What causes God to hide his face?

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A

Ariel82

Guest
#21
#21
Interesting and unexpected answers. Will have to read and pray about all response and the article given.

Never questioned the statement that God hides his face from us.

Sometimes when my kids make me mad, I send them to their room because I didn't want to see their unrepentant faces or arguments about why they were fighting, not sharing, breaking the rules.

I make them sit in time out until they repent, stop throwing a tantrum and have open humble hearts.

We talk about what happened, why they were wrong. They apologize and we brainstorm ways to prevent this from happening again. Problem solve ways to get what they want without snatching, hitting, hitting or accept that they don't always get what they want but because of love we will always give them what they need.


So the phrase "God turns his face" means to me that He is chastening us and allowing certain things to happen in our lives to bring about repentance.

Going back and finishing my bike ride be back later.
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#22
#22
Grace777x70 said:
How do we overcome so that God will not hid His face from us and blot out our names from the Book of Life?

How do we overcome? John gives us the answer:

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4)

Overcoming is not about jumping through hoops and satisfying the expectations of men. It’s about depending on The Overcomer who lives in you.

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 Jn 5:4-5)

Are you born of God? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? If yes, then the Overcomer lives in you and you can’t help but be an overcomer.

That’s why Jesus told the disciples to be encouraged during times of tribulation; because He – not they – had overcome the world and because they would carry his overcoming Spirit within them.

We are called to fight the good fight of faith! Believe in what Christ has done and His life will be manifested in every circumstance of our life while on this earth.

God doesn't hide His face from His children once we are in Christ.
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Reminded me of a song, sometimes I just can't help it ... lol :)

[video=youtube;b8VoUYtx0kw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8VoUYtx0kw[/video]
 
wolfwint

wolfwint

Senior Member
#23
Feb 15, 2014
3,778
943
113
62
#23
Grace777x70 said:
I don't see in the New Covenant that God hides Himself from the one who is in Christ. Hiding Himself is an Old Covenant theme that doesn't come over into the New Covenant. How would He hide from us? We are joined as one spirit with Him now? 1 Cor. 6:17

We are seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father. Col. 3:1-5

Hebrews said to come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in time of need - so sin or trouble doesn't separate us. Why would it say to come boldly when we didn't need Him? He is not hiding Himself. As soon as we rid of that thought in our minds from that Old Covenant notion - we'll start to grow in the Lord.


Perhaps in reality what is happening is that we don't "feel" Him or emotionally we are distraught and we "think He is hiding" and also because of Old Covenant teaching - we "think" He is hiding. He may be just teaching us how to live by faith when we don't have the "feelings that He is close or we think He is hiding".

IMO - Keeping our eyes on Jesus and being established in the grace of God and the gift of righteousness in Christ will go a long way to helping us from not being deceived by the things of this world.
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grace777x70, a agree with you, except with your saying about Col.3,1-5, Jesus is sitting at the rigth hand of the father, not we. according to the text!
1.If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry:



Also one argument that God is not hiding himself, is the fact he is our father now and we are his children!
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#24
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
71
#24
Ariel82 said:
What causes God to hide His face from us?

Is it when we sin or break His laws? Is it when we turn our face from Him and seek after the temptations of this world? Is it when we hold onto anger and bitterness and refuse to forgive others?

What are the causes?

What are the results?

And is it a bad thing if it cause death of the flesh and a renewal by the Holy Spirit?

Psalm 104
You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath,
they die and return to their dust.

You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works.
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Off the top of my head, maybe the Lord shows us the path, but we refuse to follow. At that point, what can he say?
 
Grace777x70

Grace777x70

Banned
#25
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,431
0
#25
wolfwint said:
grace777x70, a agree with you, except with your saying about Col.3,1-5, Jesus is sitting at the rigth hand of the father, not we. according to the text!
1.If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry:



Also one argument that God is not hiding himself, is the fact he is our father now and we are his children!
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I agree - I should have included Ephesians too....Paul says in Ephesians that we are "seated with Christ" so when we put that with Col. 3 - it speaks to me anyway that we are with Him where he is seated.

If He is at the right hand of the Father - so are we spiritually because we are one spirit with Him. Our minds will find this thought hard to grasp.

I do agree that physically that only Jesus will be literally sitting on the right hand of the Father and we will be forever under His Lordship and authority. He is the Head and we are the body.

Eph. 2:4-6 would have been a clearer text on this. Thanks.

Ephesians 2:4-6 (NASB)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

[SUP]5 [/SUP] even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

[SUP]6 [/SUP] and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Colossians 3:1 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#26
#26
Ariel82 said:
Interesting and unexpected answers. Will have to read and pray about all response and the article given.

Never questioned the statement that God hides his face from us.

Sometimes when my kids make me mad, I send them to their room because I didn't want to see their unrepentant faces or arguments about why they were fighting, not sharing, breaking the rules.

I make them sit in time out until they repent, stop throwing a tantrum and have open humble hearts.

We talk about what happened, why they were wrong. They apologize and we brainstorm ways to prevent this from happening again. Problem solve ways to get what they want without snatching, hitting, hitting or accept that they don't always get what they want but because of love we will always give them what they need.


So the phrase "God turns his face" means to me that He is chastening us and allowing certain things to happen in our lives to bring about repentance.

Going back and finishing my bike ride be back later.
Click to expand...

“...their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Heb. 10:17
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#27
#27
Sorry when God looks at me, He sees me. My imperfections, mistakes and weaknesses. Yet He still loves me. He also sees who I can become, who He will make me into.

Yes, I am clothed in Christ righteousness. It is my breastplate when the enemy tries to destroy my peace or attack my heart with lies and temptations.

However, God is not our enemy.

He is my loving Father and when I do not do the good I know I should; it is a sin and wrong. He has kept me from doing gross sins but I still feel His rod of correction because I am still being train towards His righteousness.

If you know someone is starving but you don't go out of your way to offer them food, then God will convict you. Will you listen and the next time you are tested pass the test?

Some people pray for the virtues of Christian living like patience, yet don't realize HOW God does this.

Patience is learnt through trials and testing of your faith.

Righteous is establish by chastenment.

When God turns His face from His children, it causes death of those things that need to die: the flesh.

God's Holy Fire comes and burns to ash any stubble and hay in our life and refresh us with His Holy Spirit. Showing us what beliefs and works are Gold and what was just dirty rags..

Has no one else felt as David?

Those moments in our life when we realise that God has turned his face from us? When we stop being distracted by the babbles of this world and our own lusts and desires, to realise how far away we have walked from God? Have you ever looked back and seen how much harm your actions your sin has caused in the lives of others?

Have you never fallen on your knees crying out to God because you are surrounded by ash and dust and death, cry out asking that God turn His face back to you?

Then have you not felt His spirit poured out and been born again, renewed?
 
S

samuel23

Banned
#28
Dec 2, 2016
1,652
26
0
#28
God hiding His face from a believer is not really a NT concept, however there are times when it seems that God is very close and personal and other times when it seems that God is nowhere to be found and we are just here on our own.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#29
#29
FreeNChrist said:
“...their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Heb. 10:17
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Sure after my kids repent, I don't bring it up over and over again. But they sit in timeout until they are repentant because I don't want to look at their defiant faces.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#30
#30
p_rehbein said:
I don't know who this person/Pastor is, but I enjoyed reading his thoughts about this.

Can't copy an excerpt.......but the Article is found here:

Why God Hides His Face From The Righteous - Jesus is Savior

Are you sitting here this morning as one who seems temporarily forsaken by God? Have you sought the will of God and found it evasive? Have you prayed and found your prayers bouncing back in your face? Have you ever come to the place in your life when you examined your heart and you honestly knew there was no gross sin in your life, you knew you were sincere and you knew you were willing to do God's will, yet when you came to God, it was as if He had turned His back on you and had hid His face from you?
]​
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"For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." Isaiah 54:7, 8

I like this verse..​
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#31
#31
Okay, I accept that some of you don't believe God hides His face from you. maybe you have never experienced it.

Is there anyone who has experienced it and Want to talk about what they learnt?

Or even what it meant to David in the OT times?
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#32
#32
Ariel82 said:
Sure after my kids repent, I don't bring it up over and over again. But they sit in timeout until they are repentant because I don't want to look at their defiant faces.
Click to expand...
God's ways are not our ways.
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#33
#33
Ariel82 said:
Sorry when God looks at me, He sees me. My imperfections, mistakes and weaknesses. Yet He still loves me. He also sees who I can become, who He will make me into.

Yes, I am clothed in Christ righteousness. It is my breastplate when the enemy tries to destroy my peace or attack my heart with lies and temptations.

However, God is not our enemy.

He is my loving Father and when I do not do the good I know I should; it is a sin and wrong. He has kept me from doing gross sins but I still feel His rod of correction because I am still being train towards His righteousness.

If you know someone is starving but you don't go out of your way to offer them food, then God will convict you. Will you listen and the next time you are tested pass the test?

Some people pray for the virtues of Christian living like patience, yet don't realize HOW God does this.

Patience is learnt through trials and testing of your faith.

Righteous is establish by chastenment.

When God turns His face from His children, it causes death of those things that need to die: the flesh.

God's Holy Fire comes and burns to ash any stubble and hay in our life and refresh us with His Holy Spirit. Showing us what beliefs and works are Gold and what was just dirty rags..

Has no one else felt as David?

Those moments in our life when we realise that God has turned his face from us? When we stop being distracted by the babbles of this world and our own lusts and desires, to realise how far away we have walked from God? Have you ever looked back and seen how much harm your actions your sin has caused in the lives of others?

Have you never fallen on your knees crying out to God because you are surrounded by ash and dust and death, cry out asking that God turn His face back to you?

Then have you not felt His spirit poured out and been born again, renewed?
Click to expand...
God saw all of your imperfections, mistakes and weaknesses when He placed them on His Son on that cross. And He now remembers them no more. Thank you Jesus. Now when God looks at you He sees the perfect righteousness of His Son.
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#34
#34
Ariel82 said:
Okay, I accept that some of you don't believe God hides His face from you. maybe you have never experienced it.

Is there anyone who has experienced it and Want to talk about what they learnt?

Or even what it meant to David in the OT times?
Click to expand...
To experience that a person would have to live before Jesus times, for today it's not a matter of him turning his face but ours, just like the son who left the farm to see the world the father just simply waved to him, not like in the OT in one of those stories when they were doing the wrong things God turned his face as to not bring harm on to them, they would be a product of their own demise. Though similier as well to the prodigal son story but Just with a gentler compassionate hand..
 
MessageOfTheCross

MessageOfTheCross

Senior Member
#35
Sep 3, 2016
6,344
530
113
#35
Ariel82 said:
What causes God to hide His face from us?

Is it when we sin or break His laws? Is it when we turn our face from Him and seek after the temptations of this world? Is it when we hold onto anger and bitterness and refuse to forgive others?

What are the causes?

What are the results?

And is it a bad thing if it cause death of the flesh and a renewal by the Holy Spirit?

Psalm 104
You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath,
they die and return to their dust.

You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works.
Click to expand...
If a Believer Faith is not placed in Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., The Cross, I.e., The Blood of Jesus, you frustrate the grace of God. You are committing Spiritual Adultery. The Holy Spirit only helps us When the Believers Faith is in Christ and Him Crucified.

Hebrews 10:38-39 King James Version (KJV)[SUP]
38 [/SUP]Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
 
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B

BeyondET

Guest
#36
#36
MessageOfTheCross said:
If a Believer Faith is not placed in Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., The Cross, I.e., The Blood of Jesus, you frustrate the grace of God. You are committing Spiritual Adultery. The Holy Spirit only helps us When the Believers Faith is in Christ and Him Crucified.

Hebrews 10:38-39 King James Version (KJV)[SUP]
38 [/SUP]Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
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I'd agree with most of the first part except the frustrate the grace of God thing, IMO God is the most patience of things.
The writer of Hebrews was making that statement, IMO God isn't a soul but a spirit...
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#37
#37
Thank you p_reb


These are my favorite points, but all of it was great. Thanks so much for sharing. Makes me feel like I wasn't totally off base and others have experienced times when God turns His face from them.

1. He Wants to Keep Us Closer to Him.

Did you know that one can get so busy building a school that he is not as close to God as he should be? Brother Helton, you can get so busy as Registrar of the school that God will say, "I wish you would spend more time with Me. I wish you would get closer to Me. When you got saved, you didn't have all the things to do you have now. You used to spend more time with Me."

So God turns His face and Mr. Helton says, "Hey, Lord, where are you?"
The Lord says, "I'm not going to tell him where I am. I'm going to let him fret for awhile."

2. He Wants Us to Depend More on Him.
The Lord seemed to say, "I had to turn My back on you a bit to let you know that it is not the sermon that gets the job done; it's walking with Me and depending on Me."
3. He Wants to Make His Face Sweeter to Us.
The Lord sometimes turns His eyes from us. He hides His eyes and hides His face. Have you ever been to that place? I have. Oh, listen. I preached one time about six months ago when I was tired and weary and it seemed like there was so much to think about. I had dictated over a hundred letters that day. I had so many decisions to make, money to raise, bills to pay, property to buy and sell, things to approve, staff members to advise and help, and folks to counsel (I counseled about twenty people that day). I was so tired and weary. I went to preach, and oh, the freshness was gone. While I was preaching, I said, "Lord, where are the tears?" I tried to cry and couldn't. I went to my room and said, "Lord, I'm going to pray all night if I have to; I'm going to get the sweetness back! I must have the sweetness!"

The next morning I stood to speak. It came so easily. The tears came and the joy came. When I thought about Heaven, I wanted to shout. When I thought about hell, I wanted to weep. When I thought about the love of God, I wanted to clap my hands and praise the Lord. When I thought about sin, I wanted to fall on my face and confess. Oh, how sweet it is! How sweet is the face of Jesus!
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P

plainguy

Banned
#38
Nov 23, 2016
510
37
0
#38
Ariel82 said:
Okay, I accept that some of you don't believe God hides His face from you. maybe you have never experienced it.

Is there anyone who has experienced it and Want to talk about what they learnt?

Or even what it meant to David in the OT times?
Click to expand...
All kidding aside, there are times of drought for us all I believe. Those periods of time when we kind of trudge along in life and maybe not experience the joy of His presence as we should .. or do at other times in our walk. Never is it a shortcoming of our Lord .. but of ourselves. The easy path is not always the best path for growth. But who doesn't appreciate those periods of little to no tribulations when it comes to this life and perhaps our loved ones ? I have often found that it is during the smooth times when I have felt a bit more comfy in life than is befitting. Yet, I remain thankful for these times. I do admit to taking Him for granted more than I should though at times like this. I'm a work in progress :)
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#39
#39
MessageOfTheCross said:
If a Believer Faith is not placed in Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., The Cross, I.e., The Blood of Jesus, you frustrate the grace of God. You are committing Spiritual Adultery. The Holy Spirit only helps us When the Believers Faith is in Christ and Him Crucified.

Hebrews 10:38-39 King James Version (KJV)[SUP]
38 [/SUP]Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Click to expand...
That's redundant. Believers are those whose faith is in Christ.
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#40
#40
Ariel82 said:
Thank you p_reb


These are my favorite points, but all of it was great. Thanks so much for sharing. Makes me feel like I wasn't totally off base and others have experienced times when God turns His face from them.
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Sorry but your way off base if you think after the cross, He still turns his face no not at all, Again it's people who turn from him not him from us after the cross that is.. For He goes out looking for his lost sheep...
 
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