²⁰ 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 they are without excuse. ²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

So what can be known about God that is evident to all humans? God, the absolute Creator of everything, including our eyes and minds, our ability to observe and reason and draw conclusions—He asserts through Paul’s inspired pen that all of creation (“what has been made”) is fashioned in such a way that three things irrefutably tell us about God. Now he doesn’t say creation proves the existence of God—in fact, God’s existence is assumed, a given. Belief in God is not an evidentiary proposition. But what He is like is. And that is what our passage addresses.

A few observations are in order. What can be known about God is “clearly seen,” not just a matter of logical deductions accessible only to the minds of philosophers and apologists. The evidence is continual for all time. The evidence is inherent to the natural order of things; it permeates everything. And it is clear to everyone, their protestations notwithstanding. God knows and they know, regardless of what they may say in human debating. Finally, the evidence is not sufficient for salvation, since it does not include what we call “special revelation,” the specific knowledge of God’s love and grace, and His provision of a substitute sacrifice for our sins. But the natural evidence in the world about God is a sufficient context for humans to demonstrate their prideful rebellion against the Creator.

While our translation (NASB) seems to indicate “invisible attributes” as the first of three things revealed about God, most other translations reflect the underlying Greek better: “His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature” (NIV). Nature tells us this about God: He is powerful, more so than anything else ever. And nature teaches us that God is divine, He is other-worldly, beyond the natural world, and not part of it. God is not pantheistic, in that He is not co-extensive with creation. He’s separate from what He has made.

Humans have rejected the clear evidence and rebelled against God. It all began (and continues) with dishonoring Him as God. The ways we do this are countless, but the downward spiral starts there and continues with ingratitude toward God, followed by ridiculous thinking about God through speculative religions and philosophies, and concludes with hearts being “darkened.”

Lord, by Your grace I recognize You through nature around me and honor You.