Bible Question:

Why is God afraid to clearly and unmistakably show Himself to everyone simultaneously, and thereby end all the bickering about whether or not He exists?

Bible Answer:

That question has occurred to me in the past. That you used quotes around God implies to me that you are wondering if God even exists. Let me respond three ways.

We Are Not All Knowing

For someone to be sure that there is no God, one would need to know that God did not exist anywhere in our visible and invisible universe. He or she would need infinite knowledge and be able to exist everywhere at once because God might have traveled! In short, he or she would need to be God in order to do this. It is much easier, however, to conclude that God exists because we see the evidence of Him. God tells us that the world reveals the existence of God.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (NASB) Romans 1:20

And He has also written His moral law into our very being,

. . . they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them . . . (NASB) Romans 2:15-16

God has not been hiding.

How God Communicates

If it is hard to believe God exists, it is because we demand to see with our own eyes and to experience Him. The experience of some of the early missionaries to South America will help us to understand a key truth. History tells us that South American people near the equator did not believe the early missionaries when they were told about ice cubes. The concept of ice was considered to be unbelievable. They did not believe water could be solid. The people laughed in disbelief.

Today, some find God to be unbelievable because we do not see Him. Yet, some believe the universe was created out of nothing. We cannot answer the question as to how the smallest element of energy or matter – however small that may be – came into existence. There is something about our universe that is beyond our understanding. There is something that is powerful beyond our imagination.

Why Doesn’t God Show Himself

Let me ask this question, “How often would God need to show Himself?” If God showed Himself on 1 July 2000, only those alive on that day would know He existed. Those in the future would need to trust those who had seen God. The new generation would probably laugh just like the South American people did over ice cubes.

The truth is we are the future generation, many years removed. It is Adam and Eve and the prophets of old who saw God. We are the generation that is laughing at the ice cube story. Listen to Jesus

But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ (NASB) Luke 16:31

Conclusion:

God has shown Himself to past generations. We can discover more of God in the Bible. He has proven Himself through prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy is God’s proof that the Bible was written by Him.

Christians sometimes say they know God exists because they have experienced Him. Well, the Mormons, Jehvoah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Hindus, Hari Krishnas, native American Indians and countless other religions can tell you about their experience with god. Our experience is not trustworthy. Experience is not objective truth. But the Bible is objective truth because it gives us a reason to believe through prophecy (Deut. 18:21-22).

And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ – when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously . . . (NASB) Deut. 18:21-22

Fulfilled prophecy is the proof that God exists and has spoken . . .