Dear Ones:
Is it possible to SEE God? The Bible says that it is. Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart for THEY SHALL SEE GOD.” (Matt. 5:8) What does the Lord Jesus mean here when in the Old Testament we see the Lord declaring to Moses: “…You cannot see my face: for there shall no man see Me, and live.” (Ex. 33:20) And yet, Moses did see God, but only with God’s hand over him to protect him from the brightness of His glory. For us, what does this mean? It means that, what we have “seen,” and known, of God, is just a glimmer, a slight glimpse of His beauty and glory. So then, we must ask the question: What does it mean for us to SEE His glory increasingly, indeed, for us to SEE God?
There are at least three aspects to this subject of the revelation of God. Paul writes that we SEE: “…the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world.” (Romans 1:20) Jesus said to Philip: “…He that hath SEEN me hath SEEN the Father.” (Jn. 14:9) Lastly, we SEE God when we worship Him in Spirit and TRUTH. David wrote of his experience: “…to see God’s power and glory, so as I have seen You in the sanctuary.” (Ps. 63:2) To see God is to perceive with “…the eyes of understanding…being enlightened” (…by the Spirit: Eph. 1:18), the very nature and person of God, of Christ. It is to say with Job, “…I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear (the truth): but now my eye sees you.” (Job 42:5) To SEE God is to have the spiritual perception of God, which is given in truth BY THE SPIRIT.
There were many in Jesus’ day who saw Him, but did NOT see God. Why? It is because they did not have a pure heart, for He has said, the pure in heart will SEE God. What is a pure heart? David deals with one aspect of a pure heart in Psalm 51, where He asks God to, “…create in me a CLEAN heart.” (v.10) The heart, of necessity, must be washed, cleansed from sin. The truly seeking heart will desire as David did, a cleansing that is thorough. The second aspect to the pure heart is that expressed by James when he wrote: “…and purify your hearts you double minded.” (4:8) “Double-mindedness” means that one is not committed to believe God wholly. He believes God, but also he is trusting in something or someone else, i.e. he is doubting God. This is why Jesus said: “If any man WILL do His will (the will of God), he shall KNOW of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.” (Jn. 7:17) The discernment of spiritual things comes, and spiritual perception is given, when we are truly willing and committed to believing, and obeying, Christ.
One last thought. To see God is the fruit of worshipping Him in Spirit and truth. Truth, essential to every idea and concept of God, is lifeless without the Spirit. The Spirit is like the wind that blows abroad the fragrance from an enclosed garden. It is like the light shining upon and through the inherent and profoundly rich beauty in the petals of a lily. It is like the breath of God blowing life upon that which is lifeless, hopeless. Jesus is both the TRUTH and the LIFE. For us to see God, we must know the truth OF God. Anything less than the truth is a twisted, false concept of Him, which the Spirit will never bless. That erroneous thought, imagination, or representation of God, is a prelude to idolatry. We need the Spirit, to take the truth in Christ, and make it real to our hearts and minds. He in essence “breathes” upon us, works within us, to open our eyes to perceive the majestic beauty, loveliness, and power of the person of God in Christ. He opens our eyes to perceive, and become convinced of, the immaculate glory and goodness of God, … summed up in the words, “holy, faithful, and true.”
Dear Father, grant us that Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Yourself, and Your Son. Open our eyes to SEE your glory, with that spiritual perception and conviction, which you give as we worship You in Spirit and truth. As we gaze upon Your Son, change us into His likeness for Your glory and honor, that others may see and know that You are God, that others may trust you wholly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad