Because
Scripture witnesses to God’s revelation of himself, it confronts us with three
related questions: (1) Who is this God who reveals himself? (2) How does God
reveal himself? (3) What impact does God’s act of revelation have on the person
involved? Consistent with Scripture, the Church’s answer to these questions has
been the doctrine of the Trinity.
Who
is this God who reveals himself? As Creator, God is wholly unlike us or
anything else that exists. So God as Creator is the only one who by nature
cannot be known by us as creatures. Furthermore, since God is holy, God cannot
be known even indirectly by us as sinners. If we know that God is with us and
for us, it is only by grace. It is only because God has chosen freely in love
to reveal himself to us. And because God alone is absolutely free in this way,
whenever God does reveal himself, he reveals himself as our Lord. Furthermore,
the New Testament maintains that God remains free of our control even in his
revelation. Even as he reveals himself to us in Jesus Christ, God remains our
Father in Heaven who sent the Son.
What
impact does God’s act of revelation have? God does not reveal himself to people
in general. God’s act of revelation is always an utterly unique event which
occurs at a specific time and place and radically alters the lives of the
specific people involved. God reveals his lordship this third way by freely
choosing in love to be known by specific people as their God.
Copyright © 2019 by Steven Farsaci.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.
