Gavin Ortlund, an expert on divine transcendence and the incarnation, explores why God doesn't make Himself obvious. They discuss misplaced expectations, the limitations of human understanding, and the veiled nature of God's revelation through Jesus. They also address the unfairness objection and emphasize the importance of missions and seeking God.
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insights INSIGHT
Divine Hiddenness and Expectations
God's love might not look how we expect.
Consider the possibility of a partially hidden God with purpose.
insights INSIGHT
The Nature of Revelation
A full, unambiguous revelation of God might not be beneficial.
This world is a realm of becoming, not just being.
insights INSIGHT
Incarnation and Humility
Jesus's incarnation and humble circumstances demonstrate God's hiddenness and revelation.
This hiddenness serves a loving purpose.
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Gavin Ortlund to answer the question; why doesn't God make Himself more obvious?Questions Covered in This Episode:
Why doesn't God make Himself more obvious?
What is divine transcendence?
How does the incarnation affect this conversation?
How is Jesus the image of the invisible God?
Why would God use sinful humans to reveal Himself to others instead of something more obvious?
What does the Bible say about sin and why is it so offensive?
What about the people who have never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus?
How should I pray?
Helpful Definitions:
Divine Transcendence: God is high and lofty and beyond our ability to fully understand. We shouldn’t expect that we will fully understand everything about God based on our moment-by-moment intuitions.
Incarnation: God becoming a man in Christ.
Guest Bio:Dr. Gavin Ortlund is a pastor, author, speaker, and apologist for the Christian faith. He runs the YouTube channel Truth Unites, which seeks to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. Gavin has a Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary in historical theology, and an M.Div from Covenant Theological Seminary. He is the author of eight books as well as numerous academic and popular articles. Gavin is a fellow of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, a fellow of The Center for Baptist Renewal, a fellow of Credo, a member of St. Basil Fellowship of The Center for Pastor Theologians, and a Visiting Scholar at Reasons to Believe.Resources Mentioned:
Colossians 1, Romans 10:15, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7
Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin 