RECOGNIZING GOD BY HIS WORKS
The Bible tells us some people recognize God by his works of creation and salvation; but others do not. And it informs us that consistent with his being the God love and justice, he deals with people according to how they recognize and respond to him.
RECOGNIZING GOD BY HIS WORKS OF CREATION
The Psalmist David recognized and gave God the glory for the things of the heavens and earth, including mankind, that the Lord God created (Psalm 8; Genesis 1,2). David was called a man after God’s own heart; and the Lord made him a King (Acts 13:22). The New testament writer John recognized the Lord as creator of “all things” John 1:1-3). John, among others who believed the Lord was God of creation, was called “children of God” (John 1:12).
But the Bible says some people have refused to recognize God as Lord and give him the glory for his works as God of creation. Therefore, God’s wrath abides on them (Romans 1:18-32):
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse…
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32).
RECOGNIZING GOD BY HIS WORKS OF SALVATION
The Bible reveals that God has given us a personal revelation of himself through the works of salvation done by his Son Jesus Christ. “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18; John 14:6; John 17:3).
According to the inspired biblical Word of God: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)–The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)–But God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Jesus demonstrated he is the divine Son of God with power over creation, and power to save form sin.
- The Lord calmed a stormy sea, demonstrating power over the physical universe: He got up from sleeping on a boat, “rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:35-41).
- He raised people from the dead showing he has power over life and death: He raised people to life, like a man name Lazarus who had been dead for four days. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:17-44).
- He manifested power over the devil and the spirit world: He healed “people who were under the power of the devil; and casted demons out of people. (Acts 10:38; Mark 5:1-11).
- After Jesus was crucified and buried for three days he rose from the dead to die no more (1 Corinthians 15:4; Revelation 1:18).
- Many eye-witnesses saw Jesus do things demonstrating that he is God’s Son (John 20:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). They witnessed him proving that he is God’s promised Messianic Savior of the world, in fulfilling all Bible prophecies concerning the Savior (Luke 24:44-48).
The Lord said, he did miraculous things that no one else could do, showing him to be from God (John 15:24). However, he said some did not believe in and receive him as the divine Son and Savior from God (Isaiah7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:20-22 ). And as a result, they are condemned to perish (John 3:16-18). “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:10-12).
