Everyone, at some point in his life, knows at least two important things about God: This is the clear teaching, both of the Holy Bible and of ordinary experience.
What are these two things? And why, if this knowledge is truly universal, does not everyone acknowledge God? The answers to these questions may tell us much about ourselves, as well as about Almighty God.
First, what are the two great attributes of Gos which every man and woman either has known at one time, or shall know at some time in the future? The answer is found in the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 1, verse 20: “For the invisible things of him [that is God] since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they [who do not acknowledge and serve Him] may be without excuse.”
So we see that the Bible proclaims that God’s power and His divinity (Godhood) are the two vital attributes that everyone, from the beginning of time has clearly seen. The Bible does not say these things might be seen, but that they are seen – and not only seen, but perceived (understood) as well.
But while many will find a glad echo in their hearts at these words, many others will wonder if this is so, because they do not find this truth in their hearts at present. But who cannot remember, as a child, listening in awe or fear, as God’s power was displayed in the lightening and thunder of a great thunderstorm? Think back with me: childish hearts, and childish thoughts – yes, but God was very close to you at those moments.
Or, again, who has not thrilled in his heart at childhood’s first glimpse of a majestic snow-capped mountain, or another of God’s mighty creations? God was very near, and His testimony was loud in your heart at that moment. And at that moment, you knew that God was God. In your childish simplicity, without any teaching from others, you knew that God was powerful, and that He was in charge.
But that moment passed. After awe came denial, for the heart of man resists the obvious consequences of knowing God – for if we know God, we know also that our duty is to serve Him. (cf. Psalm 94:3-12) But man hates to serve One whom he does not love. And we cannot love God unless we come to know Him closely. Without this intimate knowledge, man pictures God as someone like himself, but with greater power. He conceives God in one of three principal ways: In the first, He is a super-man, with all of man’s desires and lusts, quick to take offense and quick to bring vengeance upon all who oppose His smallest wish – and abundantly powerful to bring all this to pass. This is the pagan model of the ancient Greeks, who took the awareness of God built into them, and fractured and re-molded that awareness into a multitude of gods in their own image.
The second concept of God, fashioned by peoples who had no true knowledge of Him, made God to be a remote and uncaring Deity, who made the world and peopled it with the races of man, but then withdrew and took no further interest in them. To help them in their hours of need, men created other, lessor gods. These were gods whose favor might be purchased with sacrifices and devotions, to bring better harvest, or victory in battle, or to make the womb fruitful.
The third substitute for the true God which man has made is to crown man himself with godhood. This is the “modern” form of idol worship. Being himself divine, man needs look no higher – so says the modern heresy. But it is the emptiest of all! If there is no God, then all life is meaningless. Man is a helpless leaf, swirling upon racing torrents of flood waters, going nowhere, without sense or purpose.
Why has man so stubbornly resisted knowledge of the true God? It is because he has a powerful desire to manage his own affairs. Diverse as the false gods are, they all share one characteristic: They can be managed, if properly approached. Their favors can be purchased, if the sacrifices offered are sufficiently costly. Men have been known to kill their sons to placate angry gods; others have enslaved themselves to demons; and others live all their lives in fear of overstepping the exceedingly narrow bounds which their gods supposedly have put upon their lives.
How pitiful is their plight! And how unnecessary! For God is neither a petulant god of lusts and angers on the one hand, nor remote and uncaring on the other. We could learn this from nature itself, if our eyes were truly open. As the Bible says, “…he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) This speaks of God’s immediate management of nature, and also His great patience with sinners.
But nature alone cannot tell us all we need to know about God. For that, you must turn to His Word, which He has given to man for that very purpose. And the central lesson in that Word, which is the Bible, is that God sent His Son to earth to lead wayward men back to their Creator. Come to the Son, Christ Jesus, and you will find the Father. “If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
(All Scripture is quoted from the World English Bible translation.)