Two Revelations
Scripture Reading — Romans 1:18-23
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.
Tatyana, a young Russian woman, shared with us how much she enjoys the outdoors. It makes her feel spiritual and brings her closer to God, she said. Yet Tatyana doesn’t see the need for believing in Jesus. She maintains that a careful observation of nature is good enough to be reassured of God’s existence and love.
According to the Bible, God does reveal himself to all people through his creation, by which we become aware of his presence and clearly see “his eternal power and divine nature.” Whatever we can learn about God from observing his creation is often called general revelation.
However, general revelation does not reveal Jesus to us. And Jesus is our only hope for fully knowing God. So we also need the special revelation that describes the way of salvation in Christ. And that comes to us in the Bible, God’s Word.
Only when we discover our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can we give full thanks to God for saving us from the destruction that follows from sin. The only way to meet him is in the teaching of Scripture and by the preaching of his Word. That’s why the habits of worshiping God and reflecting on the Bible are so important.
Do you know the God of the Bible? Do you rely on his Word? Are you thankful to him for your salvation in Christ?
Father, we thank you for showing us yourself in nature and in the Bible, which reveals how you love us in Christ. Amen.
About the author — Sergei Sosedkin
Sergei Sosedkin is the Russian-language ministry leader for ReFrame Ministries. He is a native of Moscow, Russia. As he oversees the Russian-language ministry, Sosedkin works from our office in Grand Rapids and in various locations in Russia.
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