Before a single prophet spoke, God was already declaring His glory. He was not silent. He spoke through what He made and through what He inscribed on every human heart. This universal, ongoing testimony is what theologians call general revelation—God’s self-disclosure available to all people, in every place, at every time.
On one hand, there is general revelation through creation. Scripture tells us that every sunrise, thunderstorm, mountain peak, and crashing ocean wave preaches a silent but unmistakable sermon about the majesty, wisdom, and power of the Creator (Psalm 19:1). The vastness of galaxies, the precision of DNA strands, the beauty of blooming flowers—all are brushstrokes on God’s canvas. Creation is not an accident, despite what some believe today, but an intentional display of divine design. It reveals that there is a God who is eternal, powerful, and glorious. This revelation is universal and plain enough to hold all people accountable, leaving them “without excuse” before God (Rom. 1:20).
On the other hand, there is general revelation through conscience. God also speaks within us through our conscience. When Paul explained general revelation to the Roman church, he taught that God’s moral law is written on the human heart, so that all people, even those without knowledge of God’s written revelation, do what God’s law requires. He was referring to the conscience, which acts like an internal courtroom, accusing or excusing us (Rom. 2:14-15). Our conscience not only reveals a moral order but also convicts us when we violate it, signaling that we are accountable to someone greater than ourselves. It affirms good and convicts evil, revealing that we are moral beings made in the image of a moral God. Though often dulled or suppressed by sin, the conscience remains an undeniable witness that there is a Lawgiver behind the law written on our hearts (Rom. 1:18-23).
Taken together, creation and conscience form God’s general revelation. It tells us that God exists and that we are accountable to Him, but it cannot save us from our sins. Only through His special revelation in Scripture and Jesus Christ do we learn of His grace and the way of salvation. General revelation reveals that there is a God, but not how to be made right with Him.
General revelation is God’s universal self-disclosure through nature and human conscience, sufficient to reveal His existence and character, but insufficient to reveal the gospel of salvation.
Verses for Further Reflection
- Psalm 19:1-4
- Romans 1:18-20
- Romans 2:14-15
- Acts 14:16-17
- Acts 17:24-27