The Unknown God

For many today, God remains “unknown,” a concept that Paul encountered in Athens, where he discovered an altar dedicated to the unknown God (Acts 17:23). Despite embracing many idols as gods, they still sensed the need to acknowledge a God above all, yet were unable to truly comprehend Him. This sentiment persists today, as people across the globe continue to perceive God as unknown. Indeed, while God is unseen, He is not unknown, as He unveils His presence each morning through the gift of new grace. Even Moses, at the outset, found God to be enigmatic when he inquired about His name. The expectation of a specific name or image of God underscores a lack of understanding of His true nature. In response, God declared to Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14), illustrating that He possesses no proper noun, as He is the singular, preeminent Being.

Idols that Make God Unknown

God seeks to reveal Himself through His creation, having made them in His own image. Regrettably, mankind lost their Godly image due to disobedience. This disobedience has been perpetuated across generations through misconceptions regarding God’s nature, leading many to not understanding His true nature. Instead, they became instruments in the hands of the devil, limiting God’s characteristics according to their own understanding.

In the Old Testament, the people benefited from God’s presence; however, they required guidance to comprehend His presence. In the absence of their leader, they found it challenging to encounter His presence, prompting them to create idols—objects that were visible and tangible. As they struggled to perceive God’s touch, they found solace in reverently engaging with these idols. These idols were then honored by people while the living God remains unknown to them.

Paul criticized the idolators for concealing the existence of God, who plainly reveals Himself through His creations (Romans 1:18-20). Through His prophet Isaiah, God provided a detailed explanation of how these idols were crafted from wood, which was abundantly available due to God’s provision of rain for the trees to grow. Subsequently, individuals utilized this wood for cooking and warmth during colder days, and after using it, they chose to carve idols from the remnants and began to worship them. God further stated that, despite their awareness of the idols’ impotence, they beseech these creations to save them (Isaiah 44:14-17). They did not desire to remain with the living God, so in order to continue in sin without restraint, they crafted for themselves a god they could control—a creation of their own hands.

This scenario mirrors that of the founders of social organizations who designate their relatives as board members of a trust, notwithstanding their lack of capacity to manage funds appropriately, as they seek to utilize the trust’s assets for personal gain. In a similar way, individuals often choose to maintain authority over their inanimate creations rather than yield to the sovereignty of the true Living God.

Miracles Fail to Reveal God

To Pharaoh, God made Himself known through various signs; however, despite these manifestations, Pharaoh never genuinely acknowledged God. In contemporary times, numerous servants of God place their reliance on signs and wonders as a means to reveal God’s existence to those who are unacquainted with Him. Unfortunately, the outcome is that people become increasingly drawn to these signs and wonders, developing ever-growing expectations over time without establishing a relationship with God. Those servants of God who depend exclusively on signs and wonders are inadvertently allowing the devil to perform miracles within their congregations.

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 (NIV)

The Israelites who were liberated from Egypt were captivated by the miracle performed by God at the Red Sea; however, they did not grasp the depth of God’s love. Consequently, through the prophet Isaiah, God presented Himself as the miracle worker at the Red Sea (Isaiah 43:16-17) and urged the people to refrain from recalling the past, encouraging them instead to realise the new works that He was doing in their lives. God emphasizes that past miracles are irrelevant today, urging the focus on new grace for transformation into a new creation.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Why Isn’t God Known by Everyone?

Through the prophet Isaiah, God conveyed revelations about Himself in a manner distinct from His other servants. While God was consistently prepared to validate the words of His ministers, they often focused on promoting themselves and their organizations rather than fulfilling their duty to connect people with God. They did not take the initiative to make God known to them, nor did they establish for them a direct connection with God.

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?
Ezekiel 34:2 (NIV)

In the context of the government, established protocols exist to ascertain the status of high-ranking officials. Political operatives frequently extol their leaders to enhance their visibility among the populace, often with the ulterior motive of securing positions when their leaders achieve electoral success. Similarly, the disciples of Jesus were influenced by the expectation of gaining authority within the Roman government, believing that Jesus would overthrow it and establish His kingdom.

This notion was articulated by the two disciples who, upon encountering the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus, failed to recognize Him. They struggle to grasp the veracity of Jesus’ words, despite His foretelling of all that would transpire in relation to Him, in order that they may not be dismayed when those events occur (John 16:1-4). It is saddening that in the book of Isaiah, God introduces Himself to people as there are no one to make Him known to the people. For this reason, God said,

…Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come— yes, let them foretell what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
Isaiah 44:6-8 (NIV)

There are people designated to stand in the gap, as the scriptures have summoned them to do (Ezekiel 22:30) and engage in unceasing prayer for the salvation of all mankind. In response to God’s call, “whom shall I send,” people are often emotionally stirred by uplifting sermons from various leaders and commit themselves to serving Him.

However, God does not call people merely to send others; rather, He calls them to be His witnesses wherever they are, regardless of their situation or ability. Thus, in the early Church, He scattered His people to different places through persecution, and in the present day, He does so by placing them in occupations that take them far from their hometowns.

Yet many are unwilling to embrace this calling—to live in a way that reflects God’s presence to those who do not know Him. Instead, they are ready to step away from the roles God has placed them in, seeking instead what they think as service to Him. It is noteworthy that, although no one individual stands as a true witness for God, He declares Himself to be the eternal One—who was from the beginning and will remain until the end—continually affirming this truth throughout the ages, as seen in the Book of Revelation.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:13 (NIV)

Should we not strive to become His witnesses by leading a transformed life and actively participate in revealing Him to the entire world?

We Are The New Creations

God commands us not to perform miracles but rather to serve as a testimony for Him through the transformed lives that we attain through Jesus. Matthew did not perform any miraculous acts to instill a fervent devotion to Jesus in the heart of his colleague Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9). Perhaps they never even met during their service in the Roman government. However, the transformed life of a tax collector encouraged another tax collector to approach Jesus and to lead a life anchored in truth by relinquishing all that he had unjustly acquired to the poor. If we are in Christ, we are new creations, and this serves as our testimony to others.

Though God is not widely acknowledged, the truth remains that there exists a living God who guides everyone through the vast unknowns and complexities of life’s challenges. When an someone comes to know God and endeavors to impart that knowledge to others, they illuminate the pathway for those who traverse uncharted territories. The Word of God serves as the singular source for embarking upon this great unknown, providing illumination to our steps and forging a path through the obscurity of existence (Psalm 119:105). When one leads a transformed life, it inevitably reflects the presence of God to others, prompting them to seek Him (Matthew 5:16). Furthermore, as we become His children by emulating Jesus, God helps us stay on His path and that serves as a testament to those around us.

God, who has forgiven our sins, has simultaneously extended His forgiveness to others, even if they remain unaware of this truth. To complicate their understanding of the forgiveness of sins, which is purely granted by the grace of God, church leaders often depend on baptisms, misleading individuals into believing that this ritual absolves them of their past transgressions. Consequently, there exists a multitude of individuals seeking liberation by immersing themselves in the waters of holy rivers, as prescribed by religious leaders in various regions of the world. Setting aside these religious practices, let us strive to reveal God to those who are not familiar with Him by embodying the new creation in Jesus Christ.

Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.
Isaiah 44:8 (NIV)

If we are truly eager to see the fulfilment of God’s prophecies, are we equally willing to transform our lives to align with His purpose? If not, then we ourselves contribute to the fact that God remains unknown to the people of the world.