
How deeply do you desire to see God? One of the greatest joys of the saved will be to see our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior (Mt. 5:8; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 21:3). Sometimes we sing a hymn: “O I want to see Him, look upon His face. There to sing forever of His saving grace.” Like Moses, we should all desire to see God in His glory (Exod. 33:18).
The idea of seeing God is so spectacular in part because we do not see Him now. God is described as the One “who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Tim. 6:16 NKJV). God is also described as “the King eternal, immortal, invisible” (1 Tim. 1:17).
After all, God is Spirit (John 4:24) and therefore immaterial (not made out of physical matter), and thus invisible. Such is why Jesus could confidently declare that only He had seen the Father in His true form, in the glory they shared together before the creation of the world (John 6:46; 17:5).
Though God is invisible and we yearn to see Him in eternity, there is a way in which we can “see” God now. In fact, there are four ways in which we can catch a glimpse of the invisible God before we ever reach that eternal shore.
Seeing God in Jesus
Jesus came to earth and took on flesh to reveal the invisible God: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18). The Son came to earth not only to die as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 1:29), but to reveal the truth about God the Father. Jesus Himself is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) and “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3).
In other words, Jesus shares the same nature and essence with God the Father while being a distinct person. When Jesus took on human nature, He was still God and was revealing who God is to the world. This is why Jesus could tell His disciples, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). When we look at Jesus, we see the invisible God through His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. When we see how Jesus communicates, acts, treats others, etc. we should ask ourselves what He is teaching us about God. He is always revealing the Father!
Seeing God in Creation
We can also see the invisible God in creation. It must be clearly understood that this is not because God is in creation. Many today believe that God is “in everything.” The Bible does not teach this. However, because God made everything, everything can point us to Him or reveal something about Him.
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The Bible describes it this way: “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead [divine nature]” (Rom. 1:20). As artists sign their art, God leaves His signature on what He makes. The vastness, complexity, and beauty of nature all point us to the all-wise Creator: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1). As a favorite VBS song tells us, “His fingerprints are everywhere!” As you experience reality, be in awe of the God who made it.
Seeing God in His Word
In the Word of God, the Spirit of God is revealing the mind of God (1 Cor. 2:9-16). In the Bible, we catch glimpses of God in His glory through descriptions given by the prophets, encounter the Spirit’s power to transform, get to know Jesus, and are drawn ever nearer to the Author as we put the Word into practice.
Opening our Bible is the closest thing we will get to the “burning bush” experience Moses had in the presence of God in Exodus 3:1-5. When we read the Scriptures, we are hearing God speak as He reveals His mind to us. To read the Bible is to be on metaphorical “holy ground,” in the presence of the true and living God.
Seeing God by Faith
To “see” God today requires faith. Moses shows us the way: “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27). God is “seen” by those who want to see Him: those who value the spiritual over the physical; those who live for the eternal rather than the temporary; those who look to the things “which are not seen” (2 Cor. 4:18); those who “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).
Yearn to see God in His glory for eternity, but do not wait until you die to see God. By then it will be too late. Commune with His Son, give Him glory for His creation, read His Word, and have faith. And you will see God.