IF God Revealed Himself, I’d Believe
I do not know how many times I have heard people say something along the line, “If God would reveal Himself, I’d believe. Sadly, the history of the human race proves otherwise.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
God walked with Adam and Eve daily and still they fell for the lie of the devil and the promise of Godhood. If you or I would have been there, we would have done the same.
Gen 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Then God revealed Himself to Noah and definitely by the Flood and it was not long before people forgot. Even a rainbow did not help people to remember God.
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
God revealed Himself at the tower of Babel and scattered mankind by language. Yet, mankind went astray. He revealed Himself through the lives of many people and they forgot.
Deu 4:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Then God revealed Himself through Moses, the plagues, the Passover and the Exodus. What happens? Moses does not back fast enough for the people and revert to pagan idol worship and fornication. Indeed, led by Aaron, the brother of Moses and there for all that transpired.
Throughout the wilderness journey God revealed His power and provision and yet, the people complained and God had to punish them. Indeed, they only survived through the intervention of Moses as we only survive as Christians through the intercession of Christ as satan accuses us every day.
John 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
Then Jesus came in the flesh as the God-Man redeemer with many signs and wonders proving who He was and yet, the religious elite would not believe asking for more signs and wonders. Healing the sick, raising the dead and such was not enough. All of this out in the open. Paul told Agrippa that all he said was verifiable because nothing was done in a corner or as we would say nothing done in secret and shady.
Act 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
The Apostles also performed signs and wonders. People lives were changed. Indeed, three thousand in one day at Pentecost. The elite could not figure how the Apostles could stand before them with such wisdom as most were unlearned fishermen, but had to acknowledge that they had been with Jesus. The sinners believed, but not the self-righteous.
The miracle of the swift growth of the Church and people willing to die for the Gospel revealed the Godhead. The Holy Ghost still leads us into truth and Christ still calls people unto Him even in turbulent and perilous times.
Prophecy after prophecy is fulfilled, but people still mock and scorn.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Even when God roll back the scroll and reveals Himself, they will hide in fear, but not repent and ask for mercy.
God has been revealing Himself since Creation, but most of mankind had not desire for Him as they wanted want satan offered Eve to be as god and live the way they wanted. Indeed, the prosperity gospel says that Christians become “little gods” and offers people exactly what satan tempted Christ with in the wilderness.
If Eve would have only believed God and not her senses and the serpent’s lie and Adam would have checked on her theology they may have become as the angels who did not follow satan being confirmed for eternity. They have give birth to those who could not sin instead of those who born in sin and needing salvation.
Do not ask God to do what He has always been doing and you ignored. He only asked Adam and Eve to trust Him. Faith is trust that comes from belief. That is all He has ever wanted from man. Even the Law required faith or trust as sacrificing animals so sins could be forgiven makes no sense until we see it as a temporary way to deal with sin until Jesus.
Just as He commanded the Jews to look on the brazen serpent to be healed, He now commands us to look to Jesus and live. The Cross bruised Jesus’ heel for He rose from the dead, but it crushed the head of the serpent, satan as he and his minions have no hope of redemption. Hell was made for them. People go there when they align with satan instead of receiving the grace and love of God through Christ.
One day, both saved and lost will see all the times God revealed Himself and worked in our lives. The saved will rejoice and at the same time regret how often they missed it thinking God had forsaken them while He was in the midst of everything. The lost will weep and wail as that is all the love and mercy they ever received as all that is left is the punishment of being banned from His presence. That may well be the worst part of the Lake of Fire having seen love and grace knowing you will never see it again.
Saint, look and see and praise God for all He has given you that without you life would be vain. Sinner, look and run to the One who has kept you alive and out of Hell this long to give you the opportunity to be saved. You cannot imagine how bad your life might have been without His intervention. No matter how bad it is here, this will be your only joy and taste of Heaven you will ever know. Don’t turn away. Trust Jesus and you will see that the Lord is good. Maranatha!!
