The revelation of God to man is not only a wonder, but also a miracle. The fact that an infinite God wishes to reveal Himself and His ways to His finite creature man is a wonder, but that He is able to do so is a miracle. God has revealed Himself in sending His Son into this world as a man, but He has also given us His Word. In His Word we see an infinite God communicating truth concerning Himself — truth that must also be infinite. Yet this infinite truth is being given to finite creatures and in human language that they can understand! While the words are able to be understood, Scripture tells us that they are also “words ... which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13). Thus, while the words are understandable, yet the truth they convey is ultimately beyond man’s comprehension. When we read the Word of God, we marvel on the one hand at its simplicity, so that even a child can grasp the fundamental meaning. On the other hand, there are heights and depths of truth that go far beyond man’s ability to reason. As someone has remarked, “There is nothing in Scripture contrary to reason, but there are many things that are beyond reason.”
Parallel Truths
In presenting truth concerning Himself, God often gives us two parallel truths, both of which are clear and definite, and yet unable to be totally reconciled to one another in the human mind. The subject of this issue is one of those — God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. There are many others in the Word of God. We will mention two, just to show this. One that causes us to wonder and adore is the Person of Christ. He is “over all, God blessed forever,” yet He was “made in ... likeness of men.” Man cannot understand the perfect union of God and man in one person, yet we can accept it and worship. In a more practical sense, we have in Scripture the exhortation to respect and submit to the rule and authority of elders and guides in the local assembly. On the other hand, “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Again, it is difficult to reconcile these in the human mind.
The Mind of Man
Where does all this leave us? First of all, we need to recognize that there are revelations in God’s Word that the mind of man cannot understand completely. To attempt to do so will only lead us into error, and the more brilliant a man’s mind, the more likely He is to fall into error in the things of God, if he relies on his natural mind. Truly, His judgments are unsearchable, and His ways are past finding out (Rom. 11:33). We are safe insofar as we submit to the language and teaching of Scripture, but reasoning in such things will take us down a wrong road. Much of the error that has been introduced into the church has not been outright wrong doctrine, but rather distortions of truth and a lack of balance in handling them. In this respect, G. V. Wigram made these excellent remarks:
“Heresy is not departing from the figure of truth, but from the Spirit of truth, and it is the spirit of the heretic we are called upon to judge as a work of the flesh more than the fruit in the form of doctrine. ...
“If anyone, instead of looking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, dabbles with his own mind in Scripture, he will see either something in the book which is not there, or the contents of the book out of their proper order and relative importance, etc., and here heresy begins. ... He will not deal with the truth as a Spirit-led man would.
“As heresy begins with the natural mind playing with truth, so its mode and means of success are to get the saints upon hard points and questions, and to get them thinking instead of praying.”
The Truth Known in Communion
This brings us to the second point to be made, namely, that God has a purpose in presenting His truth to man in this way. It is not that God deliberately presents truth in such a way as to be hard to understand. Rather, it is God seeking to show man that it is not an intellectual grasp of truth that is to be desired, but rather “as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21). God wants our affections and our hearts, and His truth is communicated to us so that we may learn more of Himself and walk in fellowship with Him. It is true that there are heights and depths in the Word of God that we can never exhaust and upon which we may meditate all our lives. However, the object of all this ought to be a closer walk with the Lord and an increasing sense of who He is. When Scripture is read in the right way and with the reverence which is due to the Lord, we will recognize that only the Holy Spirit can interpret it to us. When it is properly read, Scripture always drives us back to its Author. When we find something that is beyond human understanding, we will seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and will bow in humble adoration and praise that such a God has chosen to reveal Himself to us.
Right from the beginning of man’s history in this world, God has wanted the company and fellowship of His creature. His Word reveals God so that our understanding of Him may be increased, while at the same time showing us infinite truth and infinite glories that are beyond man’s insight. However, in walking in communion with God, we can enjoy and appreciate those precious truths, even if we do not fully understand them. We can practically apply those truths in our lives, because we are walking with the One who gave them to us. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).
W. J. Prost