One hurdle people face to a relationship with God is not being able to see him. If God is real, then why can’t I see him? Great question. The answer involves understanding God’s invisibility, the effect of sin on our sight, and the way Jesus reveals the invisible.

God Is Invisible

The Bible is not blind to the fact that God is invisible. Did you know that the Bible has a lot to say about this topic?

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1:18 *

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:16

God’s invisibility makes more sense in light of all his other attributes. Scripture teaches us that God is infinite, eternal, all-powerful, everywhere-present, all-knowing, and spiritual. God is not bound by creation and reigns above all time and space. In order for God to be all of these things, then it logically follows that he would be invisible. Said differently, if God was visible, then he would be limited in time and space, and, by definition, cease to be infinite God.

This is why God commands his people to not worship idols made of wood and stone. Idols are created things, but God is transcendent to creation. Often people choose idolatry, because it offers a sense of understanding and control. If we can touch and see it, then we feel more comfortable. Yet, if we can touch and see it, then it’s a limited being and, logically, not God.

This is what Paul was teaching the Athenians in Acts 17. God is too great to be contained in idol-statues or temples.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”

Acts 17:24-25

Likewise, consider the teaching from Isaiah contrasting infinite God with finite idols.

With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.

Isaiah 40:18

So, the first part of the answer to “why can’t I see God” is “God is invisible”. God’s invisibility is part of what makes him God. That’s not to say he can’t manifest his glory in time and space. We’ll see in a minute that he has done that many times and ways, and most fully in Jesus Christ. But, we need to start with understanding that God is invisible by nature.

Sin Blinds Us

The next part of the answer relates to our sin. Part of the reason we can’t see God is because sin both blinds us and separates us from God.

In Romans 1:20 Paul tells us that creation reveals the “invisible qualities” of God. When we look at creation, we should clearly see the glory, power and divine nature of God on full display. But, he also says in verse 18 that we “suppress the truth by our wickedness”. Sin hardens our hearts and blinds us from seeing what is really there.

My mom used to tell me that I had “selective hearing”, when I failed to listen to her. Well, our sin nature gives us “selective sight” if you will. We don’t see what is actually there because we’re not looking. In fact, we don’t want to look. We want to avoid the reality of God’s presence–this is the destructiveness of sin at work in our lives.

I remember after I became a believer I had an eye-opening moment. I was staring at the horizon and admiring the beautiful blue sky marked with a few puffy white clouds. I then lingered on the beauty of a few green trees reaching up heavenward. Then, in a moment it hit me. God made this. Only God could make this. These colors. This beauty. God did this!

My sin had been redeemed and my sight restored. In the words of the great hymn, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”

Sin Separates Us

Sin not only blinds us, but also separates us from God. Where humanity once walked with God in the garden of Eden, we’re now separated from his presence by sin.

Not being in God’s presence right now is actually for our protection. Seeing God–even partially seeing God–would be devastating in our sinful state. If God pulled back the veil right now and revealed himself fully, then those apart from forgiveness in Christ would be destroyed. The holiness of God’s presence doesn’t abide sin. Therefore, God is protecting humanity and giving everyone the chance of experiencing redemption prior to his visible return during the end of time.

Consider Moses’ unique experience of the presence of God which gives you a good sense of the severity of the situation.

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Exodus 33:18-19

If You Want To See God, Look At Jesus

Jesus is “the image of invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and called “Immanuel-which means God with Us” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is God incarnate–God in the flesh. In great humility God humbled himself and took on a form that was limited to flesh, blood and bone. The Son of God temporarily set aside his infinite glory and became finite. He did this for us and for our salvation. It’s truly breathtaking when you stop and think about it.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1:18

So, Jesus is where we should look, if we want to see God. He is the revelation of the invisible and glorious God.

The Day Faith Becomes Sight

Lastly, we should look forward to the day when we will see God face to face. We currently live in the period of time between Christ’s first coming and his second coming. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). But we have the promise that one day soon Christ will return and heaven will come down to earth. On that day we will see God visibly. We won’t have fear of being harmed in his presence, because we will be forgiven our sins by the blood of Jesus. On that day God will establish his eternal reign on the earth and banish all evil. He will dwell with us forevermore in peace. Praise Jesus!

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Revelation 21:3

*Scripture references taken from NIV (New International Version). Thank you to Bible Gateway and Bible Hub.