What does it mean when Christians say "God is omnipresent"?

[Joseph Gill]

What does it mean when Christians say "God is omnipresent"? If  they simply mean that God is "everywhere present," that is the same conclusion of pantheistic faith systems that only recognize the pervasive immanence of the Divine. The teachings of those traditions must logically be reduced to the following statement:  God "is" everything that exists--the totality of existence, if you will. Obviously, in that Christianity asserts that God is distinct from His creation, His being "everywhere present" would leave us with a conundrum.

However, Christianity affirms both the immanence and transcendence of God: God as both "within" and "outside" of creation. As best I can wrap my mind around this seeming paradox, I take it that the Transcedent God can chose to interact with creation so as to manifest his "presence" at any time or place, and that for the "duration" of this immanence, He yeilds Himself the limitations of space and time.

 

Therefore,  'omnipresent' is not an ideal adjective for God. The bible writers whose passages were later regarded as support of the doctrine of God's omnipresence were describing the practical effects of the Transcendent God breaking through into Immanence. "Omnipresence" describes how this aspect of God's dealing with creation feels to human beings. We experience God as though He is "present everywhere."

 

There are scriptures that provide evidence for my contention that historically believers have percieved God as being omnipresent. For example, there are the visual pictures of God "filling out" the universe:

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth?
behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens
cannot contain thee; how much less this
house that I have builded?" [1 Kings 8:27]

"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]

And there is scripture that defines His omniprescence by means of His omniscience:

"The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
beholding the evil and the good." [Prov. 15:3]

And there is scripture that makes the case that he simultaneous occupies the earth and heaven:

"Know therefore this day, and consider it in
thine heart, that the LORD he is God in
heaven above, and upon the earth beneath"
[Deut. 4:39a]

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool" [Is. 66:1a]

[The Preacher Teacher]

I don't think it's as deep as it appears here. The Holy Spirit gives God his consistency with us, His SOVEREIGNTY gives him all power and authority as Grand Architecht of the Universe and His abode resting place permenant residence is Heaven which he made first...Heaven then Earth and our place in him ultimately is there. The fact is HIS ALPHA and OMEGA makes the discussion simple. God like the all comsuming FIRE that He is just that...HE EVERYTHING. The only thing he doesn't  inhabit is sin do that gives him Supremecy.

 

 

Believers tend not to question the FULLNESS OF THE GOD HEAD in this manner because we want to believe that GOD IS ALL THAT AND MORE. It is only when we are looking or searching for the God in things, situations and circumstances that this question arises. We don't always think that in our pain that God is there but oh when you find out HE WAS THERE ALL THE TIME...YOU CAN REJOICE IN THE GOD OF OUR SALVATION.     

[Joseph Gill]

The fact is HIS ALPHA and OMEGA makes the discussion simple. God like the all comsuming FIRE that He is just that...HE EVERYTHING.

 

The pantheists like to say "God is everything". I'm thinking of, for example, the shinto priest who recognizes a god in the river, and god in the tree, and god in the boulder: he will verbally address the river, tree or boulder... bow down and show homage to the inanimate objects, expect that the god in them will actually intercede in his life.

I haven't made a comparative religion study, but I strongly suspect any faith system that sees God as immanent, without an understanding of God's transcendence, would result in  pantheism.

[Gerald Rollinson]

He is everywhere at every moment........................ how else could he be with us all?

[The Preacher Teacher]

He's not but he's been there !!! There is something that dwells in hell that once resided in Heaven some says still has access but no power to change or effect the NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH AND THE LORD, HIGH AND LIFTED UP.

 

THIS IS A SIMPLE STROY...WHY DOES HELL HAVE TO ENTER INTO IT? WE NOT GOING THERE SO WHY CONCERN OURSELVES WITH IT.

 

LET'S EDIFY TODAY AND NOT INCITE.

 

Either you believe God is or you don't. I noticed that we like to make the word suceptible to spin within the body of Christ. Let's trust and believe. If His spirit is in us than the RESIDUE of God is everywhere his people are in existence !!!

 

I tell folks that a churh is brick and mortar until it is inhabited by the praises of the people.

 

 

[The Preacher Teacher]

Whose attacking...Well I believe that Jesus as the Godhead in flesh did go into hell or at least that is what I was taught and read in the scripture. Maybe I am wrong and I am willing to be educated if that is the case but I thought that when Jesus died on the cross that He went into the pit of hell to take the sting out of death and to render the grave powerless. I might be wrong. I only been in church 44 years and they may have taught me wrong and so if that is true that Jesus who most of us worship as the Song of God and God wrapped in flesh would subscribe that if Jesus went there then his spirit did too.

 

Forgive my use of the word incite. You too that personal and it wasn't meant to be but I did get why given the dialogue that it was important to ask the question.  am going to assume that if God created it all and designed everything that he in his blueprint designed hell too.

 

He is not I meant that he doesn't DWELL there presently. Why would he? I am from Philly but I don't live there now. There will be someone there to account for my time there but I am not there presently but I know it exist.

 

I think that is why I tend not to respond. We go in for no reason. I love the dialogue but not the intensity.

 

No harm no foul. I will refrain from comment on here any further. I actually stopped reading the threads but I like this subject as I did a paper in school on the subject so I was curious.

 

[The Preacher Teacher]

I appreciate the knowledge. "IN ALL OF THY GETTING...GET UNDERSTANDING."

 

I have so many questions about things even after going to school.

[Maurice Edwards]

The Psalmist is speaking hypothetically in psalm 139:7-10. He asks the question in verse 7, how can he possibly flee from the presence of God. He knew hypothetically that he could go to hell or to the uttermost parts of the sea and still couldn't escape God or his protection. In verse 11 he reveals that God's hand is on him wherever he goes. Verse 6 humbles me and should humble everyone on this post. Concerning God's "Omnipresence", we cannot attain unto it. Meaning... Somethings we "can't" and will "never" understand, so its unproductive to try and act like we can. Shaloam.