November 20
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him,” 1 John 4:12-16.
The apostle begins with a statement of fact: “No one has seen God at any time.” No human being has ever seen God face to face. Moses desired to see God, but that privilege was denied him. Scripture reports, “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend,” Exodus 33:11. God spoke to Moses face to face, but to see God face to face was not granted.
Moses pleaded with God, “‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen,” Exodus 33:18-23.
At the beginning of his Gospel, John addresses the same subject. “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. While no one has seen God at any time, Scripture records many instances in which people have heard the voice of God speaking to them.
Since no one has seen God face to face, it moves the critics and the unbelievers to raise the question, “How do we know that there is a God?” The psalmist wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork,” Psalm 19:1. Creation tells you that there is a God. Things could not evolve on their own. The evolutionary theories of man are total nonsense and unscientific. Every individual also has a conscience that tells him that there is a God. To try to silence the voice of conscience is neither safe nor sincere. Such people are lying to themselves.
The greatest testimony that we have that there is a God is from the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus testified that the Father sent Him into the world to be the Savior of all people. Christians have the testimony in themselves. The Holy Spirit brings us to faith in our Lord and Savior, who suffered, died, and rose again to redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. We abide in God’s love, and God abides in us. We have the inner testimony of the Spirit of God, who has brought us to faith in Jesus as God’s Son and the only Savior for sinners.
God loved us, and out of love for Him and our fellowmen we love one another. We show our love by witnessing to others about God’s love for all people. It brings us back again to those key verses in Scripture, John 3:16-17: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
“Love Divine, all love excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down;
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter ev’ry trembling heart.” Amen.