Some skeptics may put off the idea of God’s existence simply because they cannot see Him, and so they conclude that there is no way of knowing whether or not He exists.

We should keep in mind that there are many things in life that we believe in but cannot see.

There are subatomic particles we cannot see, but we believe in them. There are effects of nature, such as gravity, that we cannot see (although we can feel its effects), but we still believe in them. There are laws of logic on the basis of which we live our lives that we cannot observe, but we still know they are real.

In Christian theology, God by definition cannot be seen because He is a Spirit being (without flesh and bones – Luke 24:39, John 4:24).

The reasoning that ‘you cannot believe in God because you cannot see Him’ is what scholars call a ‘category fallacy.’ It is akin to denying the existence of a musical note because it cannot be smelled. Similarly applying a physical criteria to a non-physical entity commits the same fallacy.

Thirdly, we cannot see God in His full glory during our time on earth, as He now requires us to seek Him by faith. Although Adam and Eve had direct fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden, they disobeyed His command. As a result, faith has become essential in our relationship with God, as we are called to trust and believe in Him without seeing Him directly.

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Moreover, even though we cannot see God, the Christian faith reveals God to us through the person of Jesus Christ.

John 14:9 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Last but not least, one of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is what we call in theology the beatific vision or the vision of God as written in 1st John;

1 John 3:2 (NKJV)

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Basically, what John is saying that the very essence and substance of God, currently hidden from our sight, will one day be seen in all its glory, majesty, and splendor in heaven.

Until that day, the scriptures consistently tell us that no one can see God and live; this is because God is holy, and we are not (Exodus 33:20). Even Moses who was considered righteous was not permitted to see the unveiled glory of God, rather he was only allowed to catch a refracted glimpse of His back parts (Exodus. 33:23).

Exodus 33:18-23 (NKJV)

18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

19 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.” 

20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 

21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 

22 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. 

23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God has been invisible to humans, but not because He is incapable of being seen. It’s not our eyes, but our hearts that are the problem.

The reason God remains invisible to us is because our hearts aren’t pure, and we can’t see him until we are completely purified in our glorification (occurs when we die).

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, promised that someday, a certain group of people would see God.

Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

So in conclusion, the inability to see God does not diminish His reality but rather underscores the nature of faith. While our current understanding is limited, we can hold to the promise of a full revelation of God. Until then, faith remains the lens through which we perceive and relate to God.