The tremendous and heavy task of the church and God’s servants is to make God a reality in the lives of the congregation. It is not difficult to claim belief that God exists. Especially in a religious society like ours, with the first principle of Pancasila being “Belief in the One and Only God,” acknowledging God has become commonplace. It is not difficult to confess belief, or even to declare that God exists. Yet, experiencing God as a reality is not merely acknowledged with words—it must be lived out in daily life. And if we truly experience Him, that reality is more valuable than all the wealth in the world combined.
Conversely, if God is not a reality in someone’s life, then that person in truth lives without God. The Word of God declares: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; no one does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Ps. 14:1–2). The question is: are there people who have understanding and truly seek God? Are there those who use their reason to encounter God as reality? In fact, God is far more real than anything we see, touch, or feel on this earth.
For everything visible will vanish, but God is eternal, which means God is more than just a worldly reality. No one is more wretched than those who do not know God and do not experience Him. Conversely, no one is more blessed than those who truly experience that God is real. It may sound simple, even somewhat philosophical at first. But remember, we live within reality—both visible and invisible. What is visible is temporary, but what is invisible is eternal—there is God’s judgment, there is heaven and hell. Ironically, many people ignore these unseen things.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” The problem is, most Christians do not truly experience God in tangible ways in their lives. The more someone merely reasons about God, the more they risk reducing Him to mere knowledge or concept. Yet encountering God as reality must bring holy reverence.
Those who do not experience God as reality inevitably live unholy lives and do not long for His return. If this is neither taught nor experienced, then our younger generation will be lost. Indeed, many young people still attend church today because of friendships or the enjoyment of activities. But the question remains: in their daily lives, do they truly experience God? Because encountering God is not limited to church—it must be in every minute, every hour, every day, outside of church, in everyday life.
Life experiences themselves drive us to encounter God. When faced with problems beyond human strength, we are compelled to seek God more earnestly. Such experiences “force” us to make God a reality in our lives. These life encounters lead us, first, to honestly strive to live holy lives, feeling deep unrest whenever we sin; second, they make us willing to sacrifice anything for His work; and third, they give us the courage to place our entire hope upon the coming of the Lord.