Limitations of Nature to Lead Man to Ultimate Truth

I. Preliminary thoughts. A. The created order is a data set that can be analyzed. The “stuff” of creation does not lie but conclusions about it and drawn from it are subject to limited power of investigation, faulty premises and biases, assumptions, inadequate sampling, etc. B. The data of the creation is the same for both the unbeliever and the believer. The difference is in how the data is interpreted and processed. C. If the created order is an equal witness to Scripture in finding ultimate truth (God...

H. Nature can not teach heaven nor heaven’s spiritual truth. 2CO 4:18; 5:7; HEB 11:1. 1. Observational reasoning obviously has limitations: it can only deal with phenomenon (a thing that appears or is perceived by any of the senses, or by the mind). 2. The things that are not seen (2CO 4:18) can only be known by special revelation from God Who is superior to the creation and has infinite knowledge not limited to the revealed order of things. 1CO 2:9-11. 3. The unobservable things of God revealed by the S...

J. The wisdom of God in the crucifixion death of His only begotten Son exceeds all the wisdom of the wisest creatures. 1CO 1:23-25. 1. The greatest philosopher would never have concluded that the Creator God would humble Himself to become a man that would suffer death unjustly, for such would imply that God is dead. 2. The Jews were perplexed at the notion that the Immanuel (God with us, ISA 7:14) Messiah of promise should be humiliated and die. JOH 12:34. 3. The princes of this world saw only the elimin...