis, and “There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard”. Or, to put it another way,  the language creations speaks is a universal language, understandable by all. In Romans 1:20,  Paul is even bolder, he says “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.”  Note that Paul says “clearly seen”. In other words the very fact of creation (there there is something there) shouts that God exists and among other things, that He is powerful.  “Well then”,  you might ask, “Why does not everybody see it?”.  Good question!

Paul has a good answer.  In the very same context (Romans 1:18) he says that we suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Lets look at this a bit more closely. Remember the post “I don't believe adultery is wrong”?   What lies behind this is, I believe,  is a prime example of how it all works. To paraphrase this verse, Paul is saying that we know the truth about God, but we sit on it, push it down out of sight,  in and through unrighteousness. You see if you want to commit adultery and God tells us that adultery is wrong, then one of two things has to go.  Either the adultery has to go (because God will not change His mind about this), or God has to go. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).  Part of what this means is that when we sin, we don't any longer feel His presence, and we loose the reality of our closeness to Him. What felt so real before, now feels as unreal as it previously felt real. I have been there.

On top of this, when I consistently go against what I know is right, my conscience becomes insensitive. The Bible again talks about having our consciences seared with a red hot iron. I don't think that there would be too much sensitivity left after that (after the pain is gone).   So after a while the guilt that was intended to bring us back on track feels unreal. In fact, we are likely to turn on those who would in any way remind us of our sin. 

At some level, we probably all know about “guilt ignored”. The first time we do something we ourselves think is wrong, our consciences really bother us. The next time it bothers us a little less, and then a little less until the “voice” of our conscience no longer bothers us at all.  At this point we have become deaf.  Hearing God and obedience are closely linked. This is as true of the Spirit to spirit communication I was talking about last day,  as it is of the “voice” of creation in general revelation. You know the saying I am sure, “there is  none so deaf as those who will not hear”.  

Do you know anyone who rationalizes his or her behaviour and is in denial about this or that?  Perhaps a better question is “Do you know anyone who at some level is not?” We hide it of course. Even Christians wear masks at times. We do it to cover our shame, to cover our shame from others and from ourselves (see “You don't believe in Adam and Eve do you?).

But its  not just wanting to do what God does not want us to do that suppresses the truth. Some of us feel let down by God (and/or by Christians). “If God exists and is powerful, He would not have let this or that happen”. I suspect that for me the greatest trial would be to loose a child. I have to say that I don't know how I would react.  But in a way failing to trust the one who is faithfulness incarnate, is a form of unrighteousness. You see to believe that someone who is good is bad, is wrong, even if our logic, or the lies of others, or the lies we tell ourselves,  leads us to that conclusion. I tell you, if God is not good, we are all in trouble, deep, deep trouble. But He is good. The cross of Christ shouts that to this wicked and hurting world.

In an earlier post I argued that every World view is a position of faith, that we do not come to believe what we believe about reality by logic (see the faith of the atheist). Part of what I am saying here, is that logic will not likely move us from unbelief to belief. The arguments from design  about the existence of God are compelling if you already believe, but are hollow and empty if you have already made up your mind to believe something else.  The scary thing though is, as Paul tells us in the very same passage from Romans, that in spite of our denial and rationalization we are without excuse.  In particular the arguments we use to convince ourselves and others that God does not exist will, on “that day”,  be clearly seen to be what they are,  empty excuses.  And, even scarier, from the same passage (verse 18),  “the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against those who suppress (hold) the truth in unrighteousness.  I am hearing objections here.  I hear “How can a God of love send anyone to hell?” and “Is He a God of love or a God of Wrath”,   and “Are you trying to scare me into heaven?”.  I need to answer.