How All People Know The True God

God loves us and wants all people to know Him, believe Him, and share eternity with Him. Here’s how all people know there is a God, the true God.

Have you ever wondered why we believe in a God, or should I say “THE GOD”? And did you know that every culture, country, tribe, race, and people believe in a god? Why is that? How does God, THE GOD, manifest Himself to each individual and woo us to Him? These are all important questions to ask. Today we will just skim the surface of understanding how all people know the true God.

Our “Big Table” Bible Study group studied the book of Romans a while ago. It’s a magnificent book! A deep book!  A book that tackles topics like salvation, sin, election, justification, sanctification, redemption, righteousness, judgment, glorification and so much more. It is my very favorite book of the Bible (at least at this time). 

Romans was written by God through the apostle Paul, a brilliant Jew who the risen Jesus knocked off a horse to introduce Himself. Paul became a great disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and a missionary to the non-Jewish world.

What The Bible Says About Knowing God

Here is what Paul says about the gospel (the good news of knowing salvation in Jesus Christ)…

FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO (for) SALVATION TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES, TO THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.

FOR IN IT (the Gospel)  THE RIGHTEOUS (perfectly rightness) OF GOD IS REVEALED (made known, shown) FROM FAITH TO FAITH AS IT IS WRITTEN (in the old testament) “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH”. Romans 1:16-17

Let’s break this stunning verse in Romans down to try to understand what God is saying…

FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL …

Paul tells us that he is not ashamed of the good news that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ (Anointed One), God in the flesh, our Redeemer, and Savior.

FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO (for) SALVATION

It is the gospel that has the power to save. The good news of Jeus’ death, burial, and resurrection. All planned before the beginning of the world. To bring sinful man back into a right relationship with man.

TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES, TO THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.

To take every person in the world past, present, and future. God loves everyone so much He wants everyone to have a right relationship with Him. It is the gospel that takes us from the power of Satan and death into the state of purity and the family of God.

And this gospel that saves us is offered to everyone. Every single person.

These verses tell us that Jesus Himself was born into the Jewish nation and preached salvation to them by His life and death and resurrection. But salvation was not just for the Jew alone. It was also offered to all men. Salvation is offered as a gift to the whole world.

Jesus was a Jew and was born to a Jewish mother. And lived in Israel. He came to the Jews first. But His love and plan of salvation were not for the Jews only. It was for the entire world, known as Greeks.

FOR IN IT (the Gospel)  THE RIGHTEOUS (perfectly rightness) OF GOD IS REVEALED (made known, shown)

In the gospel, the written and oral news about Jesus, God’s righteousness is shown. His perfect and total truth and being right are spelled out in the Bible.

FROM FAITH TO FAITH AS IT IS WRITTEN

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ for our eternal destiny (read What Is Saving Faith) the Holy Spirit grows us if we abide (have a relationship with Jesus) and obey His word. And will grow our faith for the rest of our lives, building us up in spiritual maturity (to look more and more like Jesus).

This verse says the gospel continues to show us God’s righteousness as we continue in our faith.  

“THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH”.

From old, God has told us that the righteous (in right standing with God, not self-righteous) man lives by faith (believing in Jesus and bowing to His authority in our lives).

This last part of Romans: 1-17 is quoted several times in the New Testament.

WOW! No wonder I love the Book of Romans. Just in two verses, God reveals so much about Himself!

How We Can Know There Is A God

In the same chapter, God also tells us why we all believe in Him. Even people who deny God still believe. They make themselves to be a god. The ultimate ruler of their lives.

But since ages old God tells us…

BECAUSE THAT WHICH IS KNOWN ABOUT GOD IS EVIDENT WITHIN THEM: FOR GOD MADE IT EVIDENT TO THEM. Romans 1:18b

Right there in Romans chapter one we see that God Himself, when he created us, put the knowledge of Himself in us. We were made to seek God. There is something hot-wired in our conscience that makes God known. 

God loves us so much that He puts the desire to have a relationship with Him inside us.

God is all about a relationship.

When we accept God’s free gift of salvation He actually comes and resides inside us to help us. Amazing!

God also says…

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 WE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE. Romans 1:19 

Since God created the world He has shown us who He is.  EVERYONE can clearly see the spiritual reality of who God is and His amazing power, His creative power, by all the things He has made.

That includes EVERYTHING in and of ourselves, living and non-living things, homes, communities, towns, counties, countries, continents, the world, air, water, trees, animals, the universe, and beyond. He created everything to show us who He is and His magnificent power!

Why All People Don’t Believe In The True God

You might ask me, “Then why don’t all people believe in the God of the Bible”?

A great and very deep question. God answers this question perfectly as only God can. He says…

FOR EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW GOD THEY DID NOT HONOR HIM AS GOD OR GIVE THANKS: BUT THEY BECAME FUTILE IN THEIR OWN SPECULATIONS, AND THEIR FOOLISH HEARTS WERE DARKENED. Romans 1:20

Ah, how well God knows us!

God clearly tells us that everyone knows there is a God and who God is because He put that knowledge inside us and all around us. The problem is pride. Our pride.

Our own broken nature wants to have its own way and does not want or acknowledge or submit to God. So we don’t honor God for who He is or give Him thanks for all He has done.

The Statistics Of Creation “Just Happening”

Did you know that a fully functioning 747 jet has a better chance of being produced by a tornado going through a town than creation happening by accident?

The chance of a  ribozyme, a catalyst, and carrier of genetic information in cells, being assembled by chance is so huge that in the 13 billion years science estimates the age of the earth it is a total impossibility. 

There are thousands and thousands of facts that point to God as Creator! But, man in his foolishness prefers his own speculation!

Our Problem

So, our pride does not want to submit to God, we think up our own reasons for creation and our own ideas about who and what God is.

And because of this, we don’t move closer and closer to the real God, but farther and farther away. We move away from the truth and light of God. And when we move further away from God we move more and more into the darkness of speculation and sin.

Need More Proof?

The rest of Romans 1 tells us what happens when people and society move away from believing in the true God.  It is a downward spiral. Read it! Read Romans 1: 1:21-32. It is amazingly true! You can read this for yourself HERE.

It is clear from Romans 1 that we already know there is a God and that our great God boldly shows us who He is. What an amazing God we serve! God’s creation, including you, is like a big love poem to us to let us know who He is. 

He’s calling you, do you hear Him?

What To Learn This Week

This is a beautiful scripture verse to tuck into your heart this week… 

FOR GOD IS NOT A GOD OF CONFUSION BUT OF PEACE.  1 Corinthians 14:33