{"id":95171,"date":"2026-04-19T21:38:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T02:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=95171"},"modified":"2026-04-19T21:38:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T02:38:07","slug":"how-has-god-revealed-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-has-god-revealed-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"How Has God Revealed Himself?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<p>by Terry Wane Benton<\/p>\n<p>Skeptics argue that God should reveal Himself more personally than He did in Jesus, claiming that the claim of incarnation is not sufficient to their way of thinking. They demand a personal encounter to force away their doubts. Yet, God has revealed Himself in prophets, in words, in miracles, in creation, in image-bearers (mankind), and in the incarnation demonstrated in Jesus, and in Testimony (Psalms 19). The wisdom of God is demonstrated in the nature of Biblical testimony (II Peter 1:16ff). Prophecy and typology embed the image, shape, or form of the coming Messiah in such a way as to show foreknowledge and wisdom beyond the ability of humans to invent with human wisdom alone (Isaiah 40-42). Jesus was revealed in amazing prophecies ahead of coming in the flesh in remarkable ways throughout the Tanakh.<\/p>\n<p>The mind of God (I Corinthians 2) has been revealed in Biblical testimony in superior ways to the claims of the Quran or other so-called revelations. There is demonstration of divine knowledge in foretelling things like the fall of specific nations (Egypt, Babylon, Nineveh, etc.), specific cities like Jerusalem in a specific time-frame, and the coming of a sacrifice from God in that same city (Genesis 22), the Servant that would suffer for our sins and after death have His days extended or raised from the dead (Isaiah 53). These are the kind of things that the Quran doesn&#8217;t do, nor does any other book with the same level of demonstration tied to prediction and real fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>When I ask myself if God has sufficiently demonstrated Himself through these things to me, the answer is &#8220;<strong>Absolutely<\/strong>,&#8221; and if it is so powerful (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:16)and convincing to me through all these things, I have to believe that it is sufficient for any honest seeker of truth. At the same time, I recognize that not all seek to know God, and therefore, they are not yet in a position to know God. Until they do, they will never see what I see, and they will never be satisfied with what satisfies my soul and mind immensely.<\/p>\n<p>I look at the creation and &#8220;<em>clearly see<\/em>&#8221; (Romans 1:20) the power and wisdom of God, while another thinks the universe and life could have created itself. The same creation is adequate for some to see sufficient proof of God, yet insufficient for others. Who is being gullible and who is being unreasonable? Each side thinks it is the other side. God clearly wanted people to be able to self-justify their belief or their unbelief. The God of the Bible knows the thoughts of man and his abilities and motives, good and bad, and tells us that the available evidence leaves us &#8220;<em>without excuse.<\/em>&#8221; God recognizes that &#8220;<em>the fool has said in his heart, &#8216;there is no God&#8217;<\/em>&#8221; (Psalms 14:1), and that they will try to &#8220;<em>overthrow the faith of some<\/em>&#8221; (II Timothy 2:18).<\/p>\n<p>If faith in truth cannot be manipulated, how would love be tested? This brings us to the question of whether love should be tested. Is there value in a tested love for God versus an untested love? A theologically rich way to say it is this: God desires a tested love because only tested love can become covenant\u2011strong, God\u2011reflecting, and eternally meaningful. Untested love is fragile, theoretical, and unproven; tested love becomes weighty, durable, and real.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the deepest reasons Scripture gives.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tested love becomes genuine love<\/strong> (I Peter 1:6-7). God is not interested in sentimental affection or shallow enthusiasm. Peter says trials reveal the genuineness of faith, the way fire reveals the purity of gold. A love that has never been tested is merely potential; a love that endures testing becomes authentic and precious. Programmed robots can say they love us, but is that real and genuine? There needs to be a risk involved to allow free will, not to love at all, or not to love genuinely, if love is to be genuine in some. Genuine love is worth the risk of no love.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested love reflects God&#8217;s own steadfast love.<\/strong> God&#8217;s love is covenantal-faithful, enduring, unbreakable. He loves through rebellion, suffering, and centuries of human unfaithfulness. When our love is tested, we learn to love in a way that mirrors His character rather than our moods. Untested love cannot resemble the God who loves at infinite cost.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested love produces spiritual maturity<\/strong> (James 1:2-4). James teaches that trials produce steadfastness, and steadfastness produces a complete believer. Love that has never been stretched cannot grow. God desires sons and daughters whose love is strong enough to endure, not fragile enough to collapse.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested love reveals what we truly treasure<\/strong> (Deuteronomy 13:3). Moses says God allows tests &#8220;<em>to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart<\/em>.&#8221; Testing exposes whether God is our supreme treasure or merely one of many interests. It reveals whether our love is rooted in convenience or in conviction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested love separates true disciples from temporary followers<\/strong> (John 6:66-69). When Jesus&#8217; teaching became difficult, many walked away. Testing revealed who loved Him for His gifts and who loved Him for Himself. God desires a love that clings to Him even when the path is costly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested love displays God&#8217;s worth to the world<\/strong> (Job 1-2). Satan&#8217;s accusation against Job was essentially: &#8220;<em>Job only loves You because You bless him.<\/em>&#8221; God allowed Job&#8217;s love to be tested to show that God Himself is worth loving, even when blessings are stripped away. A tested love becomes a public testimony to God&#8217;s supreme value, but also whether we love Him only because He made it too easy. Job showed genuine love and trust that makes the relationship all the more valuable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested love prepares us for eternal joy<\/strong> (Romans 5:3-5). Paul says suffering produces endurance, character, and hope-qualities that fit us for glory. A tested love deepens our capacity to enjoy God forever. Untested love remains shallow; tested love becomes eternally rich.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Has God revealed the kind of love He has a right to expect back from His creatures? The evidence of Jesus dying for us at our worst shows us the committed, genuine love that He has a right to expect. He demonstrated genuine love while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-8).<\/p>\n<p>God wants a tested love because:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It becomes genuine and beautiful.<\/li>\n<li>It reflects His own steadfast love that patterned the tested love of perfection.<\/li>\n<li>It matures us into the quality desired.<\/li>\n<li>It reveals our true treasure.<\/li>\n<li>It distinguishes true disciples from fake or phony ones.<\/li>\n<li>It displays His worth to us and in us. It prepares us for eternal joy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That is worth the risks that many will prefer selfish desires over an eternal relationship. God has revealed Himself more than sufficiently and poured out His love in such a way that can draw out the very best in us without undue force. That is the nature of the evidence before us, and God is hoping each of us will choose wisely.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Terry Wane Benton Skeptics argue that God should reveal Himself more personally than He did in Jesus, claiming that the claim of incarnation is not sufficient to their way of thinking. They demand a personal encounter to force away their doubts. Yet, God has revealed Himself in prophets, in words, in miracles, in creation,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[709,90],"class_list":["post-95171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-evidence","tag-god"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":31874,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-support-conscientious-objection\/","url_meta":{"origin":95171,"position":0},"title":"Do you support conscientious objection?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 19, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you or your church support selective conscientious objection and conscientious objection? Answer: Registering for the draft is a government law that does not violate any teaching of God. \"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1296,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-are-boy-girl-relationships-not-advisable-at-a-young-age\/","url_meta":{"origin":95171,"position":1},"title":"Why are boy-girl relationships not advisable at a young age?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 3, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why are boy-girl relationships not advisable at a young age Answer: Youth is a time of impatient desires. They want the things available to adults, but adulthood seems so far away. The typical teenage boy enters puberty around the age of 11. The typical teenage girl enters puberty around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37138,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-lost-the-surprise-somewhere\/","url_meta":{"origin":95171,"position":2},"title":"We Lost the Surprise Somewhere","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I remember watching Mayberry RFD and related shows most of my childhood. Poor ignorant Gomer Pyle who worked as an auto mechanic was a notable character. But I can still recall my shock when I found out that Jim Nabors, who played Gomer, could sing --\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Article&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Gomer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":32196,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-to-take-out-insurance\/","url_meta":{"origin":95171,"position":3},"title":"Is it a sin to take out insurance?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it a sin to take out medical insurance or legal insurance? Are we rather expected to put our faith in the Lord to take care of those things? Answer: We were taught to pray, \"Give us this day our daily bread\" (Matthew 6:11), but God still commands us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61889,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-book-of-my-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":95171,"position":4},"title":"The Book of My Life","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 19:23-27 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Each week the paper publishes its list of top selling books \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the books are biographies, fictional stories, or fiction placed in historical settings. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They hope that others will also purchase the books, if for no other reason than curiosity. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many author\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Audio&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6988,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-there-passages-that-refer-to-the-lords-supper\/","url_meta":{"origin":95171,"position":5},"title":"Are there passages that refer to THE Lord&#8217;s Supper?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 2, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We have been studying the Lord's supper issues and one of our main concerns is about a second offering in which only a few partake, for the reasons you listed in your article (not doing it together). We have been questioning the idea of everyone taking it a second\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95171"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95174,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95171\/revisions\/95174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}