Many of the people reading this article haven’t attended church in a long time, but perhaps you remember some of the old hymns from school assemblies etc. One which may have puzzled you has the following first verse:
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
The hymn seems to be suggesting that God is beyond our understanding or comprehension. Is God really so distant that we mere mortals cannot comprehend him? Can we come to a place in our lives where through Jesus we can come to know the invisible God?
There was a man called Ian Thomas who was born in 1914. He served as a major in the Second World War and later went on to become the principal of Capernwray Bible College in the North West of England.
One day Major Thomas was standing in the grounds of the college talking with a colleague when a group of German hikers approached. One of the group strode up to Major Thomas and rather mischievously asked him “What is your purpose in life?”
Major Thomas turned and immediately said “My purpose is to make the invisible God visible, what is yours?”
The hiker was stunned by the rapid and succinct response and burst into tears. Major Thomas took the man to one side and explained more about the God he knew and loved and led the man to a relationship with Christ.
It is certainly true that God the Father is invisible, always has been and always will be, but the invisible God sent His one and only Son to earth to be the visible image of God.
Just a month ago we were celebrating the birth of Jesus in a little town called Bethlehem and in three months we will be remembering his death on a cruel cross outside the city of Jerusalem; 33 years of life condensed into four months. However, it was 33 years of amazing life, performing miracles, healing the sick, teaching by parable and demonstrating the love of God to all around; a life that was brought to a very early end when jealous Jews and cruel Romans hung him on a cross to die. The power of the invisible God continued as Jesus was raised from the dead to walk the earth for a further six weeks before being taken up into heaven to prepare a place for all who believe to live forever in the presence of the now revealed invisible God.
For two thousand years people have come to know Jesus and through Him the invisible Father God. Lives have been changed, relationships have been restored and sins have been forgiven.
Have you been in that place where you long to know more about the invisible God?
Have you longed for a relationship with God, but have always felt that you weren’t good enough?
Perhaps you’ve thought that your wrong doings were beyond redemption? The Bible tells us in John 3:16 “For (the invisible) God so loved the world, that He gave His only (visible) Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
It’s true! Whoever believes – there are no exceptions, no ifs or buts – whoever believes can have eternal life.
Wellspring Victory Church meets every Sunday at 11am and we would love to tell you more about our relationship with the God who has become visible to us through His Son Jesus.
