From the Archives: Can we See God in Creation?

Can We See God in Creation? This is a profound question—and the answer is both yes and no.

Yes

First—yes, we can see our glorious God in creation:

O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! (NKJV, Ps. 8:1)

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
(Ps. 19:1, 2; cf. Job 12:7-10)

No

But in a second sense—no, we cannot see God in creation. Consider the following Scripture passages:

• “No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).
• “You have neither heard His [the Father’s] voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).
• “The things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
• “The Son of His love…is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:13, 15).
• “The King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise” (1 Tim. 1:17).
• “Whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Tim. 6:16).
• “Whom having not seen you love” (1 Pet. 1:8).
• “No one has seen God at any time” (1 John 4:12).
• “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).
• “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Yes and No

In his great statement on the depravity of the human race, the Apostle Paul writes: “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).

The answer to the question at hand, then, of whether we are able to see God in creation, depends on what we mean by “seeing.”

Having been created in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Gen. 1:26), human beings—not animals—have the amazing capacity to believe in Him! This happens by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit in one’s mind and conscience, even though we do not and cannot see Him with our physical eyes.

Someday He will show us all the things about Him that we should have seen, might have seen and could have seen in His created universe—if we had utilized our God-given capacities of spiritual discernment.

Where do these capacities come from?

The Bible, God’s unique, inerrant, inspired, infallible written revelation, informs us that the world was not the product of some vague Designer (to say nothing of time through chance by mindless evolution), but was the creative work of the Second Person of the Triune God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We thank God for the enormous avalanche of evidences of supernatural design in the universe above us, and the living world around and within us. Even more amazing are discoveries of the recent origin of our oceans and fossil-filled rock strata—and even radioactive elements—by creation scientists.

However, to truly understand the reflection of our God in His creation—and to know His will for our lives—we must know who the Creator Himself really is by placing our faith in His written revelation.

God’s Word is true from the beginning to the end!

May the Lord bless you and help you to see God in creation.