Revelation

Man is a complicated being. Having a mind, he is inclined to judge everything by how reasonable it sounds. Unfortunately, God does not consist entirely of mind. He also embodies instincts, intuitions, emotions, will – feelings and impulses – ideals and aspirations. Confusion arises when we try to treat man as a mind only. Considering all the things affecting man’s actions, it is unreasonable to judge actions by reason alone. Religion is a determining factor in the emotions, will and intellect and as such should not be judged by reason alone. The ability to discern a spiritual element by reason alone is likewise unreasonable. A baby is not considered inhuman before he can walk and talk. Religion can be a reasonable conclusion without being totally absorbed in reason.

The Christian religion deals with all of human life. It appeals to man’s reason but also touches emotions, draws upon instincts and stimulates will. It encompasses reason but surpasses it. If we declare true only what is understood with our reason, we are only using part of our natural equipment. Have you heard anyone say, “I know something is true but I can’t tell you just why.” We do not declare things that are out of sight to be invisible. We should not declare something untrue because we do not understand. Intuitions and feelings may be able to reach points our minds cannot penetrate. The appeal to reason is wholesome and necessary but it is not the only appeal in the broad field of human experience.

We have been inoculated to display unquestioning confidence in scientific achievement. Remember, Science is descriptive. It does not really explain things. It describes things and hopes the descriptions will eventually provide a clearer understanding. The Christian welcomes scientific facts but sometimes questions inappropriate conclusions. Those who cannot accept things they don’t understand should not listen to the radio, watch TV, answer the phone and ride elevators, cars and planes. They might accept on faith something that someone else understands.

That shows faith in that other person. Consider that Christ understands God fully and that many Christian followers have a working knowledge of him. We accept that on faith as well.

Can you believe that only things you understand really exist? Did eclipses of the sun and moon exist before man first recognized them? Today, we understand that these things existed long before we recognized them, let alone explained them. This should make us properly cautious about discounting those occurrences which are commonly called miracles.

Miracles do not contradict science, nor do they violate the natural law. Science leaves plenty of room in those areas currently described but not yet fully explained. Reason must admit some things are outside its scope and natural laws are not a known, closed set. If a stone starts rolling from the top of a hill, will it continue until it reaches the bottom? If something stops it along the way, no law was broken. The interaction of multiple laws can produce different results. Consider the situation where a drowning boy is saved by a man willing to risk his own life to change what would otherwise be a natural result. If a human person can intervene to change the natural course of events, it is not strange for the Divine person to intervene at times in the affairs of His own creation. He does not disrupt it, he simply directs and controls it.

There are two kinds of corruption that make people skeptical about miracles. First there are those to whom the simplest coincidence is accepted as a miracle. Their persistent exaggerations do damage to Christ by their hysterical credulity. When everything is a miracle, nothing can be miraculous. The second corruption deals with those who fake supernatural powers. Trading in human weaknesses will eventually be exposed but they shatter the faith of those who have trusted them.

Consider our Saviour’s miracles. By modern methods of treatment, we can now cure some of the same diseases He cured during his ministry. If we can do so with our limited knowledge and powers, it is easy to accept instantaneous cures with the divine power invoked by his prayers. Some of his cures we can explain with our science. Some are still incomprehensible. Sometimes we astonish ourselves by exhibiting abilities we are unable to explain. Our Lord’s human life is unique in the annals of history. Such a life would have been responsive to spiritual impulses beyond our broadest imagination.

We also note that our Lord never performed any miracles in order to show off. He refused the devil’s temptation to dazzle the public with a spectacular exhibition, saying, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” He declined to perform wonders where faith was lacking and people merely curious. Finally, he never used His extraordinary powers for his own benefit – not even on the cross. His miracles were signs and symbols called forth to authenticate His teaching for a people who expected unusual things from God. Still today, there remain many happenings, which are far beyond the range of human comprehension.

There are three practical reasons for miracles in the Christian faith. First, unusual evidences of spiritual authority would be expected from a person who claimed such authority in his own right. Second, we need something to stretch our spiritual muscles and encourage expectation of greater things to come. Third, they jar us out of the complacency of the regular chores of life.

A small child is a very helpless creature. To survive infancy, he must be fed, clothed, protected and instructed in the ways of survival. His natural inheritance is not enough to bring him to a state of full welfare in the human race. In addition, he will not be an exact copy of his guiding influence. He must develop his own individuality, discover and exercise his own talents, acquire his own experience and construct his own character. What parents provide for a helpless child is what God provides for his spiritually helpless children. They must develop for themselves but He cannot leave them to do it alone. The Heavenly Father will be no less considerate of his children than a human father is of his. That is the purpose of revelation.

The long sweep of human history shows comprehensive evidences of revelation. As we are only able to absorb limited growth and knowledge at any given time, we find God leading us gradually through ascending levels of spiritual progress. It has been a slow process as mankind has passed through many phrases of spiritual progress.

So Christians believe Jesus Christ to be God’s supreme revelation of Himself. All earlier revelation is preparatory to Christ and all subsequent revelation is corroboration of Him. Christianity does not say that all other religions are wrong. It simply says they are inadequate. The best of them all has been gathered up into Christ. He is the focus of all revelation. It is also not surprising to find religious ideas of non-Christian origin incorporated in the Christian Gospel. Christ did not come to give religion to a world which had no religion. He came to fulfill the spiritual aspirations of the whole world – especially the Hebrews because they had already outgrown all the others.

The Christian claim for spiritual supremacy justifies itself first on the grounds of the intrinsic merits of the Gospel. It is consistent within itself and it offers the most satisfactory answer to the whole question of life both here and hereafter. In addition, it is historically sound. Christianity centers on the person of Jesus Christ. It is not a collection of doctrines, but loyalty to a person who at one time lived on this earth and injected a new spiritual content into the stream of human life. Finally it has proved its adaptability to man as man, without respect of race, color, or condition. It has done more than any other to elevate character, to inspire love, mercy, self-sacrifice and all the highest virtues, to stimulate progress and the attainment of better things in this life as a preparation for the life-to-come.

The Bible is the record of Christ as the Word of God. It is the record of progressive revelation which reaches its summit in Christ. By nature, we are blind creatures groping for the God, who, we know instinctively, must be there. By revelation, he opens our eyes and manifests Himself to us. The important consideration is not how far we have come, but whether we are going in the right direction.