Seek Ye This Jesus: Seeing, Hearing, and Dwelling with God

by Robert Smith

In the Bible, we read of hundreds of individuals who saw God face to face--as one person sees another--who talked with, saw, and even touched God, before and after the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ. Have you had these experiences? If not, why not?

Since the days of Adam and Eve, sin has breached the connection between the individual and God. The gospel of Jesus Christ was designed to bridge that divide. When lived correctly, it restores the individual to the frequent, face-to-face relationship Adam and Eve enjoyed with God before their fall. Gaining that relationship with God is the purpose of mortal life.

Using plain language, this book provides a scriptural roadmap into the presence of God. It will persuade you to believe God’s word and trust his instructions by explaining what it means to literally dwell with God and what it takes to get there.

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2017

About the author

There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads' database.

Robert Smith is the author of the blog “Upward Thought” and has written several gospel books, including “Holiness to the Lord: How to Live the Law of Consecration” and “Commanded in All Things: Understanding the Power of the Word.” He has also published print-cost versions of “Lectures on Faith” and the 1840 Book of Mormon.

Reviews

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Rob Smith grabs the collective world by the shoulders and seeks to jolt it awake to the fact that a relationship with God is not only attainable but the only thing that really matters in life.

Rob is a good guy, and I believe he has insight into spiritual discipline and practice that, when applied, delivers the goods.

His main thesis is this: by shaking off unbelief and adhering strictly to the commandments that God personally gives, anyone can develop a personal relationship with God that goes beyond wishful or imaginative thinking, or holding out for a payout in the next life. But complete submission is not optional. Discerning what is to be submitted to and what is not is the tricky part, though, and there seems to be a lot of personal variance on that front.

This book is useful to get a solid outline on the scriptures relating to submission to God, and the related results. But be warned, this book is not a theology treatise. It is a sermon, and you will be preached at. While scriptures are used liberally, there is no systemic walkthrough the context and background of any of the cited passages, which are invariably taken at face value.

My two primary objections were related to the (1) inconsistent portrayal of God (as far as I could observe) and (2) the ambiguous subjects that too often became strawman punching bags.

Here’s what I mean about my first quibble. We get his take on the divide between God and man:

I have seen many paintings of the following description in Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) The door analogy does not tell the whole story. Really, it is more like a ladder. The Lord stands at the top, and calls down to us: “Come up! Come up!” Meanwhile, most Christians are content to completely ignore the ladder. Others venture over to it and earnestly call: “Come down!” “Come down”! The only way we can come closer to God is by climbing up the ladder. We climb the ladder by reaching out to God through first reconciling ourselves to him in repentance, and then through communing with him in prayer and worship. (p. 76)

So here we are taught that God stands atop a ladder, yelling at us to climb up and meet him at the top. He will not meet us in the middle, let alone at the bottom. The ascent is ours alone. Yet a little later we are taught:

God is not petty enough to require that we bow and scrape to him. He is unbelievably willing to condescend and endure much harsher abuse than our disrespectful attitude towards him. (p. 118)

“Unbelievably willing to condescend,” but certainly not to the extent of “descend[ing] below all things” (D&C 122:8) like that ladder, apparently.

Next, I couldn’t count how many times there were these mysterious “some people,” “many people,” and “some Christians,” who invariably hold the wrong position:

—Many people in this world are not disciples of Jesus Christ. (p. 2)
—Some believe it is not possible for God to come to you. (p. 8)
—Some believe that while God visited and spoke to some people in the past, it isn’t something he does today. (p. 9)
—When most professed believers say belief, what they actually mean is wishing. (p. 26)
—Some claim that all men are saved (p. 29)
—...some believe that while their belief may not change them presently, it does qualify them to dwell with God hereafter. (pp. 31,32)
—Many people in this group are honest enough to recognize that their unsurrendered things should be surrendered… (p. 44)
—Too many people today believe that they can persist in disobeying God and still be saved. (p. 67)
—There are many people who believe it is not possible to see God. (p.73)
—Some Christians foolishly assume that they have authority over all demons (p. 91)
—Many Christians claim citizenship in God’s kingdom (p. 93)
—Many think the answer is yes (p. 94)
—Many Christians erroneously believe that God gives his authority to men. (p. 97)
—...many who profess to be his followers refer to him in casual terms, as if he were their gym buddy. (p. 119)

These may all be true statements, but the incessant combative tone grew very tiresome. A strawman of “some say” or “many Christians” gets thrown into the boxing ring with the author, who follows by dealing one knockout punch after another and declaring victory. I guess that is good sermonizing, but it felt like immature rhetoric. It probably would have helped if these strawmen were defined more clearly in the context of the communities they represent and are ostensibly addressed to.

But all in all, there is much food for thought here, and Rob does seem to be very intent on inviting others to come unto Christ, for which he ought to be commended.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one by Rob, a comprehensive overview on the need and instructions on having a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.