Why God's Divine Hiddenness is Crucial to Finding Him

If you've ever thought, "God, if you're real then why don't you show yourself to me?!" you may be closer to Him than you think. Whether Christian or atheist, it's easy to ask this question.

At its core, the problem of divine hiddenness is born from unmet expectations. We're taught that God loves us and wants all to repent and be saved. So why does it sometimes feel like God is playing divine hide and seek?

2 Peter 3:9 and the Problem of Divine Hiddenness

"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance—2 Peter 3:9 (NASB)

Why doesn't God just crack the sky every morning with a booming voice, making His existence undeniable? Wouldn't that ensure everyone believes? Not exactly. Even if all humanity bowed at such a display, God's divine hiddenness remains crucial to truly finding Him.

The Argument from Divine Hiddenness

Philosopher J.L. Schellenberg formulated a now-famous argument:

1. If a perfectly loving God exists, then nonresistant nonbelief would not occur (i.e., anyone seeking God genuinely would find Him).

2. Nonresistant nonbelief does occur.

3. Therefore, a perfectly loving God does not exist.¹

   
   

This argument is compelling on the surface. Why would a God who desires a relationship with everyone not make Himself unmistakably known? The problem, however, is not new. Scripture itself records believers wrestling with God's apparent absence:

• Psalm 13:1-2:

  "How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" (NASB)

  
  

• Job 13:23-24:

  "How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin. Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?" (NASB)

  
  

• Isaiah 45:15:

  "Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel." (NASB)

  
  

If these verses were the whole story, the Trinity could be seen as cruel or indifferent. But the argument is incomplete.

Problems With the Argument

Schellenberg's argument assumes that our limited knowledge is on par with the all-knowing. It also presumes that immediate knowledge of God is better than a slower, more intimate revelation.

But what if God's plans are more expansive and unfold in ways we can't immediately grasp?

Consider the analogy of discipline: Saving money or going to the gym is hard at first, but the long-term benefits are greater than the instant gratification of spending or skipping workouts.

Our preferences for what God "should" do shouldn't blind us to the possibility of a better plan.

Another issue is the unverifiability of nonresistant nonbelief.

Human psychology is complex; cognitive dissonance and subconscious resistance can influence our openness to belief. Our brains often defend us from uncomfortable truths, including those that challenge our existing worldview.

Schellenberg also claims that "believing is involuntary." While belief isn't something we can switch on or off at will, psychologist Albert Bandura's concept of self-efficacy suggests we can change our beliefs over time through self-control and intentional action.

The Benefits of God's Partially Hidden Nature

1. A Partially Hidden God Invites Genuine Faith

God's hiddenness allows for genuine, heartfelt worship rather than coerced submission. As philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote:

"It is not only right but useful for us that God should be partly concealed and partly revealed, since it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness as to know his wretchedness withoutknowing God.

The balance of concealment and revelation serves a purpose: It allows us to confront our limitations and our need for something beyond ourselves. It invites us into a journey—not just of intellectual understanding but of submission, trust, and transformation.

2. Hiddenness Aligns with the Divine Nature

God seeks not just to engage our minds, but to move our hearts and wills. Perfect clarity might satisfy curiosity, but it could undermine the freedom necessary for genuine love and faith. Pascal again:

"God wishes to move the will rather than the mind. Perfect clarity would help the mind and harm the will.

If God were fully revealed, belief would be inevitable—but would it be meaningful? True faith requires a leap into the unknown, a choice that engages our entire being.

3. The Beauty of Mystery

God's hiddenness isn't about withholding Himself; it's about inviting us into a transformative relationship rooted in trust, love, and faith. The mystery of God is not a barrier, but a doorway into a deeper adventure.

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Notes and Sources

1. J.L. Schellenberg, Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason, Cornell University Press, 1993.

2. Albert Bandura, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, W.H. Freeman, 1997.

3. Blaise Pascal, Pensées, Penguin Classics, 1995.(All biblical quotations are from the New American Standard Bible [NASB].)