No one believes because they’ve seen. All who soundly know God and God’s ways know that nothing converts except conversion. This life, between the Fall and the Second Coming, has a design all its own.
We don’t see God face to face in this life. Matthew 5:8 contains the great promise of one day seeing him face-to-face, but no one has this yet. The fact is that God wanted a world led by invisible truth. He designed it so that he’d be known, but not seen. Sin brought in the separation that set the stage. Man did the sin, but it was all decreed to happen by God. No one can ever say they don’t know he exists. Romans 1:20. He wanted all who would be led to be led mostly by what they’d never seen. He’s in touch with people, but not face-to-face. Not usually anyway. There’ve been a few precious times where he’s appeared face-to-face with men. As a chief example, think of how few people saw Jesus transfigured on that mountain. Only five men saw that and two of them were already dead! They’d already seen many of the glories of heaven. Even those five were led more in life by the invisible than what they saw of God, but what they saw changed everything for them. For the rest of us, for nearly all of us, it’s been something else altogether. We’ve never seen him with our eyes. Our sight has been supernaturally given. We have him and have not seen. John 20:29. This was God’s plan. He didn’t forget to leave the rest of us evidence; he comes as he pleases. Law, prophets, Gospel. He’s revealed in a thousand ways and his sheep always hear his voice.
God wants men and women to enjoy life. To enjoy the sun, rain, campfires, smiles and giggles, the ocean, kids (and kid making), friends, dancing, foods, drinks, grandkids, great grandkids, etc. There are many amazing things in life. He gives these things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17. But God is to be chief over them all. When he is, they are all very good things…even in a fallen world.
Life without eternal life will disappoint because God alone will not disappoint. No one will walk away disillusioned from seeing him. Seeing this world under him- even though fallen- also changes everything. Everything and everyone else pales in comparison to the Creator. Those of us who’ve seen him by his word have tasted of his amazing life. But in this life, there are other things he’s designed for us. They’re lesser things, but they’re good things.
There really are precious few things in this life you won’t walk away disappointed by. Traveling across Europe for four years I got to see so many things. Things like the Reformation Wall in Geneva, the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Rome’s many sites, Jerusalem’s streets, Strasbourg’s Notre Dame, the Huss Memorial in Prague, Worms where Luther stood, the Austrian Alps, Florence’s statue of David, The acropolis in Athens, so many things. I’d take the family’s obligatory selfie and leave knowing it was just another wall, another piece of ground, or another painting. It’s not a place it’s what took place in many places that matters. The dirt will always disappoint. People too will always disappoint us. It’s been well said, “Don’t meet your heroes.” We say this because people, like things, can’t live up to hype. They’re just people and they’re just places.
Even in this life, there are things that won’t let us down so much. A solid godly marriage will yield joys like nothing else, a family, giving yourself to someone else as a servant for their good expecting nothing in return, etc. God has made the world so that these things are the most valuable. Certain things just call out the best in us. They always have. These are the things most lightly esteemed these days, I think. We lightly esteem them because they’ve been so prevalent and we presume upon them, but these things are of greatest worth. It’s a liberal use of the passage, but it’s as it’s written: “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27. Those who cultivate these good things are always the richest among us. I call it stoking the fire to live one’s life God’s way. Under the Cross, life is possible. Even eternal life- its author said- is: “…that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3. This is possible today. Think of sin and wrong living like gasoline and the good things of life like logs. One will often burn hotter, faster, brighter, and stronger than the other, but it will die out very quickly. The other may not burn as brightly as fast, sure, but you can be certain that its heat will last far longer. Life is like that when it’s done God’s way. To those who place the right logs down, long life and blessing will generally be theirs. To those who don’t, it’s fruitlessness and emptiness. I pray you have the good things, reader.
God shows up in a million ways when his prescription for life is followed. It’s truth that colors in all these things. It’s peace with God that makes life truly worth living. You likely won’t see him in this life with your eyes. That’s his plan. But if you obey his Law, he’ll be as present with you as if you could.
God bless!
