Omnipresence: The Attributes That Are Only True of God

Omnipresence
Omnipresence means God is present everywhere at the same time. This relates God to the universe where other beings are present. Related to the doctrine of God’s omnipresence are:

Immanence
Immanence means God is within the world, and acting within and through His creation.

Transcendence
Transcendence means God is separate from His creation.

Here are some errors to be avoided:

False: God is diffused through space; so that only parts of Him are present everywhere.

True: God is one and cannot be divided, and He is wholly present in every place.
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False: God presence is everywhere in the same sense.

True: God’s special dwelling is in Heaven. His presence is different with believers than with unbelievers.
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False: God’s presence is in bodily or material form.

True: God is a Spirit, and God is invisible.
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False: Pantheism, God is everything and everything is God.

True: God is distinct from His creation. Pantheism is confusion of the Creator with the created.
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Scripture
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (Gen. 16:13)

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. (Ps. 139:7-12)

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Prov. 15:3)

Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. (Jer. 23:23-24)

Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down… (Amos 9:2)

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us… (Acts 17:27)

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Heb. 4:13)

Application
There are four areas of application.

Comfort, for God is always near us (Ex. 33:14).

Prayer, we pray to someone who is very near. We can pray for others who are far away, and know that God touches them there.

Incentive to dedicated Christian service, knowing that we can go nowhere that God is not near (Josh. 1:9; Job 34:21-22).

Protection, we are under God’s protection. He always sees us every place we may be (Gen. 28:15; Ps. 121:3-4; Heb. 13:5).

The blessing of knowing that God is always near me gives me great comfort I hope it is a comfort to you too.

Stay salty,
Brother John