Knowing God: 10 - God is Everywhere All the Time

God's omniscience also requires that God must also be “all present”, not just in the physical realm, but He has a presence in the hearts and minds of men and angelic beings -- an awareness of what we are even thinking.  To be "All Knowing" God has to know what is "happening everywhere", "everywhen" and therefore He has awareness or "presence" everywhere.

God is Omnipresent 

God is outside of spatial boundaries  In and through creation but not part of it.   While we are....finite, spatially limited, insignificant.   As finite beings this is true of all of us:

"Wherever you go, there you are"  ~ Yogi Berra

Pantheism expresses the belief that God is the universe and that everything in the universe is God. This implies that God is not transcendent, or that God comes "from" the universe, and is part of the matter and energy in temporal space and time.  

Even modern scientists have referred to the Cosmos as having the attributes of God and often substitute the "universe" for Deity in their conversations.  This view is opposed to God's attribute of Omnipresence, which states that while God permeates all of reality (literally the force holding the universe together), He is distinct, superior to, and the Creator of all things we call the universe.  

Scripture teaches that God is omnipresent:

Acts 17:24-25 The God who made the world and everything in it—He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.  HCSB

Jeremiah 23:24 Can a man hide himself in secret places where I cannot see him?”—the Lord’s declaration.  “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?”  HCSB

Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?  If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.  If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”— even the darkness is not dark to You.  The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You.  HCSB  

God transcends space and time and locality – being wholly everywhere, all at once, but not “part of” the fabric of space. God is aware of all reality everywhere all at once and is somehow "present", but He is not necessarily local to a specific place either (like a church or a shrine).  This is an understandably difficult concept, and several errors can be committed about God's omnipresence – 

• that he is localized somewhere here in space and time, 
• that He is “out there” somewhere in heaven and not present here
• that "parts" of God are spread out through the universe. 

The Scriptures are not clear whether God transcends space or permeates – being everywhere throughout space.  But it is clear God is immediate and present in the present:  

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”  HCSB

This is the same mystery we face with God and time. God cannot be “part” of space, as space is finite, but clearly the Scriptures indicate He can interact with us in time and space. It would be incorrect to say God is “spread out” among space because at no point would God be entirely 'there'; God clearly can manifest Himself in a single location and yet remain everywhere and yet remain distinctly different from anywhere.

What this means to Christians is that God is present – at all times and in all places. We should live out our lives conscious that God is "in the room". Take God with you. Invite Him to participate in your daily lives. It should also be a source of comfort to know you are never alone, even when you don't feel He is there...

Psalm 23:4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.  HCSB

<<  Knowing God: 9 - God is All-Knowing

>>  Knowing God: 11 - God is a Person

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Scripture citations are from:  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) © 2009 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville TN  

Theology - Doctrine of God Part 4 - God's Omnipresence

God Is Everywhere

Pantheism expresses the believe that God is the universe and that everything in the universe is God.  This implies that God is not transcendent of or from the universe, but is part of the matter and energy in temporal space and time.  Even modern scientists have referred to the Cosmos as having the attributes of God and substitute the universe for Deity.   This view is opposed to God's attribute of Omnipresence, which states that while God permeates all of reality (literally the force holding the universe together), He is distinct, superior to, and the Creator of all things we call the universe.  Scripture teaches:

Colossians 1:16-17  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  HCSB

Acts 17:24-25  The God who made the world and everything in it—He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands.  Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.  HCSB

While God permeates reality and is everywhere all at once, He is not necessarily local to a specific place either.  Two errors can be committed about God's omnipresence – that he is localized somewhere here in space and time, or that He is “out there” somewhere in heaven and not present here.  The Scriptures are not clear whether God transcends space or permeates – being everywhere throughout space.  This is the same mystery we face with God and time.   

God cannot be “part” of space, as space is finite, but clearly the Scriptures indicate He can interact with us in time and space.  It would be doctrinally incorrect to say God is “spread out” among space because at no point would God be entirely 'there'; God clearly can manifest Himself in a single location, and yet remain everywhere and yet remain distinctly different from anywhere.

Psalm 139:7-12  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there;if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you  HCSB

Jeremiah 23:23-24   “Am I a God who is only near”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and not a God who is far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places where I cannot see him?”—the Lord’s declaration. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?”—the Lord’s declaration.  HCSB

Dr. Craig:[i]  “Sometimes theologians talk about the attribute of God’s immensity. The immensity of God can be interpreted to be this sort of presence of God throughout space, whereby he is fully present at every point in space. So God is immense in the sense that he fills all of space and is immediately present at every point in space. That is one way to think about God’s omnipresence – in terms of his immensity and his immediate and full presence at every point in space.

God is Present

What this means to Christians is that God is available – present – at all times and in all places.  We should live out our lives in the consciousness God is in the room.  Take God with you.  Invite Him to participate in your daily lives.   It should also be a source of comfort to know you are never alone, even as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

See further posts on the Doctrine of God

Theology - Doctrine of God Part 1 - Defining Reality

Theology - Doctrine of God Part 2 - God is Self Existent

Theology - Doctrine of God Part 3 - God is a Person

Theology - Doctrine of God Part 5 - God is Changeless

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[i]Defenders Podcast “Doctrine of God”

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Scripture citations are from:  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) © 2009 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville TN or New King James Version®. (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson