Stephen Charnock: “2. We are often in the Scripture sent to take a prospect of the creatures for a discovery of God. The apostles drew arguments from the topics of nature when they discoursed with those that owned the Scripture…
Romans 1:19
because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
…as well as when they treated with those that were ignorant of it, as…
Acts 14:16-17
who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
…And among the philosophers of Athens…
Acts 17:27, 29
so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us… Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.
…such arguments the Holy Ghost in the apostles thought sufficient to convince men of the existence, unity, spirituality, and patience of God. Such arguments had not been used by them and the prophets from the visible things in the world to silence the Gentiles with whom they dealt, had not this truth, and much more about God, been demonstrable by natural reason: they knew well enough that probable arguments would not satisfy piercing and inquisitive minds.”
Clay Miller: It is good to point out God’s creation as evidence of God. He leaves clues about Himself all over our lives so that we are without excuse right now. His nearness is evident. Not only did He create this massive universe, but He acts in it. Our existence is evidence of Him. And it is clear that He is not like idols made by human hands…He is real, and mighty, and infinite, and a God to whom we must give account. We all know this. It is just a hated fact that men will fight with all their might to conceal from their own hearts.
The sad thing is, the fighting is in vain, and there is an alternative that would save the fighter…As they say, when you cannot beat them, join them. The evidence is there, and now God bids you through written communication to come to Him, through His Son, and know Him, be reconciled to Him; be saved from your guilt. God sent Jesus Christ to die for those who would believe on Him for eternal life. Jesus was without sin. Yet on the cross, He willingly submitted to the Father’s wrath on behalf of all those who would ever believe. On the cross, God the Father’s wrath literally exploded on His Son, as He treated Jesus as if He had committed every sin of every person who would ever believe. Jesus did not sin, nor did He become a sinner on the cross…The Father judicially treated Him “as if” He were the guilty one.
The other side of the transaction is just as amazing…God the Father treats the believer “as if” he or she had lived the perfect life of Christ. Christ’s life, His righteousness, is credited to the believer’s account. This is what it means to be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. We are not righteous in and of ourselves but God treats us as if we are…just like He treated Jesus as if He were us, though He was no sinner in and of Himself. It is amazing what the God of this amazing creation has done for sinners. I hope this helped some people see that.
