For quite some time in the past, I’ve wondered about this verse: No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12) The part about “no one has ever seen God” made me think: Jesus is God and Apostle John (as well as many others) saw Him when Jesus was on earth, so why did John said “No one has ever seen God”?
Indeed, the Apostle John wrote in John’s Gospel, “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself, God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” John 1:18, English Standard Version)
And so, I found my answer: except for the times when God chooses to reveal Himself in the physical realm, for example, when Jesus came in the flesh, we are unable to see God. But, as we understand the interaction of the Trinitarian God, through observing Jesus’ life of oneness, love, and intimacy with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 14:1617, 26; Matthew 3:1617, 29:19; John 10:3036), we then understand that our lives can also reflect that oneness, love, and intimacy of God, in a community of Love, as we are rooted in God (Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 2:7).
“No one has ever seen God…” but, we reflect God’s love as we love one another, through the myriad of ways that God enables us to. We all have distinct gifts from God and can love one another differently using our different gifts, (1 Peter 4:10), building up the Body of God.
Thus, we reflect the Trinitarian God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) that have distinctive but collaborative and complementary roles, and God discusses, builds, and creates together (Genesis 1:26).
Read The Trinity: God’s Love as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Part II of II) https://biblicalmissiology.org/blog/2018/04/23/trinity-and-gods-love-pt-ii-of-ii/ and What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? https://www.gotquestions.org/Trinity-Bible.html
This was Jesus’ prayer to the Father when Jesus was on earth: “That all of them (believers) maybe one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:2026; John 13:35) To God the Father, Jesus said, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9) “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3) Unity of faith causes a unity of mind and spirit.
So, our spiritual lives should never be only one of intimacy with God, but, with intimacy and oneness with one another. We experience the fullness of God’s Love as we love one another. We love because He first loves us. (1 John 4:19, cf. also 721) When we abide in God’s love, we can demonstrate that attractive love as Christ’s disciples (John 13:35; 15:12). (Watch Why Only the Trinity Makes Sense of God’s Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8mrDZ-YU7I）
