Job 9:11 – Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

Hello readers, another blog today! How to see God. We’re back in Job, his reply to Bildad, who was accusing him of being a hypocrite, who reckoned Job was getting what he deserved. If we all got what we deserved, none of us would be standing Bildad! You know what though, it may have seemed that Bildad was right. The “evidence” said he was right. Going by their economy of good happens to good, bad happens to bad, everyone gets what they deserve… Job’s trainwreck of a life certainly gave them advantage. People feel better when you follow God and get kicked in the guts and they’re going ok. You know, sometimes our justice comes later. Our vindication comes later. The wicked seem the flourish after all. It is no wonder in Revelation the souls under the altar cry out… how long God? But we know from the Bible that Romans 8:19 – For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. There is no future for those who aren’t right with God, who aren’t born again, though they seem to do well and be vindicated for now.

So Job responds to Bildad. Job describes the utter magnificence and glory and supremacy of God. God is so impossibly superior to man. While reading Job has it ever occurred to you that his friends really weren’t teaching Job anything new? People are so eager to talk, maybe they don’t know as much as the person they’re talking down to. Job knew God better than they did. He wasn’t even questioning what they were saying about the greatness of God, they described the greatness of God, and Job went further than them. Bildad had said what he’d said (read Job 8), then Job’s like… I know Bildad, I KNOW Bildad… but how can ANY of us be right with someone so great, so holy, so above us? God is so great. And then on to what we’re talking about today. It’s hard to get a hold of God if there’s a problem between you and him right. Where is he so that you can talk to him face to face? So that’s why Job said, God goes by me and I don’t see him, he passes on also, and I don’t perceive him. He couldn’t see God, he couldn’t detect him. And today, people don’t see God. This world sure doesn’t see him, they sure don’t know him. Many people have “God” experiences, but they’ve never seen God. Have a look at this for a verse, John 1:18 – No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. When someone says they’ve seen God… hmm. Yea, let God be true and every man a liar.

So the title of this blog is how to see God, but the Bible says no man hath seen God at any time. Indeed, with the title of the blog, you may have thought of these verses, because Philip wanted Jesus to show them God. Pretty simple request huh? John 14:8,9 – Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? In this answer we see that you can see God, just seeing God isn’t necessarily how we think. How you see God is by seeing the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did Jesus say to Nicodemus… you MUST be born again. Because without being born again, you cannot see or enter the kingdom of God (John 3). God cannot be physically seen, he was physically embodied in the person of Jesus Christ… but Jesus is as the Bible says, passed into the heavens. When he was born it was God with us, but now he’s arisen from the dead, and ascended to heaven where he is seated at the right hand of the Father. So if you want to physically see God, you’re going to be disappointed. Jesus said God is a spirit. How do you see a spirit? With spiritual eyes. So without being made spiritually alive by believing the gospel of Jesus, without faith … you simply cannot see God.

People say they’ve seen God, people want to see God… but that’s not how God’s made this whole thing. He wants you to take him at his word. You see you may not think much of his word… but HE DOES. So we see God in the person of Jesus Christ, whom we see through the eyes of faith. I haven’t physically seen Jesus, noone alive today has. 1 Peter 1:8 – Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. We love Jesus Christ, we believe in Jesus Christ… yet have not physically seen him. Yet we have seen him, just we see with spiritual eyes. Sight gives us an image. What people want is a physical image, something they can see with carnal, fleshly eyes. But God’s given us an image not physical, but based on his word. God’s word is what defines the image of God. Colossians 1:15 – Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. 2 Corinthians 4:4 – In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Jesus is the only way you’ll ever see God, Jesus told Philip that, and the Bible tells us that. And you see Jesus through the pages of his book, his will, his testament, his commandments, his love letter to you.

Do you want to see God? Back in the Old Testament, 1 Kings 19… a great man of God, Elijah, wanted to see God. He went to Horeb, the mount of God, that was where God’s might and power and glory had been displayed in terrible majesty. And when Elijah got there, there was a wind, there was an earthquake, there was a fire… but God was in none of those. And after those… a still small voice. See, Elijah was fleeing from Jezebel, from an absolute mess that Israel was, feeling all alone… going to a reference point where God showed himself so strong, where his commandments were given to Moses. God is just as much God at Horeb as he is in Samaria Elijah. You don’t need to find a Horeb to see God. Indeed, they didn’t see God at Horeb, they only heard a voice, a voice which the Bible says spake things that they could not endure. After all the show, after all the majesty, a still small voice. God’s word is your way to that still small voice, you read your Bible and you will see him. Not physically, but through the eyes of faith. 2 Corinthians 4:18 – While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

If you’re looking for a physical image you are going to be disappointed. Read Deuteronomy 4:12 –  And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.  God didn’t want them going off making an image, because they never saw one, they only heard a voice. It’s always been that way. The just shall live by faith. Peter points us not to his experience at the Mount of Transfiguration, but to the more sure word. We don’t trust experiences, we trust it is written. That’s how you know God. God’s word is the image of Christ. How many people say they’ll believe God if they could just see him, if you could just show him to them. They wouldn’t believe anyway… think of all the people that saw the plagues, the Red Sea part, the manna from heaven… yet didn’t believe. Think of all the people that saw Jesus, that heard Jesus, that saw the miracles… yet did not believe. Your belief will only be substantiated by trusting in God’s word. Hebrews 11:1,2 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. The people that have pleased God, the people that like Moses saw him who was invisible, was by faith. They heard God’s word, they believed it. God’s word proves itself. Because God’s word carries the authority and power of the God who spoke it. Knowing God’s word is as good as knowing God… it is KNOWING God. You get to know someone by speaking to them, by hearing them… you have a full Bible where you can get to know God, who you can look forward to seeing beyond this mortal body, in full confidence and assurance of hope.

So we started in Job, we will finish in Job. At the end of Job’s trial, after God spoke, Job said “now mine eye seeth thee”. How did Job see God? God spoke out of the whirlwind. Was that God? No. Elijah saw a whirlwind, a fire, an earthquake… that wasn’t God. Moses saw a cloud, was that cloud God? Job saw God when God spoke. God’s word is how you see God. It forms that image of Christ, which isn’t an image for our physical eyes nor graven with the hands of man, but the image formed by the incorruptible, infallible word of God. Is that good enough for you? Noone’s seen God, and Jesus is in heaven, noone’s seen him either. But you can see him through faith in his word. You can see him who is invisible. The Bible says blessed are the pure in heart… for they shall see God. Be ye holy, for I am holy… God says. You can’t expect to be dead in sins and see God, to be dead in spirit and in your mind, to be in darkness… and see God. He’s holy, holy, holy. Jesus has fixed that, through his blood he can make you acceptable before God. He can make you spiritually alive. Without spiritual rebirth you cannot see God. When you get saved, you’re born again. The Holy Spirit creates a new person in you. Hebrews 12:14 – Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord… see God is holy, and unless you’re made holy through the person of Jesus Christ, you’ll never see God. You can tell people all about God, about God’s word, but they’re blinded, they’re dead. Jesus is the image of God, we don’t see him now, only through the eyes of faith. However one day we will with our literal eyes see Jesus. Even Job clung to that hope.

Job 19:25 – For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Job 19:26 – And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job 19:27 – Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

There will be a day when you see Jesus Christ, just will it be as your Judge, or will it be as your Saviour? But for now, God’s made it so that it’s not by sight, but by faith. Faith certainly has eyes, believing God’s word makes you see better than you ever did. Spiritual eyes that can behold the glory of God. A new life, a new heart that is acceptable before him, that can enter into the holy of holies. How to see God? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the image of God, in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwells, who is the only way to the Father. And though you don’t yet see Jesus physically, but only through faith in what he has said and made known to us in his word, yet he has given us his Holy Spirit to enlighten us, to enable us to see him even before we finally see him face to face. For us all, it will be a day to dread if you’re not right with the God who created the heaven and the earth, and who created you… but a glorious day, and a realization of that blessed hope spoken of in Titus when we see God. Abraham believed God, and he saw Jesus’ day. You want to see God? Get in his word. Believe the gospel. Repent of your sins. Get forgiven and be born again. Abide in Christ, walk in the Spirit… and you will see God.

Blog Bible Christ Christian Faith God Gospel Jesus Lord Salvation Saved Truth