When someone ponders the miracle and purpose of life, they inevitably encounter the question of God. No one has seen God, and His existence cannot be proven by observation or experience. Yet, according to Christian faith, God does not remain hidden or indifferent to humanity or mankind that He created.
According to the Bible, man is created as the image of God. This means that man is not an insignificant or random being, but his very being refers to his Creator. The essence of God is love (1. John 4: 8), and love does not hide itself or remain indifferent, but wants to be known by and have a connection with the one it loves. That is why God reveals himself to people. He wants a personal connection with the person he created.
How can we know about God and His will?
The Bible tells us that God created man in paradise in his own image. In paradise, man wanted the same things and freely acted in the same way as God. Man lived in connection with God, knowing his Creator and His will.
However, man fell into sin and turned away from God. The whole of humanity was corrupted and became participants in original sin. Due to the effect of original sin, man is therefore sinful by nature, and does not truly wish to know his Creator and His will.
The gift of rational thinking that God has given us is certainly able to reason out that there must be some greater reason behind all existence. Ever since the creation of the world, God has spoken to man through nature, the fates of nations, the ups and downs of life, and each person’s conscience (Rom. 1: 19,20). This is called the general revelation.
In the general revelation, God reveals His power and righteousness, but it’s not possible for a sin-fallen person to come to know God through the general revelation alone; God and His will remain mysteries, and do not lead a person to the true knowledge of God or salvation.
Yet God’s love seeks out humankind, and so God Himself acts and makes Himself known to people. However, human beings cannot be in direct “face-to-face” communion with God, because in their sinful state they could not endure it: “You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live” (Exodus 33:20).
Because of human sinfulness, God reveals His will and love to us through His Word—that is, through the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is also referred to as God’s special revelation.
The Bible is both a divine and a human book. It is divine because its authors had the Holy Spirit; it is the Word of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit, addressed to human beings. At the same time, it is human because it was written in everyday language by human authors, within their own cultures and historical contexts. This human aspect of Scripture comes with the imperfection that characterizes all human life. This is the only way can God truly speak to people in a way they can understand. As a result, the Bible is God’s revelation spoken in human language.
The Content and Authority of Scripture
The Bible tells us what God has said, how He acts, what is humanity’s position before God, and how people can reach heaven. According to Christian thought, the Bible contains all that is necessary for a person to find God and become His child.
According to Christian doctrine, nothing may be added to or taken away from God’s revelation. The text of Scripture is so clear and transparent that it provides a firm foundation for evaluating, judging, and testing all teaching.
Therefore, no other teaching or authority may be raised alongside or above the Bible. As the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians: “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Cor. 4:6).
Jesus Himself refers to the Scriptures dozens of times, that is, to what we now call the Old Testament. He often rebuked the Jews for forgetting God’s Word and replacing it with the teaching of human traditions: “You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matt. 15:6).
The Sadducees heard from Jesus’ own mouth: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matt. 22:29).
Christ – The Fulfillment of Revelation
The heart of the Bible—God’s special revelation—is the message of the Savior of humanity, Jesus Christ. In Him, God reveals both His will and His love for humankind:
“In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe” (Heb. 1:2).
Jesus Christ taught what God expects of people as well as what He gives to us. At the center of Jesus’ teaching is the Kingdom of God, into which God transfers those whom He has saved (Col. 1:13–14). The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom in which those whose sins have been forgiven on the basis of Christ’s atoning work live in communion, or connection, with God. In that Kingdom, God’s saving will is already being fulfilled, as its members believe their own sins are forgiven and, with the authority given by Jesus, forgive the sins of others as well. The inhabitants of God’s Kingdom will dwell with God forever—even beyond death and the end of the world.
Understanding the Special Revelation
The message of the Bible concerning human salvation is clear. Anyone can read what God’s will is and what He has done for us from the Bible. But by relying on human knowledge and understanding alone, Christ—the special revelation of God—remains only lines on the page.
Jesus Himself rebuked the Jews: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39).
According to Scripture, revelation and faith belong together. Saving faith means trusting that Christ was born for me personally, and that God’s promises apply specifically to me. In faith, Christ is truly present.
Owning the special revelation (Christ) in one’s heart is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). The core of the special revelation, the gospel of Jesus,makes it possible for people to hear God and know His will.
Will the Revelation Be Continued?
The Christian congregation of New Testament era, which continues even today, lives according to the finished revelation. The salvation promised in the Scriptures through the prophets of God was fulfilled in Christ. No new revelation will be given, nor will the message change. It is valid at all times and in all places. God’s congregation proclaims the message of grace to all people on the basis of this completed revelation. The congregation is a servant of the revelation.
The Bible clearly distinguishes between God’s revelation and the work of the Holy Spirit. God’s revelation has been recorded in the writings of Scripture, and is complete and perfect. The work of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, continues in the Congregation of God, where the Holy Spirit opens the way to understanding the message of Scripture. This is not a new revelation, instead it’s the work of the Holy Spirit guiding people to trust in what God has already revealed.
Faith in Christ is faith in God’s unique revelation. The Congregation of God invites every person to become a partaker of this revelation, by proclaiming the good news of the forgiveness of sins.
Author: Olli Saari
Image: SRK
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