why doesnt god just tell us he exists

[98cwitr]

may God forgive me, but if someone is coming through the door or window to hurt me or my family I'll put two in their head pretty quick. jm2c.

 

[heymikey80]

Then what does Hebrews 11:1 mean? Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Is this Bible verse a lie, because there is no other translation for it. So either you call me a liar, or you realize that faith is the substance of things not seen. Realize I'm not arguing, when I think this in my head, it is calmly.

In Hebrews 11:1 the Apostle is not trying to define faith. This can be demonstrated fairly readily. If you back up, virtually every chapter of Hebrews is talking about faith, and showing its superiority or importance to other kinds of covenant life. If the Apostle were defining faith so late in the game, he would be talking incomprehensibilities up to that point in his article. But he's not. At Hebrews 4 and 6 and 10, the Apostle is presuming his audience knows what faith is. So too at 11. It's not a definition. It's an exposition, a separate facet of faith to meditate on.

The Apostle's pointing out there's more to faith than just relying blindly, not knowing the outcome. There's a focus to our certainty, even if it isn't visible or already carried out. And that outcome may not appear in our lifetimes, either. The OT people exemplify that faith is looking forward well beyond our lives, to the truth we know is out there. We're not to limit our focus on the things we can see, the things that confirm our faith. Our faith stretches beyond to the things we can't see as well.

I can demonstrate this another way, too, though it's not internal to the book of Hebrews. Were Hebrews 11:1 the definition of faith, Satan would have faith, and he would be saved. But Satan doesn't have the faith that saves: he's opposed to the knowledge that he has. Satan doesn't rely on God for this certainty; Satan is actually attacking what he knows he can't overcome.

 

[Beekeeper]

it would be alot easier, and hey, you wouldnt have any atheists and thats a good thing right?

Do you mean that it would be easier for God to make Himself known by (say) manifesting as a giant voice booming Genesis from the sky?

I don't mean to argue, but I think that there are a few questions about this which may be useful to think about.

Would everyone believe something like a great booming voice from the sky - wouldn't there be room to attribute it to a great PA system, or space aliens, or the Devil?

What do you think God is, that it would take something weird to reveal Him? Why don't any of the weird things that currently happen convince you?

Why suppose that God wants there not to be any atheists? Do you think a loving God would suppress atheism at all costs?

 

[kidsagainstkows]

Do you mean that it would be easier for God to make Himself known by (say) manifesting as a giant voice booming Genesis from the sky?

I don't mean to argue, but I think that there are a few questions about this which may be useful to think about.

Would everyone believe something like a great booming voice from the sky - wouldn't there be room to attribute it to a great PA system, or space aliens, or the Devil?

What do you think God is, that it would take something weird to reveal Him? Why don't any of the weird things that currently happen convince you?

Why suppose that God wants there not to be any atheists? Do you think a loving God would suppress atheism at all costs?

with all due respect, i think that God would know exactly what it had to do to convince me (and any other atheist) that it exists. and God says himself that he is jealous and people who stop believing in god in the OT (im thinking specifically of right after Moses gets the commandments) are killed immediately. because of these things i would say yes, that god, at least at some point in its existence, would suppress atheism, or apostasy of any kind, at all costs.