Don Stewart :: Is It Logical to Think That God Would Communicate to Humanity?

[A new version of this page can be found here]

Some people have ruled out the possibility of God communicating with humanity. They believe a revelation from a divine being to humankind is not possible. However, the idea that God would communicate to humanity and leave behind a written record makes sense for the following reasons.

1. It Is Consistent With The Nature Of God

The God who created the universe reveals Himself to be a God of wisdom and purpose. Since everything in the observable universe has been created for a purpose this would certainly include His highest creation - humanity. If God created humanity for a purpose, it would be folly to assume that He would not reveal that purpose. Therefore from what we know about God from His creation, it makes sense that He would give humanity some revelation of Himself.

2. God Is A Personal God

The Bible reveals that the God who exists is a personal God; that is, He has the characteristics of personhood. He thinks, feels, and can give and receive love. He also has the ability to communicate. The Bible says that God loves humanity.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Since God loves his creation the natural expectation is that he would reveal himself to His creation.

3. The Power Of God Makes It Possible

If God is all-powerful, He is certainly able to make His will know to humanity. There is nothing lacking in His character that would stop Him from communicating. The Lord said.

See, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27).

4. We Can Communicate With Each Other

God made humanity in His image and likeness. The Bible says.

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-28).

Part of that likeness is the ability to give and receive communication. Since both God and humankind have the ability to communicate, it is perfectly logical to assume that He would communicate with us.

5. We Have A Communication From God

With these factors considered, a final point to emphasize is that we do, in fact, have a written communication that claims to be from God. That communication, the Bible, shows us a God of love who has revealed Himself. The prophet Isaiah said.

Hear O heavens, and give ear O earth! For the Lord has spoken (Isaiah 1:2).

Simon Peter said to Jesus:

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

We Desperately Need God's Revelation

Without God's divine revelation in the Bible, we are left to our own ideas about who God is and who we are. Any attempt to explain God is doomed to failure because each of us would merely project our own thoughts about who God is and come up with the type of God we think should exist. There would be no consensus of opinion and no basis of knowing whom, if anybody, was right in their opinions about God. With God's divine revelation as it is written in the Bible, there is no confusion surrounding God's character or His purpose for humanity.

Summary

It is logical to think that God would communicate with humanity. The very nature of God makes it reasonable that God would make Himself known to His creation. Since He created humankind for a purpose it makes sense that He would reveal that purpose. In addition, the God of the Bible is a personal God who loves those He has created. Consequently we would expect Him to communicate to those whom He loves.

There is also the matter of God's power. Since God is all-powerful He is able to communicate to His creation. God has also made humankind with the ability to give and receive communication. All of these truths make a divine revelation possible. Therefore a communication from God to humankind makes perfect sense and should logically be expected. Finally we have that communication - the Bible.