“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father; He hath declared Him.” John 1:18
Dear Ones:
How do we know that God exists? Paul writes to the Romans, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” (1:20) Paul goes on to speak of God’s eternal power and Godhead, which are revealed by and through His creation. How is this so? In any science of the natural world, or the universe, Man is faced with two issues that are at the same time, the valid reasons for the existence of God, and the essential element of grasping all by faith, because of the vastness and incomprehensibility of the subject. Mathematics is used in any and every form of science. It is a tangible, very real, yet theoretical system of study, which helps in understanding, not only the origin of some thing, but its functionality. If we take the study of mathematics in and of itself, we are confronted with a system of knowledge that has been proven to be infinite, there being no end to its limits, or to its existence. Just mathematics itself cries out to man of God’s eternal existence, for in that study is such an order, and an originality or wisdom, that exceeds man’s capacity to understand. Where did such order come from, and how can one explain its eternal existence? There is but one answer, God.
Paul took the Romans further in the consideration of the existence of God, and this, to the very nature, and person of God. He speaks of the creation revealing truths concerning the “Godhead.” What does Paul mean by this? First and foremost, he declares that God is a person, not a thing. We get a further glimpse of this reality when Moses wrote that man was “created” in the image of God. That image, without sin or fault, reflected and declared something of the great Originator, the Creator. In looking at sinful man, and the effects of sin after the Fall, by Adam and Eve, man’s concepts of God are skewed, and distorted. The vision, or revelation, of God in the perfect Man will only come “on earth as it is in heaven,” when, “…the Word (‘…the Word was God…’ Jn. 1:1), was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” (1:14). Only in Christ’s coming to earth would we discover that the Maker of us all, sent His Son, full of “grace and truth,” to reveal the infinite God to finite men, men who are so very limited in their senses, physical capacities, and especially in their ability to grasp the reality of God as a person. Even the disciples, close to Jesus, had difficulty in grasping the enormity of the revelation of God in Christ, by declaring: “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41) So, God, through creation, reveals His “invisible” attributes, those facets of His character and person, that are infinite. How then does man practically understand the “invisible,” and grasp that which is eternal?
Essential to knowing God is “openness,” or receptivity. John declared, “…But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” (1:12) Man can never truly grasp the infinite, with regard to knowing God, unless he is willing to receive the truth. God’s way of man coming to know Him begins with the knowledge of the truth, as revealed by the Spirit of God. Just before the Lord Jesus was crucified, standing before Pilate, Jesus declared to him: “For this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears My voice.” (Jn.18:37) Herein is revealed the keys to knowing God, first receiving the truth, and then, receiving and believing the One who IS the truth. Christ has declared and explained Him.
Dear Father, In our limitations and sinfulness, with sight obscured by the unbelief of this world, give us to be good receivers of truth, and life, in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad