With us, yet everywhere?
A bite-sized lesson in doctrine: 1 Concept, 2 Definitions, 3 Passages...
Welcome back to Theology Thursday!
Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox, Biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:
ONE concept explained
TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct
THREE Scripture passages to meditate on
Concept: God is Omnipresent
God’s omnipresence is the reality that God, being a spirit, is not confined by any particular space. He transcends spatial boundaries. To continue the quote by Bavinck, “When applied to time, God’s immutability is called eternity; when applied to space, it is called omnipresence.” God’s unchanging character necessitates that He be omnipresent or present everywhere. God’s omnipresence is not merely about His relationship to space but is a necessary aspect of His infinite being. As the infinite Creator, He is fully present in all places without being contained by space. If He was confined by one particular location, this would negate all absolute attributes, such as His simplicity, immutability, independence, and immensity. It would reduce God to a creature and, therefore, make Him dependent upon something other than Himself to accomplish His will in time and space. Amazingly, in the incarnation, God took on a human nature and was present in particular locations according to His humanity while remaining omnipresent according to His divine nature. Upon completing the work of redemption, Christ ascended to the Father and sent His Spirit to dwell with His people forever. God’s omnipresence and His promised presence provide constant assurance that He will never forsake His people in times of great joy, great sorrow, or great sin.
Definitions/Distinctions
Omnipresence: God is everywhere present and, thus, remains independent of all of His creation. His presence fills heaven and earth so that there’s no place where we can say God is not.
Promised Presence: Sometimes called his “manifest presence,” this speaks of the experience His own people have in the right relationship with Him. In the corporate gathering of the church and a Christian’s prayers, God draws near, and His presence is manifest in unique ways according to His promise.
Passages:
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein…”
Psalm 24:1
“‘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
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”
Acts 17:24–25
Type the discount code REFORMANDA to save on your first purchase!