The Practical Doctrine of Omnipresence

“If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Psalm 139:8)

The doctrine of omnipresence teaches us that God is always present, in all places. There is no place where God is absent. This means that it is impossible to hide from God; God sees all and knows all. Every mystery is known, and every hidden thing is revealed, to the God who is everywhere present.

This doctrine, though, is a special help for Christians, since Jesus promises them something more: his personal, relational presence at all times. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” he says in Matthew 28:20. This sounds remarkably similar to the encouragement that Joshua received in Joshua 1:9 – “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” And it is what the author of Hebrews refers to in 13:5 – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

If you are a Christian, then, you can say with certainty, “The Lord is with me!” Whatever you are going through, whatever you are doing, you can be sure of God’s personal presence. This is fearful, but also encouraging.

It is fearful because it means that God does not simply know, vaguely, of our sins, but he is like a personal witness who stands by and observes our acts of sin. There is no escaping his gaze – but perhaps this reminder will make us hesitate to sin so callously in the presence of the God whom we claim to worship.

And how encouraging this doctrine is! Whatever we go through, whatever challenges or difficulties lie before us, God is present, not only as a passive observer, but as one who is watching over us, guiding our steps, helping us in our infirmity, and forgiving our sins. He takes a personal interest in us, and we are meant to take encouragement from that.

The author of Hebrews uses this as an argument for contentment. If this God is with us, side-by-side as it were, how can we be discontent with our lot in life? To continually have access to the eternal God, and to know of his constant presence, is worth far more than any possession. So, when we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, we can still recognize that what we have is far more than what most people have.

And finally, Jesus himself gives the promise of his presence within the context of evangelism and discipleship. As Christians spread the message of Jesus and make disciples, they can be certain of Jesus’ presence in this great endeavor. Even our evangelistic flubs and failures are not wasted; Jesus is presently with us when we proclaim his message. In all of these ways, then, the doctrine of omnipresence is intensely practical.

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