Why is God so hidden? Why must we seek Him to Find Him?

[Colter]

"1:5.3 God is not hiding from any of his creatures. He is unapproachable to so many orders of beings only because he “dwells in a light which no material creature can approach.” The immensity and grandeur of the divine personality is beyond the grasp of the unperfected mind of evolutionary mortals. He “measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, measures a universe with the span of his hand. It is he who sits on the circle of the earth, who stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as a universe to dwell in.” “Lift up your eyes on high and behold who has created all these things, who brings out their worlds by number and calls them all by their names”; and so it is true that “the invisible things of God are partially understood by the things which are made.” Today, and as you are, you must discern the invisible Maker through his manifold and diverse creation, as well as through the revelation and ministration of his Sons and their numerous subordinates." UB 1955

 

[SteveB28]

All cultures and there religions are in various stages of evolution as man is an evolutionary being. Primitive, evolved religions provide the scaffolding for the reception of revealed religion. The facts of Gods supreme oneness eventually comes through in the quest for God by humanity.

We don't really know what Gods name is, but we do know the heavenly name for some of his subordinates such as Michael.

You make the rather smug assumption that your particular iteration of 'god ' is the correct one and that all others are merely in 'stages of evolution' towards yours. Where do arrive at that assumption?

 

[SteveB28]

"1:5.3 God is not hiding from any of his creatures. He is unapproachable to so many orders of beings only because he “dwells in a light which no material creature can approach.” The immensity and grandeur of the divine personality is beyond the grasp of the unperfected mind of evolutionary mortals. He “measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, measures a universe with the span of his hand. It is he who sits on the circle of the earth, who stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as a universe to dwell in.” “Lift up your eyes on high and behold who has created all these things, who brings out their worlds by number and calls them all by their names”; and so it is true that “the invisible things of God are partially understood by the things which are made.” Today, and as you are, you must discern the invisible Maker through his manifold and diverse creation, as well as through the revelation and ministration of his Sons and their numerous subordinates." UB 1955

What a convenient excuse for invisibility!

 

[Davian]

Have a nice day.

Do you concede that mine is a reasonable position to take?

 

[Extraneous]

Do you concede that mine is a reasonable position to take?

Sure whatever you say. Just please dont reply anymore, im avoiding this place.

 

[Colter]

You make the rather smug assumption that your particular iteration of 'god ' is the correct one and that all others are merely in 'stages of evolution' towards yours. Where do arrive at that assumption?

No, you assume much. God is an absolute, I am finite, we are all finite humans who can worship God and seek his will. But certainly none of us can know God in an absolute sense. Unity not uniformity. I'm certainly evolving in my understanding of God as well.

 

[Colter]

What a convenient excuse for invisibility!

Or it's true and the problem is your conceptualization of what a God is supposed be according to your specifications.

 

[SteveB28]

Or it's true and the problem is your conceptualization of what a God is supposed be according to your specifications.

I have no expectation at all as to what a God is "supposed be" (sic), as I see no evidence at all for any having existed!

You are revealing a little projection here. You might take note of the observation of another contributor here, who points out that research conducted shows the 'amazing coincidence' that gods appear precisely in the form that their adherents had always imagined!

Stunning, isn't it!?

 

[Moral Orel]

God is not hiding from any of his creatures. He is unapproachable to so many orders of beings only because he “dwells in a light which no material creature can approach.” The immensity and grandeur of the divine personality is beyond the grasp of the unperfected mind of evolutionary mortals.

This doesn't really answer the question though because it begs the question as to why God designed "material" in a way that it can never approach his "light". So he is hiding by making it impossible to approach him. He designed the whole system, so it is by his design that we cannot approach him, therefore he is hiding. Unless, of course, you want to limit God in the way that he can design the physical universe that it is impossible for him to create a physical body that can behold his "light"...

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

You might take note of the observation of another contributor here, who points out that research conducted shows the 'amazing coincidence' that gods appear precisely in the form that their adherents had always imagined!

Studies have shown that, in general, people's concepts of God's moral & ethical views closely mirror their own, and change as their own moral & ethical views change...

 

[Colter]

I have no expectation at all as to what a God is "supposed be" (sic), as I see no evidence at all for any having existed!

You are revealing a little projection here. You might take note of the observation of another contributor here, who points out that research conducted shows the 'amazing coincidence' that gods appear precisely in the form that their adherents had always imagined!

Stunning, isn't it!?

There is truth in what you are saying, man does tend to create God in his own image. But that's where revelation comes in and stretches mans mind. Jesus for instance stretched peoples concept of deity and love into new heights of brotherly love and social service.

 

[Colter]

This doesn't really answer the question though because it begs the question as to why God designed "material" in a way that it can never approach his "light". So he is hiding by making it impossible to approach him. He designed the whole system, so it is by his design that we cannot approach him, therefore he is hiding. Unless, of course, you want to limit God in the way that he can design the physical universe that it is impossible for him to create a physical body that can behold his "light"...

The answer is that the plan of creation is to find God through the quest for truth in living experience, going from world to world, classroom to classroom, grade to grade. We grow in spirit as we seek an do the will of God. As material beings we can glimpse the leadings of the mystery monitor, a fragment of the Living God that indwells us all, however a long road of transformative spiritual growth lay ahead of us before we can gain safe passage to the actual presence of the universal Father.

But if we could be transported to the geographical location of God on his paradise abode right now we would be just as unaware of his presence beyond faith perception.


"Said the seer of old: “Lo, he goes by me, and I see him not; he passes on also, but I perceive him not.” We may constantly observe the works of God, we may be highly conscious of the material evidences of his majestic conduct, but rarely may we gaze upon the visible manifestation of his divinity, not even to behold the presence of his delegated spirit of human indwelling.

"The Universal Father is not invisible because he is hiding himself away from the lowly creatures of materialistic handicaps and limited spiritual endowments. The situation rather is: “You cannot see my face, for no mortal can see me and live.” No material man could behold the spirit God and preserve his mortal existence. The glory and the spiritual brilliance of the divine personality presence is impossible of approach by the lower groups of spirit beings or by any order of material personalities. The spiritual luminosity of the Father’s personal presence is a “light which no mortal man can approach; which no material creature has seen or can see.” But it is not necessary to see God with the eyes of the flesh in order to discern him by the faith-vision of the spiritualized mind." UB 1955

 

[SteveB28]

There is truth in what you are saying, man does tend to create God in his own image. But that's where revelation comes in and stretches mans mind. Jesus for instance stretched peoples concept of deity and love into new heights of brotherly love and social service.

Something on which we can agree - gods are manufactured by men!

 

[Colter]

Something on which we can agree - gods are manufactured by men!

Evolution manufactured a people who search for God.

 

[SteveB28]

Evolution manufactured a people who search for God.

"Man does tend to create God in his own image."

 

[Colter]

"Man does tend to create God in his own image."

Its tempting.

 

[Moral Orel]

The answer is that the plan of creation is to find God through the quest for truth in living experience, going from world to world, classroom to classroom, grade to grade. We grow in spirit as we seek an do the will of God. As material beings we can glimpse the leadings of the mystery monitor, a fragment of the Living God that indwells us all, however a long road of transformative spiritual growth lay ahead of us before we can gain safe passage to the actual presence of the universal Father.

But if we could be transported to the geographical location of God on his paradise abode right now we would be just as unaware of his presence beyond faith perception.


"Said the seer of old: “Lo, he goes by me, and I see him not; he passes on also, but I perceive him not.” We may constantly observe the works of God, we may be highly conscious of the material evidences of his majestic conduct, but rarely may we gaze upon the visible manifestation of his divinity, not even to behold the presence of his delegated spirit of human indwelling.

"The Universal Father is not invisible because he is hiding himself away from the lowly creatures of materialistic handicaps and limited spiritual endowments. The situation rather is: “You cannot see my face, for no mortal can see me and live.” No material man could behold the spirit God and preserve his mortal existence. The glory and the spiritual brilliance of the divine personality presence is impossible of approach by the lower groups of spirit beings or by any order of material personalities. The spiritual luminosity of the Father’s personal presence is a “light which no mortal man can approach; which no material creature has seen or can see.” But it is not necessary to see God with the eyes of the flesh in order to discern him by the faith-vision of the spiritualized mind." UB 1955

Okay, but God designed this whole system. So God designed a system in which he remains hidden until we find him. Explain why physical beings cannot behold God's spiritual being without it being because God designed the physical universe that way. Did he not design the physical universe and the machinations of how it interacts with the spiritual universe?

Is God omnipotent? If so, then he can make a physical being capable of viewing, speaking to, and interacting with a spiritual being. If he cannot do this, then he is not omnipotent. If he can do this, then he chose not to so that he can hide.

 

[Colter]

Okay, but God designed this whole system. So God designed a system in which he remains hidden until we find him. Explain why physical beings cannot behold God's spiritual being without it being because God designed the physical universe that way. Did he not design the physical universe and the machinations of how it interacts with the spiritual universe?

Is God omnipotent? If so, then he can make a physical being capable of viewing, speaking to, and interacting with a spiritual being. If he cannot do this, then he is not omnipotent. If he can do this, then he chose not to so that he can hide.

Because God is spirit, we are not. The design was not an attempt to hide any more than the cariculum for kindergarten is intended to mask what's happening in 12 grade calculus. However the mercy ministry of the design allows for the material to contact the lessor subordinate sons of God such as the local Father of our creation Jesus who incarnate as a human. Also, the Father sends a fragment of himself to dwell in the minds of men and women. This personified spirit is the will of God abroad in the universe.

102:1.5 "God is so all real and absolute that no material sign of proof or no demonstration of so-called miracle may be offered in testimony of his reality. Always will we know him because we trust him, and our belief in him is wholly based on our personal participation in the divine manifestations of his infinite reality.

102:1.6 The indwelling Thought Adjuster unfailingly arouses in man's soul a true and searching hunger for perfection together with a far-reaching curiosity which can be adequately satisfied only by communion with God, the divine source of that Adjuster. The hungry soul of man refuses to be satisfied with anything less than the personal realization of the living God. Whatever more God may be than a high and perfect moral personality, he cannot, in our hungry and finite concept, be anything less." UB 1955


​

It's not really accurate to say God can do anything. God cannot do the ungodlike act.



"Omnipotence does not imply the power to do the nondoable, the ungodlike act. Neither does omniscience imply the knowing of the unknowable. But such statements can hardly be made comprehensible to the finite mind. The creature can hardly understand the range and limitations of the will of the Creator." UB 1955

 

[Moral Orel]

Because God is spirit, we are not. The design was not an attempt to hide any more than the cariculum for kindergarten is intended to mask what's happening in 12 grade calculus.

Okay, that makes sense, except that God chose to create us as Kindergarteners instead of 12th graders. The same way he chose to make us Kindergarteners instead of toddlers. He chose at what level we can be along whatever spectrum is defined to limit our ability to perceive him.

God cannot do the ungodlike act.

So you are saying that it would be immoral to create us at a level of spirit that we could simply interact with him directly? That's a far stretch.

 

[Colter]

Okay, that makes sense, except that God chose to create us as Kindergarteners instead of 12th graders. The same way he chose to make us Kindergarteners instead of toddlers. He chose at what level we can be along whatever spectrum is defined to limit our ability to perceive him.



So you are saying that it would be immoral to create us at a level of spirit that we could simply interact with him directly? That's a far stretch.

I didn't say it was immoral, I implied that it's inevitable that a finite can't see the absolute in anything like an absolute sense, but not because the absolute is hiding, rather man is just not equipped. In fact only the Triune counterparts can see the Father in an absolute sense.

Omnipotence does not mean God can or would do something contrary to his wisdom. God cannot create evil that is also good, or square circles etc.

Some wonder why, if Jesus could make a few loves and fishes into dinner for 5 thousand, he doesn't just keep doing that and solve hunger? Or keep healing people? Its not that the Father can't, he wont based on his superior wisdom.


You might not be much of a seeker if you found God absolutely. He wants us to find him in truth.