The Heavens Declare, Part 3 … (September 2025 Update)
Over the last 3 updates, we have been looking at General Revelation. We have seen that there are two main ways we can learn about God. The first, is through what is called General Revelation. The other is called Special Revelation. Special revelation is primarily through God’s Word. General Revelation is primarily through creation. But there are also other ways that God provides “general revelation” for everyone.
Technically, there are two main Loci or locations where we can see General Revelation. We can divide these into two areas. The first group of locations is External – what we can see outside of ourselves. The second group is Internal – what we can observe from looking at human nature itself, that is, what we can see inside of ourselves.
The external locations of General Revelation include Creation, History and Anthropology. In Creation, we can look at the cosmos and know many things about the existence of God. We saw this in Psalm 19 that we looked at last month. In History, we can see how God has been at work in history. This is especially true when we are looking at prophecy. In Anthropology, we can see that all cultures everywhere have some belief in the existence of God.
The Internal locations of General Revelation are seen when we look at humanity and human nature itself. First, we can see that everyone has a Conscience as Paul points out in Romans 2:11-15. Secondly, we can look at aspects of Human Nature. Since man is created in the image and likeness of God, we can see how man is different from the animals, and this gives us clues to some of the attributes and nature of God. For example, when we see the Moral nature of man, we can conclude that the one who created humans must be moral also. This is an internal aspect of General Revelation.
We already talked a lot about General Revelation when we talked about evidence for the existence of God a few months ago. But we also want to take a look at some evidence for General Revelation that is found in Biblical passages. Last month, we looked at Psalm 19 and we saw that General Revelation was clear, constant and universal. It does reveal the existence of God. But it does not tell us everything we need to know for salvation. That’s why we need the Word of God. That’s why we must share the gospel so that all people everywhere know what Jesus has done to save them. General Revelation without special revelation and evangelism cannot save anyone.
Next, look at Romans 1:18-32. In this passage, Paul talks about the universal revelation that everyone has received through creation. He points out 6 things about this revelation from creation.
First, it reveals God’s Wrath – What is the wrath of God? The word wrath (orge in Greek) refers to His settled, determined indignation against sinful mankind. It is His holy anger in reaction against all that is unholy.
Second, the creation is Universal Revelation – When he explains that this knowledge “is evident,” he means that this truth about God is clearly seen. It is obvious to all people. This divine self-disclosure is out in the open. The fact of God’s existence is not hidden from the human race. No matter where a person is on planet earth, the reality of the existence of God is glaringly obvious to all.
Third, this revelation is Real – In it, God’s attributes are clearly seen …. John Calvin said, “Men cannot open their eyes without being compelled to see him” and he also said, “wherever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory.” R. C. Sproul said that no one will be able to approach the judgment seat of God justly pleading, “If only I had known you existed, I would surely have served you.” Because this revelation is real and it is clear.
Fourth, Rejection has been the universal response of people – Not acceptance, not searching for God, but rejection of Him. The world’s many religions and philosophies are not the efforts of men and women to reach God but deliberate attempts to run away from him.
Fifth, God’s Revelation has been Replaced by man’s other gods – Man’s response to the revelation of God has been to create other gods that they could follow and worship. It is interesting that the man-made gods are all ultimately under the control of their creators – men! In other words, man has created substitute gods that will allow him to live life outside of God’s moral requirements. In history, man has always tried to replace God.
Finally, we see God’s response. Man rejected Him and now God rejects them. He does not execute His judgment on mankind immediately, but instead He “gave them up” – He let them go their own ways to their own destruction … The horrifying refrain, “God gave them over”, is repeated three times. It shows that God’s judgment on them is Permissive – God withdraws divine restraint on men’s hearts and permits them to have their way. But it is also Positive – God doesn’t simply let them go. He also positively allows them to suffer the consequences of their sin in the hope that they will repent and turn back to Him.
In Romans 2:14-15, we find another passage where Paul talks about General Revelation. In this passage, he is referring to the Conscience rather than to Creation. God has revealed Himself to us not only in His creation but also in that fact that every man has a conscience. Where did this conscience come from? Animals do not seem to have this – only humans. Paul calls this a “Law written on the heart“. In other words, all people and cultures may not have the special revelation of the Bible, but they all have, not only creation (as we saw in Romans 1) but also a conscience. Paul calls this a “law written on the heart.” Second, he points out that this law on our heart either accuses or excuses our behavior. This is what we call our “conscience”. Third, many philosophers recognize this including Immanuel Kant. In everyone, there is a sense that we ought to do certain things. In other words, there are categories that we all agree are things that are wrong and things that are right to do. This is what Kant calls the categorical imperative. C. S. Lewis and other modern philosophers often call this the Moral Law that all of us have within ourselves.
But why (or how?) do some people do things that go against this categorical imperative and Moral Law? They simply learn how to silence their conscience. Often this is done by repeating a sinful action over and over again until it seems normal. But when we first begin this action, everything inside of us tells us that it is wrong. In 1 Timothy 4:2, Paul speaks about people “whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” This is a graphic picture of what happens to our consciences when we repeatedly do a sinful act. When you first touch a hot iron, your skin will react with pain warning you to pull back. But if you do these enough times, your skin will develop a callose and you will not feel any pain at all. Our conscience has been given to us so that we know what is right and what is wrong. But over time, we can silence that conscience so that it no longer accuses or excuses us and our behavior.
So, what is the value of General Revelation through creation and our conscience?
First of all, it shows us that God exists … Seventeenth century English philosopher William Paley gave an example that he called “the watchmaker.” He says that if a tribal person found a watch in the forest, he would not say, “Wow, this must have all just come together accidentally somehow.” No, he would say to himself, “I don’t know what this is, but I’m sure it had a creator.” In fact, by looking at the dynamics of the watch, he would probably say, “This creator must be very intelligent because I have never seen anything like this.” The watch’s features would scream, “Designed by some great intelligence!” It certainly wouldn’t suggest that it came together accidentally and without purpose. It had to have intention behind it. It had to have purpose. Accidents like this don’t happen. A tribal person would naturally believe there was a creator, and you could not tell him otherwise. It would be ludicrous to come to any other conclusion. This is why Scripture says, “The fool says in his heart there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). It would be foolish to come to any other conclusion when looking at creation. That’s General Revelation!
Second, General Revelation reveals some of God’s Attributes to us.… One person put it this way: “When I was single, I was a very disorganized person. If you went into my room, you would have seen clothes all over my desk, my bed unmade, and hundreds of books on my floor. Because of my room (my creation) you would be able to tell a lot about me without ever meeting me. You would probably surmise that this person must be a pretty disorganized guy. You would probably also surmise that this person likes to study because of all the books. You could tell some things about me by what I had created.” It’s the same with God whenever we look at His creation.
So, what are some of these attributes that we could see simply by General Revelation?
To begin with, Creation reveals His Glory and His Power. We’ve seen this in Psalm 19 and in Romans 1. When we look at the creation with honest eyes, we would have to say, “What a beautiful and amazing creation!” Second, it reveals His power. We would also say, “Only someone with amazing power could have ever created a universe like this!” Third, we can see His transcendence. We can see that this God is different than us and that He is higher than us. We can see that we can know some things about Him, but also that there is much about this God that always remains a mystery. We can only know what God reveals about Himself – that’s special revelation. Fourth, we see His Immortality. When you look at the glory of God’s creation, it is natural to assume that the Creator must be greater than His creation. He must be different; He must be immortal. Everything else had a beginning point. But the Creator never had a beginning point.
Fifth, we also see His Lovingkindness. Paul says in Acts 14:17: “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Sixth, we can see that He is a Personal God. In Acts 17:28–29, Paul says to the Athenians who were worshiping images of gold and silver: “For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.” Paul is saying that if we consider the fact that God created mankind to be his children, it should become abundantly clear that He is a living person. He is alive, not an idol that is without breath. We shouldn’t think that God is something made by man like an image of gold or silver. Paul essentially says, “Don’t you think it’s ridiculous to bow down to an image that you made?” However, like the people in Athens, many religions throughout the world worship idols. They behave as though God is living inside a statue or religious object. Paul says, “Look at us! We’re living and personal, and therefore, so is God.” It’s foolish to think that the one who created us is something without personality. Finally, through General Revelation, we can see that God is a Moral God – Throughout history, mankind has typically had the same laws. It is wrong for a man to steal, lie, kill, rob, and people that do such things should be punished. These are not laws based on culture but conscience. It is a moral code that resides inside of man, regardless of whether they live in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, or the Americas. We all have the same moral laws, and God will judge us on the basis of them as we saw in Romans 2:14–16. This is how we discern that God is a moral being. So, there are many things we can learn about God through General Revelation.
But what are the results of General Revelation?
First, we can see that man is Without Excuse …. General revelation is not enough to save a person, but it is enough to condemn a person for not believing in God and living up to the revelation given.
Second, we can see that General Revelation should lead people to Seek God …. In Acts 17:27, Paul says that God revealed himself “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” In Acts 14:17, Paul reminds us: “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” God has left a testimony— General revelation —to draw people to himself. His kindness is seen in the seasons of the earth. He provides rain for crops and food so that man can eat. His characteristics are clearly displayed daily so that people will seek and find him. General Revelation should lead people to seek God.
Third, when people respond to the revelation that God has given, God gives them more revelation.… In Luke 8:18, Jesus spoke about this principle: “Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” Also, we see in Acts chapter 10 that when Cornelius responds to the revelation he has been given, God sends an angel and then sends Peter to share the gospel with him. We see the same thing in Acts 8 when the Ethiopian eunuch is seeking to know God, God sends Phillip to meet him on the road and explain the gospel to him. When people respond to the General Revelation and seek God, God sends more revelation to them.
Fourth, since General revelation is not enough to save people, we must share the gospel for people to be saved.… In Romans 10, Paul asks, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” General revelation is not sufficient to save so we must share the gospel with those who respond to general revelation. This is why evangelism (sharing the gospel) is essential. This is why missionaries leave their countries and their comforts and go to distant lands and foreign cultures to share the gospel and plant churches. “Heavens declare the glory” so that everyone everywhere has a testimony about the existence of God. But they need more than just General Revelation. They need the clear Word of God to show them what this Creator requires for salvation. And they need willing messengers to go and share the good news that Jesus has come to save them. How shall they hear without someone to tell them about the good news through Jesus Christ? General Revelation is not enough!
Opportunities to Serve and Teach …
At the end of this month, I will be teaching my only class in Ukraine this year. (I will be helping Ukrainian professors with 4 other classes but not actually teaching the classes.) I will be teaching Evangelism and Apologetics with Alexander Minenko who was also a former student if mine. We will be teaching September 22-26. There are pre-session assignments to grade as well as post-session ones through the end of October. Be praying for us as we teach and also for the students. Every night, they awakened by air raids and missiles and often classes are even interrupted during the day. Pray for these students as they try to prepare for ministry during this war.
I am in the process of developing a theological education program to train missionaries going to the field. This is a major need for missionaries since most do not have seminary training before going to the field. Currently, most of the available education options are expensive for missionaries and many even require a residency period. So, I am working to create a viable theological education for missionaries that is not expensive and prepares them with theological foundations (especially Ecclesiology, for church planting) and the basic ability to understand and interpret the Greek NT. Also, we are wanting to create a format that allows both husbands and wives to study together. We believe this is important for missionaries since husbands and wives work together as teams on the mission field (but usually, only the husband has theological training). Finally, we need to create a program that is easily transferable. I’m in my 70s and don’t know how long I can continue to help so we need to design something that could be led by anyone with a theological education. That’s a major task! Pray for me as I work on this. It is a really major project that will take some time to complete. I’m trying to get most of it done to be reviewed by the beginning of the year.
So, this is my major project for this fall. It will take a lot of designing something that can be helpful and also be transferable so others can use it. I prefer teaching classes, but it seems like this is how I can be most helpful for the Kingdom in the near future. So, please pray for me. It will be a lot of work and time for me to create this program. Hopefully we can start our first group in the spring or at the latest next fall.
Family …
Lots of fun activities finished out August for us. We celebrated Sully’s birthday and attended Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations with our Ukrainian friends in NWA.
Then we attended our first county fair! The kids loved the rides and especially the animals. (I loved the food). We can’t wait until next year’s fair!
Finally, as we started September, Katya began teaching dance classes at Studio 407 in Huntsville. Katya has been teaching dance most of her life in Ukraine and was hoping to find an opportunity to teach here in Arkansas. When one of our missionary friends from Hiding Place Hollow was speaking at a small Baptist Church in Hindsville, one of the ladies there said she was looking for a dance teacher for the fall. They immediately recommended Katya. It is amazing how God works in little things and unexpected ways!
We haven’t had much time to work on the house, but we still have a lot to do with trim and window casements. We have had a pretty good garden for our first year. One thing we learned is that Arkansas has a lot more bugs than Ukraine! So, we are learning how to protect our harvest for next year.
Our support levels continue to be lower each month. We have gone from about $5000 per month to about $3500 now. Fortunately, we have had some extra gifts that have made up the difference and our garden and energy efficient house have helped to keep costs down. We continue to be blessed and amazed by what the Lord has given us!
Pray for Ukraine …
Please continue to pray for Ukraine and the war. Our friends are bombarded daily (usually in the middle of the night) with rockets and drones directly at purely civilian targets. In the last month, Russia has dramatically increased these attacks sending nearly 1000 per night. Most of these are shot down but some still manage to create some damage and take some lives. Pray for internal peace for people as well as peace from the war. It is exhausting to be attacked every night and to never know if one of these missiles might destroy your home, injure you, or even take your life.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We are always amazed at God’s wonderful grace to us over these many years. I have been teaching overseas and in Ukraine for over 29 years now. This has all be possible because of your prayers and support throughout these years.
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya, Kristina and Nadia
If you missed previous updates or just want to read some short theological reflections, you can find these at our website at https://teachingresources.org/ .
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