Since God is omnipresent, what is special about being in the presence of God?

from the old testament

• God created men and women to live in fellowship with Him. In the garden, Adam and Eve had a personal relationship with their Creator (Genesis 1:27; 3:8). They lived with a sense of His ongoing presence and favor.
• When Adam and Eve sinned, that relationship changed. Intimate fellowship was replaced by distance. Isaiah 59:2 says that sin separates people from God, and Psalm 130:3 shows that no one can stand before Him apart from His mercy. The problem was never that God left; it was that sin made human beings unfit for His holiness.
• God has always been everywhere, fully aware of all He has made (Jeremiah 23:23–24; Psalm 139:7–10), yet He chose to make that presence known to humanity in a personal way. A relationship with God was meant to be the center of human life.
• God revealed Himself to specific individuals. He called Abram to follow Him and promised to make him a great nation (Genesis 12:1–3). He spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2–6) and met with him on Mount Sinai (Exodus 33:11). He revealed His word to the prophets, sometimes through visions and other times through direct speech (Numbers 12:6–8). Though such encounters were rare, they showed that even after sin entered the world, God still desired to make Himself known. However, He did so only on His own terms and to carry out His redemptive plan.
• Later, God chose Israel to be His covenant people and made His presence specially known among them. Priests represented the people before God, and the sacrifices temporarily covered their sin (Leviticus 16:2, 34). During this time of special relationship, God’s presence filled the tabernacle and later the temple (Exodus 40:34–35; 1 Kings 8:10–11).
• While the sacrifices and priesthood of Israel provided some access to God, they mostly illustrated that sin keeps people from freely entering God’s presence. Even the temple, where His glory dwelled, could only be entered by a select few for limited periods of time and only after sacrifices for sin. Because of this, the prophets looked forward to a day when God would write His law on human hearts and dwell among His people permanently (Jeremiah 31:33–34; Ezekiel 37:27).

from the new testament

• That day came through Jesus Christ. By His death and resurrection, Jesus removed the barrier of sin that prevented people from fellowship with God. Hebrews 10:19–22 explains that believers can now “enter the holy places” by the blood of Jesus, because His body was given as the final sacrifice. To illustrate this new access, when Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). From that point on, access to God’s relational presence is open to all who believe. In Christ, the separation between God and man has been bridged once and for all (2 Corinthians 5:18–19).
• Therefore, believers live in a unique experience of God’s presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Spirit would live within His followers (John 14:16–17), making every believer a temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19).
• That experience is still partial, though, because we remain imperfect. God often feels hidden, even to believers, with sin clouding our awareness of His nearness—-a state Paul describes as “see[ing] in a mirror dimly”(1 Corinthians 13:12). Even so, through faith, believers enjoy genuine fellowship with God in a way that was never possible after Adam sinned. They can draw near to Him in prayer, worship, and obedience.
• History is moving toward the day when that restored fellowship will be complete. When Jesus returns, sin will be removed forever, and without sin, believers will dwell personally with God for eternity: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3). At that time, every relational barrier will be gone, and His presence will no longer be veiled.
• While believers currently have a particular access to God’s presence and will eternally enjoy Him, even unbelievers will one day know God’s relational presence (Romans 14:10–12; Revelation 20:11–12). However, instead of joy, they will experience His eternal wrath (Matthew 25:31–46; Revelation 20:11–15).

implications for today

God’s omnipresence means He is everywhere. In God’s presence, we are in relationship with Him, with special access and the opportunity to enjoy Him. Believers get a small taste of that now through the Holy Spirit as we pray, worship, and obey Him. But that access is still limited because we are not yet free from sin. When Jesus returns, sin will be finally gone, and we will dwell with God forever. At that time, we will see Him and personally and uniquely experience His presence.

But the same presence that will mean eternal joy for His people also means horrific, eternal judgment for those who are His enemies, i.e., anyone who rejects His saving grace through His Son.

Who do you know who is still an enemy of God because they don’t accept His Son? Knowing what awaits them, what steps have you, as a believer, taken to bring them into God’s family? Your message to unbelievers doesn’t have to be complicated: “Repent of sin, trust in Christ alone, and receive the mercy God freely gives, including the assurance of personally enjoying His presence forever.”