IBS-52 Find the Application: The God Reveal

 

Big Idea: God reveals Himself to us through His Word, the Bible.

The God Reveal

Would you pay to see God? What might it take; an app, a portal or a sacred object? God has made a way so that we can know a lot about Him and even know Him personally as a friend.  It is all found in the Bible, the very Word of God.

Gender reveal parties have become so popular, each year new over-the-top stories emerge to announce if an expectant couple will have a boy or girl. Much about the future we can’t see. That may partly why gender reveal parties are so popular! It gives some understanding to the uncertainties of becoming a new parent.

But to know what God is like? He cannot be harnessed or caged any easier than a tornado can be contained. However we can know Him and learn many things about Him. The more one studies the Bible, the more God reveals of Himself.

Humankind is created in God’s image. We are social creatures and we have inherited that from God. God communicates in the Godhead (Trinity) and with His angels. We are in fact the joy of His creation, and His deepest desire is to know and care for us and have us adore Him!

How Does He Do It?

How does He show Himself to the world? Those who study God refer to General Revelation and Special Revelation.

General Revelation

Every human being observing this complex beautiful world and the intricate human body should see an intelligent design that is not random. It is the handiwork of God. Looking at the human conscience, every person has a sense of right and wrong, of morality. These are imprints from God for all to see without the written Word.

Special Revelation

Two outstanding examples are Jesus, God who became man to rescue us from sin, and the Bible, the written Word of God. This Word is revealed to man from God, recorded for all of us to see (2 Peter 1:21). Our focus in Inductive Bible Study is about digging in to the Bible discovering how to apply it to our life.

God Revealed in the Bible

The Bible is all about God and His relationship with mankind. He is revealed in numerous ways.

1. History of God reaching out to people individually and as groups of people.

2. We see what God is like and what He does.

3. We see what He wants, and what He wants from us.

4. We watch His plans unfold for individuals and for humankind over the course of Bible times.

5. We see how others describe God, what they learn about Him.

6. God is quoted. God is observed. God is felt. God is Spirit and the spirit is like the wind. It is not visible but it is felt.

When you get to the application phase of your Bible passage, if you have done the work of observation and interpretation, ask yourself what you’ve observed about God, who He is and what He does. And then ask yourself, how might God matter in my situation today?

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This post is fifty-second in a series as a Practical Starter Guide for Inductive Bible Study.

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Reflect:

1. What have you seen either in the human body or the world that makes you marvel? Has anything ever left you feeling that there must be something intelligent out there?

2. What is the most amazing thing about God that you have seen in the Bible? (Examples: His love, His forgiveness, He knows what’s going on)