Sermon: Seeing God Face to Face
Theme: The Promise of Contemplating God's Presence
Introduction
A. Throughout history, the human heart has harbored a deep and ancient desire to see God face to face. Some have searched for signs, others have explored the vastness of the heavens or the depths of science, but our physical sight has always reached the limit of the invisible.
B. Many people reject faith because they cannot see God with their natural eyes. Others, with wavering belief, wish to see Him in order to believe. However, the Scripture is clear: faith does not come by sight, but by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).
C. Nevertheless, the Bible—the truth of God—reveals that there is a way, a glorious day, when we will be able to see God as He is. And that way is summarized in one requirement: faithfulness and holiness.
D. Question: Do you long to see God face to face? In this study of Scripture, we will uncover what the Bible teaches about that greatest human aspiration.
Only the faithful, those with clean hearts and holy lives, will be able to see God face to face.
Who will see God face to face, and how can we prepare for that day?
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I. Many Have Desired to See God, But Could Not
A. An Ancient Human Desire
The longing to see God is as old as humanity:
• Hagar believed she had seen God, calling Him "The God Who Sees" (Genesis 16:13), but it was the Angel of the LORD who spoke to her (v. 11).
• Jacob thought he had seen God face to face at Peniel (Genesis 32:30), but the prophet Hosea clarifies that he wrestled with an angel (Hosea 12:4).
• The people of Israel wanted to approach and see God at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:21), but God warned them—under penalty of death—to keep their distance.
B. The Human Impossibility
The problem lies with our current condition:
• Moses, the man closest to God, asked to see His glory (Exodus 33:18-20), but the Lord gave him a solemn reply: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
• With this mortal, corruptible, and weak body, we cannot endure the immensity, power, and radiance of His glory (1 Corinthians 15:40–44).
• Only when we are transformed into glorious, incorruptible bodies will we be capable of contemplating His presence without being destroyed.
C. Biblical Testimonies
• The prophet Isaiah believed he had seen the Lord "sitting on a throne, high and lifted up" (Isaiah 6:1) and thought he would die for being an unclean man (Isaiah 6:5).
• Despite these partial, mediated visions, the Scripture firmly states: “No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12).
• God dwells in unapproachable light, "whom no one has seen or can see" (1 Timothy 6:16).
• The only perfect manifestation of God has been in Jesus Christ: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In Christ, God made Himself visible and tangible.
II. God Has Manifested Himself Through His Created Works
Although we have not seen Him face to face, we are not without His testimony.
A. Creation Reveals God
• “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1, ESV).
• “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).
• Everything created, from the vastest galaxy to the smallest cell, speaks of His eternal power and divine nature, clearly perceived through the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).
B. No Excuse for Unbelief
• Even though we have not seen Him in His essence, creation is a visible, constant, and sufficient testimony to His existence.
• His glory, wisdom, and power are revealed in everything He has done.
• Therefore, no one can reasonably claim that God does not exist. The creation is His signature upon the universe.
III. Who Will See God Face to Face?
We have established that natural man cannot see God, and that His testimony is in creation. But who will finally be able to behold His glory? The Bible gives us the answer.
A. The Pure in Heart
• Jesus declared it in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
• Purity of heart here does not mean sinless perfection—for we are saved by grace—but sincerity, faithfulness, a holy life, and pure motives before God. It is a heart that has been cleansed by faith in Christ and longs only to please Him.
• God looks for internal cleansing, not just an external facade.
B. Those Who Live in Holiness
• The writer of Hebrews is unambiguous: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
• Seeing God requires a life set apart from sin, guided by the Spirit, and faithful in obedience. Holiness is not an option; it is a prerequisite for entering God’s presence.
C. The Transformed Children of God
• The Apostle John gave us this glorious promise: “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” (1 John 3:2).
• In heaven, the redeemed will receive glorified bodies, finally capable of contemplating the glory of God without fear or death. Our transformation is our preparation for His presence.
See Also
- Preaching on Romans 8:35 Who Can Separate Us from the Love of Christ?
- Preaching on Great Flood: Lessons for our Spiritual Lives
- Preaching on Oneness of the Church
Conclusion
A. No one has ever seen God in His fullness, but we have the sure promise that one day we will see Him face to face.
B. Only the faithful, the pure in heart, and the holy will have that glorious privilege.
C. Today, we know Him through Christ and through the works of His creation, but soon we will see Him in His ultimate glory.
D. Let us live in faithfulness and holiness, so that when that day arrives, we may joyfully say:
“Face to face in His glory, my Redeemer I shall see.”
Amen.
