What does it mean to "seek God's face" and how can I know if I've found it?

Gregory Thompson · Dec 13, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
Interesting. This begs the question though: what does it mean to "be aware of God's presence"?

Btw, what is the name of the application you are using?

I can't explain further, either you're aware or you are not aware.

I recall downloading it for free from Online Bible - Home

Daniel9v9 · Dec 13, 2020

Jesus is the face of God; He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God, and we find Him in His Word. So when you hear God's Word spoken to you or read the Bible, there you receive the Son, there you find God's face. Whoever receives the one who preaches the Word receives Christ, and so receives the Father. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

What it doesn't mean is that we must conjure up some mystical experience or seek His face in places where He has not promised to be. We simply abide in His Word.

com7fy8 · Dec 13, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
In other words, is there a distinctive experience by virtue of which a Christian can be 100% sure that they are "spending time with God", as opposed to a pagan praying to a false deity?

I would say that when God has you with Him, He has you know this. So, I simply trust Him to do what He wants with me.

TruthSeek3r said:
He testifies about a powerful encounter after months of seeking in a prayer closet night after night. I've heard of similar experiences from other testimonies. Do you believe those experiences are possible for every person, or just for a few select ones?

Yes, there can be special experiences. And God is very creative. And I would say we have ongoing experience, while we submit to how God rules us in His peace >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

I have offered about thirteen minutes about living with God in His peace; you can search YouTube to find it, using the words "obey God in His peace". It should be clear, how we do this as God's family . . . not each of us all by ourselves, but helping one another

TruthSeek3r said:
By this point I have almost no words to say. My prayers usually go like: " ... God ... where are you? ...", then a long silence where I don't know what else to say, and then " ... what's going on ... what's the matter ... ", then another long silence, and then " ... so many astonishing testimonies, so many people reporting first-hand experience with the supernatural realm ... ", then more silence, and so on and so forth. It's kind of depressing at times.

God is not silent. God is quiet. And we can share with Him in quietness >

"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)

HappyHope · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?

When you know, you know. God moves. He is not silent. The Holy Spirit kind of grips you. You get new convictions. You become sensitive to biblical rights and wrongs. Life gets exciting in new ways/dimensions. And when you try to explain away the supernatural in your life, you have to give up because He is just too real.

Charles Spurgeon's teachings on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) is phenomenal for spiritual formation if you can handle the language and fervor--or even if you can't, lol. You can find his book audio recorded on Youtube. Something like Spurgeon and Blessed are the Poor in Spirit (as part 1)...etc.

In sum, Spurgeon makes a strong case that each Beatitude (Blessed are the ____) builds on the next. First, you have to recognize you are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) (know you lack mightily before God and always will). Then you will surely mourn and be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Only then are you meek in a biblical sense before your Creator (Matthew 5:5) and it keeps going through the list.

This is only one way to know when you are seeking God's face--Bible reading with a willingness/faith to understand is often what super activates the Holy Spirit for most people.

But humility in line with Spurgen's interpretation of The Beatitudes is and way to seek God's face too. When you can get joy/peace/hope out of knowing your lowliness before your amazing God, you are surely on the right track! Saying a prayer for you.

Personally, I got Holy Spirit vibes as a kid and then a younger teen until I finally read the New Testament for myself. Find a version you can take in very easily at first. The NCV was what worked for me initially. It spoke to my spirit/soul strongly and I knew it was all true. Never looked back after that.

TruthSeek3r · Dec 14, 2020

Daniel9v9 said:
Jesus is the face of God; He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God, and we find Him in His Word. So when you hear God's Word spoken to you or read the Bible, there you receive the Son, there you find God's face. Whoever receives the one who preaches the Word receives Christ, and so receives the Father. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

What it doesn't mean is that we must conjure up some mystical experience or seek His face in places where He has not promised to be. We simply abide in His Word.

So are you saying that anyone who reads the Bible immediately finds God's face? Then how come people such as Matt Dillahunty are atheist (you can watch his deconversion testimony here:

)?
He read the Bible thoroughly, yet he never found God's face. How come he didn't find God's face if he read the Bible?

fhansen · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?

It means to know God. So:

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you,the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.“ John 14:9

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25-26

But:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.“ 1 Cor 1:12

Our knowledge of God begins in this life, and, while we must seek that knowledge, it comes totally as grace; we cannot perceive God unless He enables us to. Historically it’s been understood that our faith, itself, as a gift, is a dim foretaste of the full on “vision” of God that we’ll receive in the next life. He can also give ineffably profound “glimpses” of that vision in the here and now, for His purposes and at His discretion. But in any case the more earnestly we seek Him with a simple, humble, childlike faith, and are open to do His will, the more He reveals Himself. Look to and contemplate on and pray to His Son most of all.

In any case, ultimately, meeting and knowing God immediately is a direct experience for humans, just as we experience any other beings. Why would it be otherwise? Except that, in His case, the experience is the ultimate experience.

TruthSeek3r · Dec 14, 2020

fhansen said:
Look to and contemplate on and pray to His Son most of all.

Just a tangential question: shouldn't we pray primarily to the Father? What do you think about this video:

?

fhansen · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
Just a tangential question: shouldn't we pray primarily to the Father? What do you think about this video:

?

That’s not a bad question because the entire purpose of the Son is to reveal and reconcile man with God, from Whom humankind is separated as a result of the Fall. But the Son is God, and we know and relate to the Father through the Son. So I feel that any member of the Trinity is the Lord, whom I can pray to. But I’ll check out the video in the morning.

Daniel9v9 · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
So are you saying that anyone who reads the Bible immediately finds God's face? Then how come people such as Matt Dillahunty are atheist (you can watch his deconversion testimony here:

)?
He read the Bible thoroughly, yet he never found God's face. How come he didn't find God's face if he read the Bible?

Very simply, because he has no faith.

If a person reads the Bible, which convicts us of our sins, and if he didn't repent and receive the free forgiveness of sins through Christ, God's Word is of no use to him. It's only to his condemnation. To put it in even stronger terms: He read the very words of God, but rejected them. He saw Christ in the Word, and rejected Him. He rejected God's face. But to all who read and trust in God's Word, life in Christ is freely given.

Hazelelponi · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
Most of my time goes into investigating the spirit realm though

Stop doing that then... just read and study the Bible. Most of what you'll run into in the "spirit realm" the demonic. Just read the scriptures.

TruthSeek3r said:
What do you mean by "formal prayer"?

The Lord's prayer and other such prayers are "formal" in that they address God in a deeply respectful manner as well as being able to be memorized.

Look at how the disciples prayed:

Upon hearing Peter and John’s report, the people raised their voice to God with one accord. They prayed, 'O Master, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. By the mouth of your servant David you said, Why do the nations rage and the people imagine vain things? Acts of the Apostles 4:23-24

Read Scripture on how God is addressed by His people and mimic that in a way thats still heartfelt and natural to you.

In other words, learn to pray, but don't go about praying in a robotic fashion.

aiki · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?

"Seeking God's face" isn't, of course, a literal looking upon God's face, since the apostle John pointed out the "no man has seen God at any time." (1 John 4:12) Inasmuch as God is a Spirit (John 4:24), incorporeal, immaterial, without physical substance (except in the Person of the Incarnation), He has no face to see. The phrase "seek God's face" then is a figurative one, meaning to orient one's heart and mind upon God fully in undistracted, persistent attention and consideration. (See: Hebrews 12:2-3; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 4:8)

In the case in 2 Chronicles, seeking God's face required humility, prayer, and genuine repentance from wicked living. Too often, Christians are "seeking God's face" with a view to experiencing some supernatural physical manifestation of Him, something that will appeal to their physical senses and emotions and "rev" them up a bit. Few - if any - believers realize that to draw near to God, to seek His face, ALWAYS begins with confession and repentance from sin. Nothing bars the way to fellowship with God, to intimate communion with Him, more than sin.

Isaiah 59:2
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Habakkuk 1:13
13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor...

And so, the apostle James writes,

James 4:8-10
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

For nearly seventy years, my grandfather served the Lord, first as a pastor, and then as an itinerant evangelist/revival speaker, traveling the world preaching both salvation to the lost and repentance and the crucified life to the saved. Many times, he witnessed the Spirit of God descend upon the Church, bringing revival to God's people. Every single time, however, these moments of revival began with confession and repentance from sin, much weeping, and reconciliation between believers. Never was there speaking in tongues, or ecstatic prostration, or prophetic words, only God's people returning to a place of purity and holiness before Him. Sometimes, too, the devil was exposed and those under his power were freed.

I write about my grandfather because, in his experience, when God's children sought God's face, a return to holiness was always the first step in doing so. This comports with what is stated in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and in other places where people and nations sought God's face, hoping to restore a right relationship with Him. God is first and foremost a holy God, thrice-holy as the cherubims around His heavenly throne eternally proclaim, and there is no seeking His face, no knowing Him, no communion with Him, apart from a holy life.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18
17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.

Hebrews 12:14
14 Pursue peace with all men, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Romans 6:22
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

2 Corinthians 7:1
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

ViaCrucis · Dec 14, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?

This is figurative, "seek My face" here is about Israel's pursuit of God. It's about the pursuit of God and God's ways. If Israel would abandon its waywardness, return to God and follow His Torah, then He will bring healing to the nation.

Now in Christianity there is something more worth saying, and that is concerning the Incarnation. Under the Law it is impossible to behold God's face, indeed we see that Moses could only catch the barest glimpse of the Hidden and Naked God, seeing God's "hind parts" as the text says; which alone causes Moses' face to shine so bright that he had to wear a veil to hide it from the people for a time. So it is impossible to see God in His hidden nakedness, hidden as He is behind the veil of the Law, naked in His Divine Glory. But God makes Himself known, God reveals Himself and comes to us clothed in Jesus Christ, in the humility and humanity of Christ. God the Son and Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

And so Christ can say, "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father", for as the Son and Word made flesh, He uniquely can show us the Father, because the Father is present in and through His Son, who has become man. To behold the face of the Incarnate Jesus is to behold the very face of God.

This isn't what the text in 2 Chronicles refers to, but that's fine as the Incarnation is more relevant to us as Christians. This passage in 2 Chronicles is about the national repentance of ancient Israel. For us, however, it is not about us seeking the face of God, for God has faced us in Christ. We don't go up to God, God comes down to us.

God meets us face-to-face in Jesus Christ. And therefore wherever Christ is present, there is God's face. So God meets us face-to-face in the Gospel, He meets us face-to-face in the Sacraments. Whenever we hear the word of God preached, there is Christ Himself; wherever the Eucharist is celebrated, there is Christ Himself, His own very and true body and blood broken and shed for us.

And this is a far greater and more important thing. God has come down, God meets us sinners in Jesus, who lived and died and rose again, who ascended and is seated at the right hand of the Father, who is present with us by His word and Sacraments, through the fellowship of the Faithful by the unity of the Holy Spirit in His Church.

We can behold and cling to Jesus Christ, in whom we have our salvation, our hope, and our confidence that God is gracious, that He has mercy, is merciful, that our sins are forgiven, and we belong to Him.

-CryptoLutheran

Bruce Leiter · Dec 15, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?

If you believe in Jesus Christ, he is the Pathway to God the Father by the Holy Spirit's power. He means that we are to pray to the Father through Jesus and in his name. If you sincerely want to follow Jesus to the Father, he will show you the way. You can find all three Persons of the one God in the Bible. Read it every day and you'll find him, then, through prayer.

Blade · Dec 15, 2020

Just keep pressing in. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

How will you know? Like knowing His voice one because its written we know it. You just know that you know that you know. Don't let doubt get in. You seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.. you keep pressing in.. you don't stop. Don't go by feelings. KNOW what you read in His word..WILL HAPPEN! He can not lie. This is FAITH!

HAHA.. look it like this.. are you having doubts? Well WHERE did those thoughts come from? Yeah.. not God and the enemy can not tell the truth. So FLIP that lie! Keep pressing in..

Matthew Parsons · Dec 15, 2020

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?[/QUOTE/]

Sunshinee777 · Jan 8, 2021

TruthSeek3r said:
I don't know. I really don't understand what you are talking about. How do you measure "closeness to God"? I always struggle when people use language loosely and they assume the other person understands what they mean. That's why I usually ask for illustrative examples, to ground the concepts on concrete experiences.

You just know when you are close to God. Everything changes. Mostly you feel warm and happy and extremely loved. Feeling you can't feel by any other way.

SANTOSO · Jan 13, 2021

TruthSeek3r said:
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What is the meaning of the expression "seek my face"? How can I know if I have finally "found God's face" or if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?

Dear brother,
Have you considered what you ask similarly to what Philip ask our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:8-11 ? When Philip ask the Lord to show the Father ; is it not similar that you are asking the Lord to show His Father’s face ?

This is what we have heard:
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? -John 14:9

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. -John 14:11

So brother, have you been with Jesus so long and you still don’t know Jesus ?

If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father.

You may say you have not seen Jesus, so how could you see the Father.

Have you heard this:
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. -2 Corinthians 4:6

Where is this light that shine out of ? Isn’t it darkness ? What apostle Paul has said this light shine in ? Isn’t it in our hearts? If this light shine in the darkness of our hearts? How did some people not know ?

This is what we have heard:
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, -Proverbs 6:23

Has not God commanded when He said:
“Let light shine out of darkness,” ? Isn’t this commandment a lamp ?

Isn’t the teaching of Christ a light?
This is what we have heard our Lord have said :
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness. -John 12:46

Likewise, we also have heard:
The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. -Psalms 119:130

So how we may not remain darkness ? Isn’t it by believing the unfolding of the words of Christ gives us light ? Therefore, when we have the teaching of Christ in our hearts, the light that God said is shining in our hearts. This light of the world unfolds to us the knowledge of the glory of God.

So when we are given this light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ - we have seek His face.

Dear brother, you ask:
“How can I know if I still have to keep on "seeking it" in order to "find it"?”

Let me ask you what the Lord has taught you that is in your hearts. If you remember very little what He has said, you know that light shine dimly because you have not keep much what He has said. If you have meditate much His words, you know that light shine stronger.

For this is what we have heard:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. -Proverbs 4:18

So have you followed the path of the Righteous One ?

Remember what the Lord has spoken:
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." -John 8:12

So do you have the light of life ? Have you followed Jesus ? If you follow Jesus, surely you will see His face. When you have seen His face, surely you know you have seen the Father.

What does it mean to "seek God's face" and how can I know if I've found it?

Change is inevitable, feel free to spare some.

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