R.C. Sproul on Natural / general revelation
Objectively clear and sufficient to leave everyone without excuse; the failure is moral suppression, not insufficient evidence — though it cannot itself save
"...those who have the law perish with the law, and those who do not have the law perish without the law... we know that it is evil to cheat, to lie, to slander, and to covet, because God has given us a conscience."
THE POSITION
Everyone possesses innate, universal knowledge of God via creation (the sensus divinitatis) — not dim or partial, but 'clearly perceived' per Romans 1:20. Explicitly rejects the idea that sin obscures this revelation from getting through; revelation gets through perfectly and people suppress it — the problem is moral rebellion, not an epistemic deficit. Ties this directly to apologetics: unbelievers can't claim honest ignorance. On Romans 2, both Jew and Gentile are judged by the light they actually have — conscience is universal, innate moral knowledge, so 'we know that it is evil to cheat, to lie, to slander, and to covet, because God has given us a conscience.'
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
8 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Founder of Ligonier Ministries and teaching elder in the PCA. Chaired the drafting committee for the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy; best known for The Holiness of God and for popularizing Reformed theology — the five solas and TULIP — for a lay audience.
Cite this page
"R.C. Sproul on Natural / general revelation", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/sproul/natural-revelation (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/sproul/natural-revelation).