Imagine a canyon, such as the Grand Canyon. On one side stands God. On the opposite side stand those who represent various worldviews, whether they be atheistic, agnostic, humanist, or any one of a number of secular non Christian belief systems. How does one bridge the gap between the two?
A civil engineer would suggest that if one were to undertake the task of building a bridge across a great expanse, one would begin building simultaneously from each side in an attempt to meet precisely in the middle. So think of God’s self revelation as the bridge construction undertaken from “his side.”
There are some important things to note:
1. God takes the initiative. In other words, he lays the first girder.
2. All that we know of God is because of what he has chosen to disclose of himself to us.
3. God has revealed himself through creation (general revelation).
4. God has revealed himself through the Bible, and ultimately through his son Jesus Christ (special revelation).
5. God reveals himself as an act of grace to enable us to know him.
Faith works on the bridge from the other side. Sometimes people understand faith as some sort of blind shot in the dark; a baseless emotion somehow evoked from within. But that’s not biblical faith. Biblical faith is a person’s response to God’s initiatives of grace. By grace, God reveals himself to us so that we might know him. When we respond to God’s self disclosure, we are expressing faith. God reveals himself, we respond in faith, and the bridge is constructed across the great divide which brings us safely to God.
Romans 10:17 declares, “Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (NLT)
How can we help people respond to the revelation of God through Christ?
