NO MAN HAS SEEN GOD

Yes, the scripture is true, "No man has seen God at any time", and some preachers like to quote this passage. Is it to the satisfaction of their flesh, or of the spirit? Or is it of the fear in the flesh? Yes, fear God, when you do wrong. But have no fear of a presence of God when you are his!

God is seen in us

Let us consider the whole verse. What apostle is teaching us here, that we cannot prove to others and even ourselves an existence of God by the sight of two carnal eyes, but by loving one another, which I say, gives us spiritual eyes to "see" of God, though partially for now (1 Corinthians 13:12). We are not to look for external signs of God, but rather the "sign" should dwell in us that we love one another. That is what distinguishes us from some other men, men of the world, who will not see - acknowledge God, true God, anywhere, because there is no light in them, no love in them for God and his saints. But you, in whom God dwells, can, my brothers and sisters, "see" God within yourselves, as his love is perfected in you. And thus, this love being demonstrated within and outward, causes so that some of the other men might also "see" and notice something different in you, love and light, and might come to the acknowledge of God.

Filled of God

Now, to what the scripture says, that "No man has seen God at any time". But can one be filled with God? Is it not that his filling in you is feeling of God in you, and is "seeing" of God in you? In Ephesians 3:19 it says, … and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. [emphasis added] 

Godhead bodily

And can one see and had seen a manifestation, a revelation, a vision, a form, a person of God and live? Yes. Who? Had anyone seen a person of God? Of course. The ones who had seen the Godhead bodily, the Christ Jesus. 

Emmanuel

We know that many thousands had seen Jesus, the Son of the living God, which is God, who, being in the form of God (Philippians 2:6), was made in the likeness of men and walked among people and they did see him. Did they all who had seen him, considered him as God? No, many thought of him as a prophet, a rabbi (teacher), man only (John 6:63), and not God (John 6:42). They did not see God in him. So again, some men did not see God even he was in front of them. They did see a man, but not God in him. Why is it? The Father in heaven did not reveal it to them, because of their unbelief. But he revealed it to some (see Matthew 16:17), as others with their carnal eyes, spiritually blind, did not see him for what he was and is, the Christ, the Son of the living God.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44

He lived!

Isaiah, in chapter 6 (Isaiah 6:1), says that he "saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Then he says, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Note, "I am undone", Isaiah says. Was he undone? No! He lived! His iniquity was taken away, and his sin purged. And he was sent.

Fear not

And, my brothers and sisters, who wrote this passage that "No man hath seen God at any time?" St. John, beloved apostle, whom Jesus loved (John 21:7), who walked with Jesus the Lord, NOT AS A CARNAL MAN, but as one of the Lord's loved, and he has seen the Son of God in the flesh and blood, in flesh and bones (John 20:19, Luke 24:39). And in the Spirit, when in Revelation 1 he says: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10), and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega," and a few verses after he says: "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:" (Revelation 1:17). So, St. John must not mean Jesus, when he says, "No man have seen God". My brothers and sisters do not be frightened, do not be told that you can be only faithful with your heads in the sand. Sure, do not look for sights and signs of God, as the "sign" - witness which matter the most, is already in you, if you believe. Live by faith, not by sight, but neither insist on blindness, which is of the god of this world. Allow seeing to follow your faith. In the most beautiful and simplest way the Lord also somehow revealed himself to you, when you believed. But do not be afraid of more. Thus, note also, what Jesus, our Lord, says to John, and I believe, in an extension also onto us: "Fear not". Fear not, O man of God, to be brought into the presence of God.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

So, who can "see" and who cannot?

Whoever God, by the Spirit of God, which is the power of God, chooses to reveal himself to, by his grace and his light, manifesting himself in a form of his choosing to his child, "consuming" him in love and righteousness. Fear not, my brothers and sisters, and leave it to God, the things of God, how, and upon whom, and when he may perform it. Do not burden yourself with it, that you must have additional certain special revelations from God. No! But neither say that you cannot have it, and your brother and sister cannot have it either. No CARNAL men could have seen - recognize God for who he is, true God. And when they had seen one, the Son of God, who is equal with God, they did not acknowledge him as God, and such they did not claim that they did see God! But with God all things are possible, and he can, when it pleases him, manifest himself according to his purpose, to a man of God, his disciple, being ministered by the Spirit of the Lord. It's spiritual. It comes by grace through faith in Christ. Do you believe it?

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 

Men vs. brethren

In the scripture, many times there is a difference between men in general, and brethren, people of God. In Genesis 45:1, it says, "And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren." (Emphasis mine.) How is it that the scripture tells that no man stood with Joseph, when there were men, his brethren with him? The scripture, in certain passages, separates the men (Egyptians in this case, Gentiles) from the brethren (God's people). No man, but brethren... And Joseph, also here a picture of the Christ Jesus, made himself known unto his brethren, while "no man" stood with him.

 And their eyes were opened

After his resurrection, our Lord Jesus, in one of his many appearances to brethren, drew near to two of them which were leaving Jerusalem to their village and went with them. In Luke 24:16 scripture tells us that, "... their eyes were holden that they should not know him". Even though they knew him from before they were not able to recognize him now by the power of the Lord. In verse 30 and 31 scripture continues: " And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." Our Lord Jesus made himself known again to his disciples at his own choosing. Over 500 brethren had seen our Lord Jesus Christ after his resurrection.

 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. [emphasis added] Luke 10:22

What is it then?

The scripture is true, and does not contradict itself, but we - men, or rather we - saints, separated from the world, ought to pray for each other and for ourselves, that the Father of glory may give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in being enlightened by the holy text:

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23

Yeah, brothers and sisters, we can see the goodness of the Lord in us. He does make himself known to us. Yeah, he can be revealed to us through the unsearchable riches of his ways, and yeah, he, the Spirit of the Lord, is with you and in you, if you are his. Do you believe it? Are you a child of God?

And I did "see" him in me, and did "see" me in him, not in the carnal flesh and blood, as the flesh can do nothing, but in flesh and bones, yeah, as being changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. Amen.

-By Lubomir