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General Revelation

This is revelation or information that reaches to all people; it encompasses the entire globe. It is general
in its methodology; that is, it employs universal means like the heat of the sun and human conscience.
Simply put, it is a revelation that thus affects all of God’s creation wherever they are and whenever they
have lived. For people, it can bring light and truth to all, or, if rejected, brings condemnation. These
verses explain general revelation:

Romans 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to
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them. 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. So they are without
excuse. (ESV)

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

In these verses, general revelation comes to mankind
through the creation, order and design. It tells us that
God exists and that He is a master designer. It gives us a
glimpse into the divine nature of omniscience and
omnipotence. But general revelation cannot tell us about
the love and grace of God nor His perfect holiness. It
does not reveal to us God’s plan of salvation nor how man
may procure that salvation. But general revelation is a
first step and is essential and preliminary to God’s special
revelation.

Another aspect of general revelation is human conscience. This verse explains this fact:

Romans 2:14-15 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they
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are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law
is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse
or even excuse them.

God placed intuitional knowledge concerning Himself and moral behavior within the heart of man. Man
intuitively knows God values goodness and abhors evil and he knows that he is accountable to God for
his actions and thoughts. Conscience is an inner monitor or the voice of God in the soul that passes
judgment on man’s response to the moral law written within.

It is interesting that when witnessing in the remotest places of Africa, the people there that have never
heard the name, “Jesus” and know nothing of the Bible, recognize that there is a divine Creator who
made all things. When asked if they have every offended this Creator, inevitably they will say, “Oh, yes,
many times.” This is an illustration of general revelation in that they recognize that the creation speaks
to a creator and their conscience bears witness that they have sinned against Him. But for them to
come to salvation, they need special revelation.

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