As we explore creation, evidence of God can be seen. From the cogs in the universe’s clockwork to physics laws that govern us all and our own bodies – it all points us in the direction of an amazing creator! According to Psalm 194 “the heavens declare his glory; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Yet many still refuse to believe. Why doesn’t God just appear directly and demonstrate himself?
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God is loving
God’s love can be one of the hardest aspects to comprehend, since He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and self-sufficient – yet He loves us unconditionally as shown through His sacrifice on our behalf as recorded in Scripture.
Many people struggle to comprehend why an all-loving God would allow suffering and evil in this world, and question why He doesn’t simply appear and show Himself directly. While that would help address some of their concerns and establish that He cares, it would not address all their questions regarding evil or suffering.
There are answers to our questions regarding God and faith. The Bible shows that He is just and His love can be seen through Jesus’ sacrifice for all humanity and also in Scripture which describes Him as powerful yet humble.
God does not show Himself because He wants faith, not proof. He wants people to read Scripture daily and live by faith rather than sight (Habakkuk 2:4). However, during biblical times God often appeared visibly, performed miracles, and spoke audibly – even Saul/Paul who violently opposed Christianity changed after encountering Christ and became one of its preachers!
One of the central characteristics of God’s character is His love. This quality defines all His other characteristics, and cannot come into conflict with his holiness, righteousness or justice. Scripture declares Him as love (1 John 4:8) – this perfect love manifested itself through compassion, humility and service to everyone – especially you personally – He desires eternal life with you!
God is powerful
In the Bible, God often appeared and performed miracles for people; He also spoke aloud with them directly. These acts showed His desire to reveal Himself and form relationships with people – yet today it appears as if He has lessened that presence among us. Why?
Perhaps people aren’t ready to believe Him, or He knows that even if He appeared physically to all, His appearance wouldn’t lead to the momentous epiphany many expected; or maybe He doesn’t wish to reveal Himself to people who will turn away or even challenge His claims by their unbelief.
Understanding why God doesn’t reveal himself like He used to is crucial. While He remains powerful, He also acts as a sovereign ruler who chooses what to reveal and when. Part of creating the world for maximum glory means He sometimes limits what people know of His presence.
The clockwork mechanism of the universe, physical laws and human anatomy all testify that there is an intelligent Designer behind creation. By studying creation closely one can discern God’s limitless divine power and wisdom – though those who deny its existence cannot claim an excuse (Romans 1:18-20).
An intricate universe requires an expert creator. This logic leads us to believe there must be God, as only He possesses the ability to shape and direct it. With His immense power He creates every star’s orbits, creates each of the 100 billion galaxies found across universes, heals sick people and raises dead ones and much more.
God is good
One common objection to God’s existence is His invisibility. After all, scripture indicates He appears before people and performs amazing miracles that defy comprehension – so why doesn’t He act similarly today?
Before anything else, it’s essential that we remember God is good. The Bible describes Him as merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). He created everything around us – He is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present – but above all He’s also loving Father who provides for his children’s needs; compassionate God who forgives those who repent of their sins; his goodness can be seen through salvation of those who believe in Christ alone!
God shows his goodness through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sent His only Son into this world to die for its sins, saving those who trust in him and thus eternal life after death.
Finally, God shows His goodness by providing us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to James 1:17 in The Bible, every good and perfect gift comes from our Father of Lights who remains unchanged (James 1:17). Through Him we can find consolation from sin through the power of conviction as well as guidance towards right living that leads us toward repentance and forgiveness of our sins – an amazing display of His generosity which forms part of the Gospel message.
God doesn’t physically reveal Himself to every single human on Earth because He wants us to trust in Him and His Word; not because He’s untrustworthy. If He came into our dimensional realm and revealed Himself directly, unbelievers would simply continue rejecting Him despite these powerful evidences of His existence; this is why He provides us with the Bible and Holy Spirit which serve as powerful proofs of His existence.
God is fair
No one needs to live long on this Earth before witnessing great injustice and oppression. Rich people cheat poor people, coaches abuse children and men traffick runaways – leading us to wonder why God does not intervene and put an end to such acts of terror.
As believers, we should understand that God is just. He detests the mistreatment of His creation: people and nature alike – He hates lying, cheating and selfishness as much as He detests them! Consequently, those who do wrong will be punished while those who do right will be rewarded; His justice serves as the standard by which all people will be judged.
Paul illustrates this fact perfectly when writing to the Corinthians: “Who are you to question what God has made evident?” (Colossians 1:18) This question reveals that some individuals still require further proof of God’s existence despite all He has shown us already, including Christ Himself! This speaks volumes of human hearts: they desire more proof than what has already been provided them by Him.
God does not need to appear immediately to everyone on Earth to prove His existence; He wants people to come freely to Him rather than being forced. Through creation itself, there is sufficient proof of God’s existence, so anyone who refuses to believe has no excuse (Romans 1:20). That does not mean He doesn’t exist – rather, this simply indicates He has chosen not to reveal Himself personally for the same reason He gave His Son as a sacrifice on our behalf.
God is patient
One of the greatest things we can learn about God is His incredible patience. This trait can be seen throughout Scripture and particularly with sinners whom He displays mercy towards. He showed mercy when Adam and Eve committed sins, yet still removed them from Eden to start over (Genesis 3:15). Additionally, He extended His grace upon each Patriarch before passing judgement; giving them time to repent of their misdeeds before offering another opportunity for repentance (Genesis 18:23-33) He waited patiently before sending the Great Flood, giving sinners plenty of time to repent before unleashing it (Genesis 6:9). Furthermore, He extended His patience toward Israel who were held in slavery in Egypt for four hundred years until their deliverance to their new homes (Exodus 12:48) as well as Paul who imprisoned and even murdered Christians (Acts 13:39-40).
God is known for His immense patience; this allows Him to extend grace into our lives and forgive our transgressions. However, it must be remembered that His wrath will come swiftly when judgment day rolls around. Opposing God’s sovereignty should never be taken lightly as doing so could have disastrous repercussions for ourselves and others. Make sure to remain close to Christ by admonishing those who stray from his path, encouraging those feeling discouraged, and helping the weak. Be patient with everyone, as God’s patience leads to our salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Dr William Lane Craig addressed the question ‘Why doesn’t God physically reveal himself more often?’ during the Q&A session of his debate with Alex Rosenberg at Purdue University on February 13, which attracted over 5,000 attendees and thousands more online viewers.
