God Known Only in the Gospel

We are so horribly corrupted by sin that, on our own, we are no longer aware of God. We have strayed from the righteousness of the law and have fallen into a pit of lies. We think we can reconcile ourselves to God through the works we invent. Using our human reason, we can recognize God in the laws of Moses, as Romans 1:19 teaches.

But the gospel message shows that we can’t truly know God through our human reason. The gospel is a new revelation that came from heaven. It not only teaches us about the Ten Commandments, but also tells us that all of us were conceived in sin and are hopelessly lost. No one fully obeys the laws of Moses. We will be saved only by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. This is the depth of his nature and the will of God.

Whether they’re tempted to cling to the laws of Moses or to their own righteousness, all people must acknowledge that no one can be saved or even know God apart from Christ. No one is justified unless that person is first covered by the grace and truth of the Son. This truth is hidden from our human reason; therefore, many people don’t know anything about it.

We must find protection in Christ by crawling to him in humility, attaining everything through his grace and truth. This is what God intends and wants. This is what it means to know God in the right way. So we can’t see God through the laws of Moses or through our human reason. No one can imagine what he is like. No one can climb to his heights. He is too exalted for us. Only those born of God will see God.

Source: Quoted in Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional, p. 130.  James C. Galvin. Zondervan (2009).