Is God omnipresent? What does it mean to be omnipresent?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The prefix, “omni,” means “all.” To say God is omnipresent means that He is present everywhere with His whole Being at all times. While many religions believe God is everywhere at one time, the Bible specifically teaches that God is both everywhere at once and transcendent (above all), that is, outside of His creation. This does not mean that part of God is in one place and part is in another. Instead, it means all of God is present in all locations. He is not confined by space, limited to certain places, or absent from any corner of creation (Psalm 139:7–10; Jeremiah 23:23–24). God’s omnipresence is not like the wind or air that fills a room. It is a personal presence. He is with His people (Isaiah 41:10), near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), and attentive to the cries of His children (Psalm 145:18). Though He is present everywhere, He is especially near in relationship to those who trust in Him. This attribute should not be confused with pantheism, which wrongly teaches that God is everything. God is present in all places, but He is distinct from His creation. He is omnipresent but also transcendent (Psalm 33:13–14). So, God is not diluted across the universe. Because of His transcendence, He remains fully present and distinct all at once.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God’s transcendence is seen in Psalm 33:13–14. As Creator, God is outside of time and space, looking down on His creation. Remembering God’s transcendence protects us from confusing His omnipresence with pantheism, which teaches that God is everywhere because He is everything—trees, rocks, animals, stars, etc.. Pantheism denies God’s transcendence. This is certainly not the biblical view of omnipresence. This is why it is important to say He is present everywhere with His whole Being at all times.
• Though God is transcendent, because He is omnipresent, He is also near us (Psalm 139:7–10). We cannot hide from the omnipresent God.
• Jeremiah records God saying, “Am I a God who is near … and not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him? … Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” (Jeremiah 23:23–24). In His rhetorical question, God asserts that He is always near.
• While dedicating the new temple where God said He would dwell with His people, Solomon understood that God was not contained there. He confessed, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). Because God is omnipresent, nothing restricts Him or limits where He is.
• This is a sobering truth when we remember that “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). God’s omnipresence includes His watchful awareness.
• God combines the two truths of His transcendence and immanence (nearness) in one verse: “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit” (Isaiah 57:15a–b). God dwells both high above us and with us. He is particularly near to those who are righteous and humble, honoring Him as God.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• When God sent His Son, Jesus added on humanity. Paul taught, “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6–7). Jesus did not stop being God when He added on humanity. Jesus, in His humanity, was restricted to a specific place like us, as God, He was (and is) still omnipresent.
• Just before Jesus returned to heaven He said, “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). He was assuring His disciples that He would be with them wherever they went, even as they scattered across the globe. He could make that promise because He is God and omnipresent.
• Speaking about the Father, Paul said that He “is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:27b–28a). God’s nearness was not limited to sacred buildings or religious rituals. Instead, He is everywhere actively sustaining us.
• Because God is everywhere, Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (ESV). To be naked and exposed is a humbling position, indeed! God sees everything as if we are unclothed—nothing is hidden from Him.
• Though God is everywhere, He is also with believers in a special way. We learn in 2 Corinthians that “we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell among them and walk among them’” (2 Corinthians 6:16b). In the Old Testament, God had His special dwelling with His people in a temple. Now, however, all believers are His temple, so though He is everywhere, He dwells with us in a particular way.
• When we look forward to Jesus’ return, we learn that God’s goal is to dwell with His children (believers) personally and forever: “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 21:3b). Despite God’s omnipresence, believers will be personally with Him forever.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Because God is everywhere, believers can take great comfort knowing that He sees our trials. This means that we can boldly go into the world to proclaim Jesus (Matthew 28:19–20) and live according to biblical truth even when the world laughs at us. We can do that because we know that the omnipresent God is stronger than the world (1 John 4:4) and will judge the world (Acts 17:31).

However, God’s omnipresence is also a frightening truth. It means believers do not get to “coast” through our Christian life. Everything we do, for better or worse, will be judged in the end (2 Corinthians 5:10). That doesn’t mean we can lose our salvation, but that we will suffer loss for all the sin we do. Additionally, God actively brings discipline to His sinning children in this life to grow us to be more holy (Hebrews 12:6).

For the unbeliever, it means that God knows. What does he know? That memory of sin that just popped into your head—God knows that. He was there when you did it or thought about it. God also knows every other sin you’ve committed. He has a record of them all (Revelation 20:12). You have two choices: Continue to foolishly hope that judgement won’t come (Romans 1:18–23) or humble yourself and repent. Jesus promised that He will not cast out anyone who trusts in His righteousness for salvation (John 6:37), and the all-knowing Father has promised to forget the sins of the repentant (Hebrews 8:12).

In short: for both believers and unbelievers, God’s omnipresence should cause us to worship and reverentially fear Him!

UNDERSTAND

• God’s omnipresence means He is fully present everywhere at all times.
• God’s omnipresence is personal, not impersonal – He is near to His people, attentive to their needs, and actively involved in their lives.
• God is omnipresent yet distinct from creation; He transcends it while being fully present within it.

REFLECT

• How does believing in God’s omnipresence comfort you when you’re lonely or overwhelmed?
• In what areas of your life do you act as if God is not omnipresent and watching?
• How would remembering God's omnipresence change the way you think, speak, or act in private moments?

ENGAGE

• In what ways does God’s omnipresence encourage or comfort you?
• How does understanding God's omnipresence help us better explain the difference between biblical truth and pantheism?
• What are some practical ways we can encourage each other to live with a daily awareness of God's omnipresence?