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NASB | Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 1:20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. [Ps 19:1-4; Eph 2:10] |
Bible Question:
Finding God in Nature, part 1 How can this verse be true? How can someone be responsible to know "God's divine nature" based only on nature? I will try to answer this in a series of posts, as I have many thoughts on this. First a little background about myself. I am a research scientist, and therefore, have spent a lot of time studying the world around me and the scientific theories about the universe. The result of this study has been that I believe that just examining nature around us "shows" us who God is. Notice that I don't say "proves". It is been my experience that nothing can actually be "proven". In life, we must make choices about what we "believe". And it is most logical to choose to believe what is more likely than what is less likely. For instance, the theory of gravity has never been actually "proven". However, our vast experience of seeing effects indicating its presence (ie. seeing balls drop, etc.) and its ability to fit into other scientific theories make it a much more logical to believe in gravity, than to disbelieve it. Therefore, we live our lives based on it being true (ie. we don't jump off tall buildings, thinking that we won't fall). Similarly, I have found that on every issue where we must choose what we believe, one option is more reasonable than any others. Therefore, in this series of posts I will try to explain why I find Christianity to be the most logical choice of belief. |
Bible Answer: I recommend that you all read Psalm 19. The first part of this Psalm indicates that nature itself bears witness to the *existence* of God as Creator. However, nature alone does not bear witness to Christ as Redeemer. The second part of this Psalm suggests that the observation of nature itself is not enough. That the written Word (the Law) is God's specific revelation of Himself to mankind. No one is saved by gazing at the sun, moon, stars, rocks and trees. These do not present the Greatest Story Ever Told (the story of Christ) nor God's Simple Plan of Salvation. Instead you will find these in the Word itself. You can rationalize, spiritualize, allegorize, speculate and imagine all you want to and it doesn't change the fact that the gospel of Christ is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby ye must be saved. Where in nature do you find the Name of Jesus and all the meaning attached to His Name? |