Thursday, November 08, 2007

God has been pleased to make himself known to us

Although he is infinitely exalted above creation, God has been pleased to make himself known to us. Although he is "hidden," and dwells in approachable light, yet he has granted that we might know him:

God has his own independent intra-trinitarian life apart from the creation, and this life is hidden from view and unknowable to creatures. Yet God has condescended not only to create and enter into a personal relationship with creatures, but to reveal his character insofar as it pleases him and benefits us.

Michael Horton, “Hellenistic or Hebrew? Open Theism and Reformed Theological Method,” in Beyond the Bounds, p. 207


He has done so in a way suited to our limitations and capacities as creatures. As Bavinck expressed it:

Moreover, whereas God's revelation in nature and Scripture is definitely directed to man, God uses human language to reveal himself and manifests himself in human forms. It follows that that Scripture does not merely contain a few anthropomorphisms; on the contrary, all Scripture is anthropomorphic. From beginning to end Scripture testifies a condescending approach of God to man.

Bavinck, The Doctrine of God, p. 85-6

Later today I have the privilege of teaching the doctrine of God to the second year students at the North West Partnership Training Course.