Why God reveals Himself to us more subtly than we might like.
Let’s consider “what if.” What if there was more proof?
a. If God bowled us over with evidence, it would negate love.
Imagine if God reveals Himself to the point that everyone “has to” believe in Him (if it would be possible). The problem with such a scenario is that there would be no love relationship with Him, it would be forced relationship.
The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard imagined a king who loved a humble maiden. He had all the power to force her to come to his palace, marry him and be crowned the queen. But that would not mean that she loved him. It would probably mean the opposite.
The king could easily overwhelm a cringing maiden. But that is not what he wanted. He wanted her love.
In a similar way, God wants our love. He has certainly displayed His power through creation and given plenty of evidence for belief, (see my points below). But most of all He wants us to love Him.
He wants us to say with the Apostle John “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 KJV)
Love doesn’t come through pressure; it comes through desire.
b. Even if God revealed Himself more dramatically, many or most would still refuse to believe.
Some people seem to think that if God did a miracle, then they’d believe. Maybe they would. However, virtually no manner of miracle would convince those who refuse to believe and receive God’s love.
That’s exactly what happened when Jesus lived on earth. He did many amazing miracles. Yet most still didn’t believe. In fact, they eventually screamed for His crucifixion.
If God did miracles, some would think:
-It’s an illusion
-I must be hallucinating
-Someone’s playing a trick on me
-I mustn’t be hustled by a conman
For those who refuse to believe, virtually no amount of evidence will convince.