Hiddenness of God Objection: A Presuppositional Response

The Hiddenness of God as a Presuppositional Objection

Alright, here is a popular argument. I never got this one. I mean, people tend to think that, I mean, there are books written on this specific question. I guess the question that I'm about to ask poses a problem for some people.

But this is the hiddenness of God objection. So someone asked the question, why is God so hidden? And I mean, I'm going to have to answer this. It's kind of like when someone asks me, why are you a Christian?

Why do you believe Christianity? I don't know if you've ever seen when apologists are asked that. What do apologists say? You're a Christian apologist. You speak to people and you defend the faith. Why are you a Christian?

And sometimes they'll say, well, I'm a Christian because of the overwhelming evidence for the Christian faith. Actually, that's not why I'm a Christian. I believe there's overwhelming evidence for the Christian faith.

I believe the Christian worldview is the only consistent worldview that can ground intelligible experience, can ground knowledge, can create a proper context for something like science and history and mathematics and these sorts of things.

I believe that, and I think that's true. However, when someone asks me why I am a Christian, I must answer the question in a way that is consistent with the biblical perspective. And what does the Bible say?

Regeneration and the Christian's Testimony

Okay. His spirit bears witness to mine, that I am a child of God. I am a Christian because of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in my life. It is the spirit of God that drew me to himself and removed my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh.

Now, did God use evidence as part of the mechanism that he used to bring me to that point of regeneration? Sure. But the reason why I'm a Christian is because there was a spiritual resurrection that occurred through the working of the spirit of God.

In like fashion, when someone asks me why is God so hidden, I am not going to grant the presupposition of that question, which is in diametric opposition to the biblical witness. Why is God so hidden?

The answer? He's not. He's not hidden, according to Scripture. If the biblical worldview is true, Psalm 19 says the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the works of his hands. It doesn't seem like God is hiding.

Natural Revelation and Romans 1

Okay. And that's natural revelation. What can be known about God is there. Romans chapter 1 verses 19 through 21. Check this out. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them.

For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Now check this out. What can be known, that passage says, is plain.

So he's not hidden, according to the Bible. His invisible attributes are, passage says, clearly seen. So he's not hidden, according to the Bible. He is clearly perceived, clearly perceived, in what has been made.

We all have access to what has been made, right? We all have access to creation. Even if you're blind, you yourself are an element of creation. You yourself is evidence of God. So he's not hidden, according to scripture.

His existence is so not hidden that the passage I just read in Romans chapter 1, okay, says that men are unapologetus, literally without an apologetic, without an excuse. And verse 1, it says, it is God himself who has shown himself.

That's why it's so clear. Why is the revelation of God so clear? Not simply because the heavens declare his glory, but it says, for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them.

He's the one who shows. So there is no excuse. According to the Bible, if we're arguing from a consistently Christian worldview perspective, there is no hiddenness of God problem, okay? He has made his existence known, yet what does the Bible say?

That we suppress the truth and unrighteousness, okay? So there you go. I think that's clear from the Bible, from a Christian perspective, arguing from the worldview perspective, from the Christian perspective, God is not hidden.

He is clearly revealed, right? The hiddenness of God objection is a good example of an external critique upon the Christian worldview because it is trying to critique the Christian worldview on presuppositions that the Christian worldview rejects and actually explicitly denies, okay?

What can be known is plain. His invisible attributes are clearly seen. He is clearly perceived in what has been made. His existence is so not hidden that all men are without excuse, and it's God himself who shows it, and that's why he's not hidden.