Verily thou art a God that hidest theyself (Isaiah 45:15) What an uncomfortable passage this is! How are we to know this God who hides Himself from us? We must understand that the hides Himself that He may reveal Himself to us as the chooses. Thus, there are secret things of God; and then there are those things He reveals to us (Deuteronomy 29:29). And God uses several kinds of words to reveal Himself.

God has revealed Himself in the creation, the Book of Nature (Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:19-20). But this revelation cannot save us. For salvation, God has revealed Himself in the Book of Scripture, which can make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ; and teaches us doctrine, and the way of righteousness, so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). We see then God speaks two kinds of words in Scripture: Law and Gospel. But only the Gospel-word can save (Romans 1:16).

For the Gospel directs our faith to God’s living, embodied, Incarnate word, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14-18); Who is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15); and the express image of his person (Hebrews 1:3; and there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

God also reveals Himself through the sacraments — baptism and the Lord’s Supper — because He has put this promise-Word in them. For in baptism we are cleansed with the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26); and Christ has promised that whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:54).

These are the ways the hidden God has revealed timself to us, and these are sufficient for life — eternal life! — and godliness. And by these words, God reveals Himself how He chooses, when and where He chooses, to whomever He will, for He says: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Romans 9:15).

Now, here is what is essential to understand: you can absolutely resist, by your own power and will, these means by which the hidden God has revealed Himself.

You may, by your wickedness and ingratitude suppress the truth about God that’s clearly revealed in what He has made (Romans 1:18-21). You can take His Name in vain, scoff at His Law, and refuse to believe His Gospel.

You can close your ears to the foolishness of preaching (1 Corinthians 1:21), you can despise baptism and the Lord’s supper. Why, they actually tortured God’s Incarnate Word, Jesus, and killed Him on the cross!

You are able to do those things. Not without terrible consequences, understand—but you are permitted, and you are able to do it do it.

But the one thing you are not able to do, is to attack or resist or thwart God where He is hidden.

Because you see, it’s precisely in His grandeur — as spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable, and impassible; Almighty, all-knowing, all-wise, and omnipresent that God hides Himself from us. It’s in this hiddenness that His secret counsel, His complete foreknowledge, His works of providence, and predestination and election, reside. And this word and will you cannot resist. Not only because you’d be instantly vaporized, but because you cannot resist what you do not know!

But precisely here is where the sensitive saint asks: But how can I ever know I am saved? How can I trust that this hidden God is working together all things for My good — that I am one of those called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)?

This is precisely why God has revealed Himself in the particular ways He has! If you believe His Gospel, and love His Law (which doesn’t mean you are great at obeying it, Romans 7:17-23, 25); and you are looking to Christ, the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:1) as all of your wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30); trusting your baptism, and the promise in the Lord’s Supper that His body and blood are given for you; then you are assured by faith and sustained by hope. For there is no other way to know the hidden God, but through faith and hope. For faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). And hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for (Romans 8:24)?