Is God Real? How God Has Answered This in the Thing’s He’s Made
How Does God Use the Things He’s Made to Reveal His Invisible Nature? – Part I
When we stand before God on Judgment Day, we will be without excuse. We will not be able to say, “I didn’t know there was a God” or “I was unaware of God’s nature.” God’s existence and character are proven through the very things He has created.
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”— Romans 1:20 (NIV)
One thing we can clearly see about God is that He wants everyone to know who He is. Why? Because He loves us and desires all of us to be saved. Therefore, He has placed clear, undeniable patterns within nature and human culture—things everyone is familiar with—to explain the gospel and reveal His character.
- God’s Attribute of Justice
God’s character is rooted in justice, a truth affirmed throughout Scripture. Psalms tells us that justice forms the very core of His throne:
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” — Psalms 89:14
We see mirrors of divine justice in human society across the globe. The core principle—that wrong actions warrant consequences—is a universal concept found in every culture. Human justice systems serve as a real-world picture of a standard that originates with God.
- In the United States, justice is administered through prison, probation, or capital punishment.
- Under Sharia law, physical penalties like amputation are enforced.
- In China, theft can carry public shaming alongside fines and imprisonment.
Despite varying laws, every culture echoes God’s foundational idea of justice. This leads directly to the core message of the gospel: sin must be atoned for. This is why Jesus came to make full atonement on behalf of all humanity.
- God’s Provision for Atonement: Jesus Christ
Even outside of biblical history, ancient cultures held a deep concept of atonement—a seed planted in the human heart by God.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites sacrificed lambs as atonement for sin under the Law given to Moses. This ritual was a prophetic picture forecasting the coming Messiah. When Jesus—the ultimate Sacrificial Lamb—died on the cross, He satisfied the ultimate demand for atonement. God embedded this truth into Jewish culture through the tradition of Passover long before Christ was revealed.
Humanity’s Universal Search for Atonement
Ecclesiastes tells us that God has set eternity in the human heart. There is an innate curiosity and awareness of the eternal God, even if we don’t understand everything at once. If we comprehended the full magnitude of God’s work all at once, we would be overwhelmed. Instead, God allows us to grow in knowledge gradually as we mature in Christ.
This deep-seated longing to resolve guilt and satisfy divine justice is evident throughout ancient history:
- Ancient Mesopotamia: Sin was viewed as an offense against the gods, prompting animal sacrifices and grain offerings.
- Ancient Egypt: Rites of purification, abstinence, and ritual sacrifices were performed to appease the gods.
- Ancient Greece & Pre-Christian Rome: Libations, prayers, ritual dances, and animal sacrifices were used to seek atonement after crimes were committed.
God placed this awareness of atonement within the human heart. To answer it, He established a distinct group of people—not merely as an isolated culture, but as a living sign pointing to His answer for sin. These are the Jewish people.
Today, Jewish communities exist across the globe—Spanish, Black, White, and beyond. This widespread reach highlights a central truth: salvation through Jesus Christ is meant for every nation, culture, and ethnicity.
- God’s Covenant Revealed Through Israel
God revealed His nature of commitment through His covenant with Israel, beginning with a promise to Abraham. Abraham was called to leave his homeland and its idol worship:
The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”— Genesis 12:1–3
God created this nation for a specific purpose: to reveal His character to them and, through them, spread His message to the entire world. Over time, Israel developed its own identity, culture, faith, and homeland.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see God remaining faithful to His covenant even when Israel failed.
God’s Commitment: Hosea & Gomer
Another metaphor pointing to the gospel is the story of Hosea and Gomer. God commanded Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman. Even when Gomer ran away to pursue other lovers, God told Hosea to forgive her, redeem her, and bring her back.
This narrative mirrors God’s persistent covenant with Israel despite their backsliding. The prophet Jeremiah echoes this image, comparing Israel and Judah’s idolatry to marital unfaithfulness.
This dynamic reveals humanity’s inclination to sin—and our deep need to be delivered through sanctification while walking with God. The Jewish people were not chosen because they were inherently superior or earned special favor; rather, God chose them to demonstrate His unwavering commitment to redeeming humanity.
“The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors…” — Deuteronomy 7:7–8
Grace over Lineage
As biblical history unfolds, we see people from all nations marrying into the lineage of Israel, and Jewish communities dispersing across the world. God commanded Israel to care for foreigners and guard against pride based on one’s ancestral lineage.
John the Baptist reinforced that natural lineage does not save anyone:
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.” — Matthew 3:8–9
Physical descent does not grant salvation; we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. While God revealed Himself to the Jewish people first as a sign of His covenant intentions, salvation requires faith for Jew and Gentile alike:
“What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea: ‘I will call them “my people” who are not my people; and I will call her “my loved one” who is not my loved one.’” — Romans 9:23–25
Preview for Part II & Part III
- Part II: Marriage as a Picture of Christ & the Church
How Adam & Eve, the piercing of Christ’s side, and the roles of husband and wife reflect the gospel relationship.
- Part III: Soil, Light, and Our Calling in the World
Understanding the soil of our hearts (Parable of the Sower), reflecting Christ like the moon reflects the sun, and preparing to stand before Him in judgment.
