General revelation serves exactly the purpose God intended for it—it reveals his power and divine nature. But, its message, while important, is insufficient—insufficient by design. Though general revelation tells us about the existence of God, it does not tell us about how to be reconciled to God. As Sam Stephen says, “While general revelation is indeed important, it is not sufficient in itself. It is through scripture, not nature alone, that we come to know and articulate the particulars of the gospel message and are called to uniquely respond to it.”
To know the message of the gospel, the good news of salvation for sinners, we must have more. Thankfully, God has provided not only general revelation but also special and specific revelation in the Bible. It is in the Bible that we learn more about God and more about ourselves. It is in the Bible that we learn how God has intervened in this world to save us from our rebellion.
Ultimately, the Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Savior of humanity and the King of the world. Where nature is insufficient, the Bible is fully sufficient—it tells us everything we must know if we are to respond to God in repentance and faith.
