Eternal is a word that our finite minds can’t fully comprehend. Yet the word eternal describes one of the attributes of our heavenly Father. And God’s eternal nature is one of the many mysteries that the Bible doesn’t define but just states. For example, we read in (Psalm 90:2): “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Another attribute we sometimes don’t think about God is His often mysterious nature. The Scriptures are full of verses that describe the mysterious nature and ways of God. For example, we read in (Colossians 2:1-3): “For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And (Romans 11:33) tells us: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”
While God is eternal and mysterious as well as invisible to our sight He has left us with two wonderful ways to get to know and love Him. First, what we can refer to as natural revelation. The universe, our planet, and all of nature around us cry out that there must be a supernatural, infinitely powerful entity that created everything we see around us. We call this entity God. To deny God’s existence by viewing our universe is not a valid and rational option for the Scriptures tell us: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 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, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20).
The second way God reveals Himself to us is called special revelation. And that’s where the Bible comes in. The Bible is God’s revealed revelation of who He is, describing His many attributes, as well as showing us how we can get to know Him in a personal way. And the most wonderful thing about the Bible is that by reading it we can know that Jesus is not only our God, but He is our Lord and Savior. Sadly, many people choose not to enter into a personal relationship with the God of the universe – Jesus – because they do what we read earlier in (Romans 1:18-20) – they suppress the truth about God.
While natural and special revelation tell us much about God there will always be mysteries that we will never be able to comprehend because a finite mind is just not equipped to understand everything about an infinite entity. For myself, the Scriptures tell me so much about Jesus that, rather than try to understand everything, I choose to concentrate on praising what a wonderful God we serve and studying His precious Word, to not learn about solving all mysteries, but about just how much love Jesus has for me!
I love what we read in (Psalm 103:17): “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him…” This verse lets me know just how much God loves me and this knowledge propels me on to reverence Him all the more. I appreciate so much the words of Charles Spurgeon on this topic when he stated: “Let me not strive to understand the infinite, but spend my strength in love. What I cannot gain by intellect I can possess by affection, and let that suffice me.”1 My friends, while there will always remain mysteries for us to ponder, one thing that is not a mystery is that Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross to save us.
1 Evening Devotional – April 27, 2023 – Devotional by Charles Spurgeon – Charles Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening (bibleportal.com)
“He has left us with two wonderful ways to get to know and love Him.”
We could add to the means of revelation two more things that are described in the Bible.
First, God has placed at least two things in the human heart that point us to Him.
1. He has written His law on the hearts of mankind. “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. 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)
2. “Yet 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
Second, “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)
And again, “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)
Our God wants to be known, so he has supplied an abundance of ways that are clearly sufficient to reveal Himself to all mankind. That’s why it’s understandable that suppressing this knowledge is worthy of God’s wrath.
There are no excuses. That’s why we say there are no unbelievers, only suppressors. It’s not a matter of knowledge. We’re told the knowledge comes after repentance. “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:24)
Dear Friend, do you want to know the true God? Then repent!