God's Omnipresence
Jessalyn Hutto
Definition:
God’s Omnipresence–God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places. (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology)
Scriptural Support:
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:23-24, ESV)
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.’” (Isaiah 66:1-2a ESV)
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” (Psalm 139:7-12, ESV)
Reflections:
“Mommy, where is God?” It’s a simple question, the most basic of inquiries spoken with genuine curiosity from the mouth of my little one. “God is everywhere; he is here with us right now,” I reply with certainty.
But how can that be? If God is enthroned in Heaven, if we will go to be with God when we die, then how is he also here with us now? The proceeding questions unravel like a loose ball of yarn.
The nature of our God, who is equally present with me as I sit at my computer in my kitchen as he is with the resurrected saints who worship around his throne, is indeed mysterious. How incomprehensible is a God who can watch over my children in the night while he simultaneously ministers to our persecuted brothers and sisters in far off lands. He is a God who is not contained by space or time. Indeed, he is the Creator and Lord of all matter, unlimited by the rules of physics we find ourselves confined by.
He emphatically declares that he will not be contained by that which found its creation in him. He can be everywhere and carry out his will everywhere, because “everywhere” was a product of his creative will.
And into this magnificent reality–almost too big to comprehend–we hear our Savior’s voice as he comforted his fearful disciples before ascending into Heaven: “…behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This is the marvelous reality for every one of us who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb: that the holy God’s presence in our lives does not insight fear and dread, but instead love and comfort. For those who have been reconciled to God through Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, in his continual presence is fulness of joy.
It is for this reason that the doctrine of God’s omnipresence is a blessing to the saints. He is ever near, always pouring forth the wonders of his grace upon us in Christ Jesus. Though our continual struggles with sin, or slothfulness in spiritual disciplines may cause us to feel far from our Heavenly Father, we can be sure that if we will draw near to him, he is ever willing and ready to draw near to us.
“Sit down a little at the fountain, and you will quickly have a further discovery of the sweetness of the stream.” (John Owen, Communion with the Triune God)
To find more entries in the Bite-size Theology series, visit the series index.
If you are interested in digging deeper into systematic theology, I highly recommend you purchase Wayne Grudem’s classic work, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. It has been unmatched in usefulness as I’ve sought over the years to better understand the Word of God and know the Lord of our salvation better.