he BIBLE – GOD’S GRACIOUS
SELF REVELATION
(Outline/Overview)
Central Theme: The proclamation and manifestation of the Glory of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
God is a Being infinitely greater than His creation – which He, by definition, must be. As such, the creation – specifically mankind – through our own limited wisdom, knowledge, intellect, and senses cannot know God – unless God chooses to reveal Himself to us.
He cannot be discovered by man’s scientific method and exploration. He cannot be figured out through man’s reason and logic nor found in mankind’s philosophical speculations and curious imaginations. The only way we as finite beings – beings with limitations and boundaries to our existence can know an infinite being, who himself has no boundaries and limitations to His being, is if that being chooses to reveal Himself to us through means that we in our humanity can both know of Him, and ultimately know Him.
The Bible is given by God to be received by mankind as God’s gracious self-revelation of His glorious person and purposes in creation.
It is given to a fallen race of men and women whose hearts and minds have been corrupted and blinded by sin to the truth of the knowledge of the glory of God.
It is given to reveal to us the eternal God – that we may come to know and love and trust Him for who He is; the most glorious and desirable and necessary being in the universe – the eternal, self-existent, self- sufficient, infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, infinitely good Creator and Sovereign Ruler of the universe.
It is given to us that we may know God’s purpose in creating mankind in His image and likeness; that we would share in His glorious existence, enjoy His abundant goodness and live in His immediate presence wherein He would be the object of our deepest love and the source of our greatest joy – the very source and substance of our eternal happiness and wellbeing.
It is given so that we can understand how mankind, through unbelief and rebellion against God has fallen from this lofty position for which we were created, and exactly what was lost as a result of that fall.