Why don't God show Himself to everybody?

[antho91]

Dear all,

I was in a discussion recently. This guy came to the discussion that why don't God show Himself like He did to Saul, who was at that time a very strong persecutor of Christianity, so that the unbelievers have better chance of believing in Him, without interfering our freewill.

These are the premises he offered to me:

p. God is all-powerful
p. God loves us all (even the sinners and the ones who do not believe he exists)
p. Those who don't believe in God, will spend eternity in Hell suffering
p. God wants everyone to choose to believe in him
p. By God appearing to people (like he did the prophets), and giving them information about the future, it significantly increases their chances for believing in God
p. God's appearing to people does not take away their free will
p. God does not appear to everyone (like he did the prophets)
c. Therefore God could save countless people from an eternity of Hell but he chooses not to

Those premises that I bold and coloured are the important ones. I wish to hear from you all some opinions on this issue.

God bless!

 

[biggandyy]

A little perspective on time is in order. The Old Testament covers nearly 2,000 years of recorded history and in that time span God manifested Himself only on a few occasions. Many of the Prophets received the Word of the Lord either in a dream/meditation, or some other non-corporeal manner.

The norm was for God to NOT put Himself on display like a store mannequin for the approval of men. The created universe is enough evidence to convict a nonbeliever for his unbelief.

The New Testament covers less than 100 years and centers around two men primarily, Christ and Paul and only one of those two wasn't God already.

The premises listed above are all part of a false dilemma fallacy. God seeks only His own council on the decisions He makes and how we perceive His choices are not part of His decision making process.

Again, the naked universe is enough to bring a man to knowledge of the Creator, the revelation of Christ in scripture is the means we have to come to know and love that Creator.

 

[Vengle]

p. God is all-powerful – Yes, and wise enough to know how to reveal his Son to only those who would truly appreciate him and allow him to introduce them to the Father. (Matthew 11:27)

p. God loves us all (even the sinners and the ones who do not believe he exists) – Yes, and that makes it all the more ashamed that we would cling to things he hates so that he is forced to have to refuse us. It is a horrible lack of appreciation on our part don’t you think? For the many good things he allows us, let’s talk about those good things He showers us with.

p. Those who don't believe in God, will spend eternity in Hell suffering – Those who do not believe in God at this moment may believe in God eventually. And those that do not will return from where they came. If they are not God’s children then they must be children of from where they came. Why not let the children go home?

p. God wants everyone to choose to believe in him – God wants everyone to learn how to stop hurting each other and stop destroying the creatures and works which are precious to His heart. Is that not what you desire in your home?

p. By God appearing to people (like he did the prophets), and giving them information about the future, it significantly increases their chances for believing in God – If you obey me when I am present with you does that guarantee you will obey me when I am away? But if you had faith in me you would obey me both when I am with you and when I am away, would you not?

p. God's appearing to people does not take away their free will – Neither does it by itself teach us all that we need to learn. Don’t you think that God in His wisdom would know the best way to teach us? And don’t you think a God who loves us enough to tolerate us despite our destructiveness of His works would also want to choose the best way to teach us?

p. God does not appear to everyone (like he did the prophets) – if I love committing adultery and in my heart I see nothing wrong with it, would God’s merely appearing to me change that; or now that I knew for sure He is real would I just put on a show and pretend that it did so that he would not punish me?

c. Therefore God could save countless people from an eternity of Hell but he chooses not to – Who do you really believe knows the best ways possible to save people?

 

[Episkopos]

Dear all,

I was in a discussion recently. This guy came to the discussion that why don't God show Himself like He did to Saul, who was at that time a very strong persecutor of Christianity, so that the unbelievers have better chance of believing in Him, without interfering our freewill.

These are the premises he offered to me:

p. God is all-powerful
p. God loves us all (even the sinners and the ones who do not believe he exists)
p. Those who don't believe in God, will spend eternity in Hell suffering
p. God wants everyone to choose to believe in him
p. By God appearing to people (like he did the prophets), and giving them information about the future, it significantly increases their chances for believing in God
p. God's appearing to people does not take away their free will
p. God does not appear to everyone (like he did the prophets)
c. Therefore God could save countless people from an eternity of Hell but he chooses not to

Those premises that I bold and coloured are the important ones. I wish to hear from you all some opinions on this issue.

God bless!

We will be judged according to what we have been given. So if you have seen the Lord, you will be judged more harshly.

Are you saying that you think that God should radicalize His judgments?

 

[veteran]

Dear all,

I was in a discussion recently. This guy came to the discussion that why don't God show Himself like He did to Saul, who was at that time a very strong persecutor of Christianity, so that the unbelievers have better chance of believing in Him, without interfering our freewill.

These are the premises he offered to me:

p. God is all-powerful
p. God loves us all (even the sinners and the ones who do not believe he exists)
p. Those who don't believe in God, will spend eternity in Hell suffering
p. God wants everyone to choose to believe in him
p. By God appearing to people (like he did the prophets), and giving them information about the future, it significantly increases their chances for believing in God
p. God's appearing to people does not take away their free will
p. God does not appear to everyone (like he did the prophets)
c. Therefore God could save countless people from an eternity of Hell but he chooses not to

Those premises that I bold and coloured are the important ones. I wish to hear from you all some opinions on this issue.

God bless!

The premises in bold-red are to lead to the false conclusion of no.c.

Saul (Paul) was a 'chosen vessel' by Christ (Acts 9). It's about election, those who Christ 'sent' into the world per John 17. Their purpose being, to take The Gospel to others that would hear and believe through their preaching. The OT Patriarchs and prophets served as chosen elect like that too. With Christ striking Saul down on the road to Damascus, it did influence his free will choice, for Saul had a letter of authority from the Jews to hunt down Christians.

So the real question is, why does God have an election prepared in The Gospel? That should be easy to answer; it's so others would hear The Gospel through their word, like John 17 reveals.

And since The Gospel of Jesus Christ has gone out to all nations, what is preventing the nations from hearing and believing? That's more as to the answer than attempting to blame God for not revealing Himself like He did with Saul, et al.

 

[aspen]

God knows human nature.

1. If He appeared like a jinn every time we asked Him - we would immediately attempt to control Him.
2. Gamblers and dog trainers know that a reward system that pays people off randomly is the most powerfully addictive system on Earth.
3. Today's science is yesterday's magic - As soon as God's presence became familiar we would take it for granted until He amazed us with a bigger miracle.

With these truths in mind, it becomes clear that a saving relationship would not be possible in a Fallen world if it was predictable.

 

[prism]

God has a funny way of revealing Himself... as a babe in swaddling cloths, through the mouth of a country preacher, through a beggar on a bus, through a Carpenter on a bloody cross. His ways seem a bit removed from ours.