The Mercy of God in Revealing Himself to Us

In this, my first topic, I will be discussing the great mercy God has shown in revealing Himself to us creatures, who have walked so far from Him in rebellion.


The Bible says that God created us. We, in that sense, are His children, His creatures. However, it is also true that when our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned against their Creator in the Garden of Eden by breaking His commandment, we lost our favor with Him. Because God is holy - separate from sin - His justice requires punishment for transgressions committed against Him. We can do nothing by the work of our own hands to put us back into favor with Him.


Let me ask a few questions. Is the just God of the Universe obliged to be merciful and gracious to those who have rebelled against Him? Does He even have to reveal Who He is to these rebels? Even if He is also love as well as just, does that compel Him, like a slave, to show mercy as though He is not free to condemn? These aren't harsh questions; they simply show forth the situation in the most clear, concise manner.


Practically, this issue comes up often in discussions about those individuals who have never heard about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, or the Gospel. A common term for these people is "those who have never heard," the "unhearing heathen." For example, the inhabitants of the Americas before the Europeans came over would fit into this category, since there was no Bible or preacher of God amongst them. Did God even show these children of His, whom He created, anything about Himself? Is it true, as many seem to think so today, that God gives everyone who has ever lived a chance to know about Him and perhaps even to get saved?


Actually, God has already revealed Himself in many wonderful ways apart from Scripture - through nature, for instance. Romans 1:20 says, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Paul goes on to say that every human being thus has no excuse for failing to notice God for who He is. God shows His creative beauty in the stars, the mountains, the rivers, the clouds, the rainbows, and the marvelous diversity of plants on this earth. His power is shown in thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. Everywhere we look, we see evidence of God. Each of our five senses shows us this evidence of our Creator, and there is no escaping this fact.


God, then, has given us plenty of evidence that He exists and that we are simply His creatures. Every human being knows that God is there, and many of them try to hide that fact by setting up their own idols in His place - other gods, other objects in this creation, themselves, etc. However, I do believe that many people overlook this tremendous mercy that God has shown in even revealing Himself to us. Let me take this a step further. We at least know that there is this mighty God out there. We know something is wrong with us, and that we are separated from Him, having to face His just anger because of our sins against Him. The present condition of this world and our very own selves bears this out. It would seem that God has done quite enough in just letting us know some general things about Himself. But that's not the end.


What if this God, even though infinitely offended by our sin, yet freely chose to show His love and save a great number of us, His fallen creatures?


What if this God, determined to glorify Himself alone, chose to also put His love alongside justice and thus add a new aspect to His glory?


What if this God, despite the mockery we displayed against Him in the beginning, yet chose to give us a Book telling us more about Him, and even about how to be delivered from our path into eternal perdition?


What if this God........infinitely just in condemning the whole mass of humanity.......yet had determined to save but one soul out of its midst? Is this not already a marvelous act of grace? For the Scriptures tell us, "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10). Jesus had also just said that there was more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than 99 righteous people who needed no repentance. I think a very important point is made here. All of heaven is ablaze in incomprehensible glory at even one salvation.


But wait! Is it not obvious from the Bible and from the course of history that there have been more souls saved out of damnation than just one? I think it is definitely true that millions upon millions may be joining that heavenly throng of saints redeemed by the infinite blood of Jesus Christ! If such a thing cannot strike the mind with a stupefying wonder, I doubt what else can.


This is the point I am trying to make: We spend so much time wondering why God has not revealed Himself to so many people, especially in a salvational sense, that we forget that He has indeed revealed Himself to multitudes upon multitudes of souls! Everyone, in fact, has an idea of who God is, if not the message of salvation. But it is the very mercy of God that even saves people at all. When we were dead in our sins, He determined to save us by the shed blood of Jesus Christ upon that wooden cross! There was nothing that could make any of us acceptable to God, yet somehow for His glory He chose to save some of us. This is why we need to be struck with awe at His work of salvation that has happened, not wonder at why He somehow doesn't reveal Himself to a large part of humanity.


Make no mistake, the Bible does command Christians to preach the Gospel to all nations (Matt 28:18-20). We preach the Gospel because that is how God saves people, through us bringing His message to others. If pagans were in spiritual darkness for thousands of years before we came along with the message of hope, why should we blame God for that? He never was obliged to show them the light in the first place! But, by His grace, we now show that light to them which was mercifully shown to us who deserved it no more than they did. All of us have equally sinned, and fallen short of God's glory (ie., Romans 3:23), and yet those of us who have believed in Christ have been justified as a gift by His grace (Rom. 3:24).


So, those of us who have been redeemed have so much to praise our Savior for. Not only did He show much about Himself in this world, but He also gave us a Book that told us even more about Him, and which also contained the information that we needed in order to be delivered out of our sorry sinful condition. Furthermore, His Holy Spirit gave us new life as spiritual children entitled to full privileges of adoption in His household. The list goes on and on.......until we are just lost in the wonder of how merciful our God is. None of what I've just listed was required of Him. Yet, by His great mercy, He revealed Himself to us. And we shall continue to discover more and more about Him, since Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). It takes all of eternity to experientially "know" an eternal and infinite God, doesn't it?


For those of you who do not know God in a saving manner, I urge you to think on the mercy He has shown you in even letting you know that He exists, and that there is much more potentially possible for you than this present situation. Throw your trust on Christ, who took the punishment that sinners deserved, so that you may indeed experience the full-blown mercy of God and delight in Him for ever! Eternity is a long time to be wrong about this mercy that has been saving people for thousands of years.

I hope these little meditations about our sovereign and merciful God will help you understand more about how He works His great affairs in this little world.