| We have spoken of God's revelation of Himself. | | | | Bible is a book of truth propositions or facts. It |
| That revelation is found almost exclusively in the | | | | recounts how God created this earth and how |
| Bible. Some things may be known about God | | | | mankind fell into sin. It explains God's plan of |
| through observing His creation. Romans | | | | salvation, from the first animal sacrifice covering |
| 1:20 says this, "For since the creation of the | | | | Adam's sin, to the ultimate fulfillment of that type |
| world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and | | | | in Jesus on the cross. |
| divine nature, have been clearly seen, being | | | | The Bible engenders or incites faith. However, |
| understood through what has been made, so that | | | | God doesn't ask us to exercise a blind or foolish |
| they are without excuse." "That which was | | | | faith. He makes it clear that faith in God is a |
| made…." refers to His creation. Enough can be | | | | reasonable action. But if God's revelation of |
| observed in God's creation to make man | | | | Himself were flawed, then it would be |
| "…without excuse." However, not enough can | | | | unreasonable to trust Him. If God could not be |
| be observed in creation to explain to man God's | | | | trusted to provide truthful answers to the |
| solution to man's sin problem. | | | | question of origins and sin, how could He be |
| A person has awareness of God via his or her | | | | trusted to tell us about things we could not |
| own conscience. All appear to have a sense that | | | | necessarily verify? He could not. But the Bible |
| a perfect One or perfect standard exists. But | | | | is a book of verifiable propositions of God's |
| that awareness is insufficient to bridge the gulf of | | | | mighty acts in history. Such trustworthy facts |
| alienation between God and humanity. God has | | | | make it reasonable for us to have faith in God. |
| given us a divine revelation—the Bible—for | | | | Faith in God is a reasonable act because God's |
| that purpose. | | | | revelation is, like God, perfect. "As for God, his |
| The Bible is a record of God's actions in | | | | way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless" |
| communicating to man His own solution to their | | | | Psalm 18:30. "The law of the LORD is perfect, |
| desperate condition. Ultimately that solution is | | | | reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are |
| found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. | | | | trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm |
| We mortals have been tempted, ever since | | | | 19:7). |
| Adam's Fall, to pursue salvation through our own | | | | Of course, man in his fallen condition, instinctively |
| efforts. Humanity is proud and defiant. As a | | | | hates God's Word and attacks it with unrelenting |
| part of our fallen nature, we compound our sin by | | | | vehemence, demanding that it be removed from |
| arrogantly seeking to cover it with fig | | | | our schools, courts and public displays. However, |
| leaves—the efforts of our own hands (like | | | | the Bible continues to stand as God's supreme |
| Adam and Eve) —instead of a covering of | | | | and perfect revelation of Himself to mankind. |
| skins made by the hand of God from a bloody | | | | Reformed theology is based solely on the |
| sacrifice. | | | | Scripture. Although Reformed theology values |
| People are incapable of intuitively knowing what | | | | history, tradition, creeds, and the councils of the |
| God requires for salvation, and what God Himself | | | | church, it nevertheless finds its doctrines |
| has done to meet that requirement. "Revelation" | | | | exclusively in the Bible. Man's actions, traditions, |
| – God disclosing Himself to human beings is | | | | statements, and pronouncements will fail, in fact |
| necessary to that end. | | | | often do so. Therefore, it is essential to believe |
| God insured that every word in the Bible would | | | | authoritatively in God's Word alone. Many |
| both express simultaneously the personality of its | | | | Christian denominations and cults have popes, |
| human writer and God's divine purpose. It is a | | | | prophets, founders and extra Biblical books that |
| book without error in the original manuscripts. | | | | add to the Bible. Reformed theology does not. |
| God has not only given a perfect revelation of | | | | For those of the Reformed faith the Bible alone |
| Himself in the Bible; he has preserved it so that it | | | | is sufficient for "life and godliness. |
| achieves its divine purpose for us today. The | | | | |