|
How do we know what God is like? Generally speaking, there are two ways that we are able to know something about God or two ways that God reveals Godself to us. We call the first way general revelation. General revelation refers to ways that we are able to see God in nature and in history. General revelation is what happens when we witness the beauty of the setting sun. It is what happens any time we are confronted with the intricate composition of the planet on which we live. General revelation gives us a natural knowledge of God. We are able to see what God has done through general revelation.
The most diligent observer could not see all that God desires for us to see, or even a portion of it. So there is another way that we are able to know something about God. This way is called special revelation. God’s special revelation is at its fullest in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us about Jesus. The church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, tells the story of what God has done in Jesus Christ. God makes His redemptive love known to us through special revelation. This knowledge is beyond the scope of our human ability to make observations and gather data. God had to act if we were to know how much God loves us. God acted by taking on flesh and living among us. God revealed Godself to us in a manger, on a cross, and in an empty tomb. Special revelation gives us the revealed knowledge of God. It shows something about God that we could not know if God had not acted to show us.
General revelation and special revelation are the theological terms that we use to talk about how we know God. Yet, they remain broad and general terms without some personal experience with God. How do we know what God is like? I suspect that for many of us, answering that question involves referring back to events in our own lives. How we see God influences how we see ourselves and how we see ourselves influences how we see God.
Saying something about what God is like means revisiting how we experienced the difficult times in our lives. How did God act in those times? How did we experience the presence of God in those times? We can ask the same questions about the good times in our lives. When we experience a joyous occasion, how do we know that God is with us? Finally, what is God like for us on ordinary days that hold neither great success nor great sorrow?
How do we know what God is like? We certainly have our ideas that have been shaped by our experiences. We can further refine our understandings of God by hearing the testimonies of others. Some of the most beautiful testimonies are found in our hymn book. Hymn titles tell us something about the writer’s experience with God. “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,” “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and “Amazing Grace” each speak about the character of God and God’s activity in our lives.
The Song of Solomon is another testimony of what God is like. In it, we find two lovers. Their passion is intense. One of them speaks, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
What is God like? Is God like a lover saying to you, beloved of God, arise my love, my fair one and come away?
I hope so.
Joy and peace,
Ed
|
