I have the
opportunity to preach this Sunday at a mission church with which our home
church has some connection, so our family made the 8-hour trip a few days early
to spend time together. While in this area, we checked off a destination that’s
been on our list for over ten years: the Great Sand Dunes National Park in
southern Colorado
While
waiting in the Visitor’s Center for a summer storm to pass, I saw this sign out
on the overlook and ran outside between lightning flashes to get a pic of it:
The sand
dunes exist and are remarkably stable through a confluence of geography and
weather...just incredible. But “coincidence”? With the addition of the
adjective “magnificent,” what we have here is a worship statement exulting in
chaos or chance. It is a sad theft. Unsurprising, but sad. Glory has been
stolen from the Son of God: “God...in these last days has spoken to us in His
Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the
world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of
His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power”
(Hebrews 1:1-3).
I say
“unsurprising” because, of course, this is exactly what the Scriptures say
humanity does: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them;
for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without
excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give
thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory
of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of
birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures” (Romans 1:18-23).
This sign at the overlook is a nice, clean, modest example of the willful
suppression of “the truth in unrighteousness,” a sign of the present and
abiding wrath of God against all who, in seeing an astounding display of “His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,” steal His glory
and give it away to randomness.
When
truth-suppressors give themselves to “all his thoughts are, ‘there is no God’”
(Psalm 10:4), they set themselves up as the highest intelligent, willful
organizing agents in the universe. There is no higher intelligence, so all
balancing acts in Creation (like the Great
Sand Dunes
National Park
This is why
we must preach the Gospel. General, or natural, revelation is powerful and
helpful, but it does not save the truth-suppressing human soul.
“The Holy
Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving
knowledge, faith, and obedience. Although the light of nature and the works of
creation and providence manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God so much
that man is left without any excuse, they are not sufficient to provide that
knowledge of God and His will which is necessary for salvation. Therefore it
pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal Himself, and
to declare His will to His church; and afterward, for the better preserving and
propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of
the church, protecting it against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of
Satan and the world, it pleased the Lord to commit His revealed Truth wholly to
writing. Therefore the Holy Scriptures are most necessary” (1689 Baptist
Confession, 1.1).
This is why
Paul, in his last will and testament to Timothy, as he passes the baton to the
next generation of the Church, adjures him: “You, however, continue in
the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have
learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which
are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is
in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of
God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you in
the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the
dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in
season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and
instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from
the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure
hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy
3:14-4:5).
We must
continue in the Word. We must teach, reprove, correct, train, and work out of
the Word. We must preach the Word.
And, when
standing before and exploring an unbelievably beautiful signpost to His
absolutely wonderful “invisible attributes...eternal power and divine
nature,” we must praise Him with great praise for His magnificent glory.
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our
God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and
because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Revelation 4:11).
