Why is God hidden?

[addo]

Simple question: why is God a hidden God? There being the possibility of having more evidence of God, why doesn't God manifest Himself fully instead of providing only sufficient evidence (which allows disbelief)?

Please, provide as many reasons as you can, or only the ones you think as relevant or important. Your choice.

Thanks for considering answering this, and God bless.

Emanuel

 

[Nails74]

Simple question: why is God a hidden God? There being the possibility of having more evidence of God, why doesn't God manifest Himself fully instead of providing only sufficient evidence (which allows disbelief)?

Would it really make a difference? The Jews actually had God in their midst!

The first verses that came to mind...

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a groom coming from the bridal chamber; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. [Psalm 19:1-6]

So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. [Romans 2:14-16]

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. [Romans 1:18-20]

 

[razeontherock]

1) Humility.

2) Refer to #1, as all-important.

3) Along with all other points, recognize the primary importance of #1. Joking aside, we see God's own humility stressed, over and over again. And even that is done in an understated fashion!?!

This is no doubt the greatest lesson for us all to learn, and is the greater part of "the mind of Christ."

I also want to bring out your point of "providing only sufficient evidence." There are many, many posters on CF who claim that there is insufficient evidence to believe. I would go so far as to say it is the primary contributor to atheism today. (I might be wrong?)

I find this has everything to do with God's Judging our hearts, and our decision to follow after the things of the Spirit, forsaking the things of the flesh. Which in turn has everything to do with point #1, above

So bottom-line here, is to embrace and fathom the depths of Christ's humility

 

[Fiona01]

I think God wants us all to turn to Him out of love, need, desire, faith and commitment.

God turning up now purely to perform spectacular shows and wide-spread special-effects just to SHOW He is real, would require a response based on people being amazed, impressed, or feeling pressured to follow. That isn't about freedom of love, free-will and recognising our need for God.

Even Jesus Himself, when performing miracles, was humble - at times He asked people to be quiet, and simply to go home in faith. Jesus recognised that real followers would commit through love, faith, hope and need, rather than being impressed with a first-rate slide show of tricks of the trade.

What is it all about, if it's just about being wow-ed into belief? Super-stars and movie stars have fans, based on great performances, but fans of that type of thing tend to be fickle and get bored quickly, looking for the next big impressive thing. That's not God at all, it's not what He wants us to love Him for.

 

[bling]

The tree out front is evidence for God, if you allow it to be evidence (Science cannot explain life).

There is always the possible that there is no God, so we can have faith. Faith is something man needs to help man fulfill man’s earthly objective.

“Knowledge” tends to “puff people up” while humility is needed.