What does it mean that God is omnipresent?

What Does It Mean That God Is Omnipresent?

A Graduate-Level Study in Baptist Theology

The term “omnipresent” is derived from the Latin prefix omni, meaning “all,” and praesens, meaning “present.” Thus, to say that God is omnipresent is to affirm that God is present everywhere, at all times, in the fullness of His being. This doctrine is a non-negotiable attribute of the divine nature and is foundational to a biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty, providence, and immanence.

This attribute is not unique to Christianity, yet the Christian doctrine of omnipresence—particularly within Baptist theology—is distinct in that it maintains a necessary balance between God’s transcendence (His existence above and beyond creation) and God’s immanence (His nearness and activity within creation). Unlike pantheism, which teaches that God is identical with the universe, biblical theology teaches that while God is present in all of creation, He is not part of creation.

1. The Biblical Witness to God’s Omnipresence

The Word of God consistently affirms that there is no place where God is not. His presence is not confined by spatial or temporal boundaries.

Psalm chapter 139, verses 7 through 8 says:
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there."

This poetic expression by David demonstrates the inescapable reality of God’s presence. Even Sheol, translated as "hell" in this passage, does not lie beyond His reach.

Psalm chapter 33, verses 13 through 14 further confirms this truth:
"The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth."

God's omnipresence encompasses not just a universal awareness, but an active, purposeful presence in all things.

2. Omnipresence Defined: Manifestation and Degree

While God is always fully present in every place, His manifestation of that presence differs according to His will. This theological distinction helps us understand why God may seem nearer in one context than another.

Psalm chapter 46, verse 1 says:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Isaiah chapter 57, verse 15 echoes this truth:
"For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’"

Though God is present everywhere, He manifests His presence relationally to those who seek Him in humility and truth.

3. God's Presence in Creation, Providence, and Redemption

God is naturally present throughout the created order.

Isaiah chapter 40, verse 12 declares:
"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?"

Nahum chapter 1, verse 3 states:
"The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."

God is also actively present in historical events, guiding them according to His sovereign purposes.

Psalm chapter 48, verse 7 says:
"As when You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind."

Second Chronicles chapter 20, verse 37 adds:
"But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, 'Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.' Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish."

Daniel chapter 5, verses 5 through 6 records:
"In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other."

Furthermore, God is specially present to the penitent.

Colossians chapter 2, verse 9 teaches:
"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

4. The Paradox of God’s Presence in Hell

A theological tension arises when we consider God's presence in hell. Scripture describes hell as a place of separation from God.

Matthew chapter 25, verse 41 says:
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’"

This seems to contradict other passages that describe God's presence in all places.

Revelation chapter 14, verse 10 states:
"He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."

How do we reconcile these truths?

Colossians chapter 1, verse 17 affirms:
"And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

Hebrews chapter 1, verse 3 says:
"Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

God is indeed present in hell, not to bless, but to execute justice. His wrath is the only attribute revealed in that place. Rejection of God's grace leads to eternal separation from His favor, not from His sovereignty or knowledge.

5. God's Presence and the Call to Repentance

The omnipresence of God is both a comfort and a warning. It teaches that we can never hide from Him—our sin is always seen, but so is our repentance.

Psalm chapter 139, verses 11 through 12 says:
"If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You."

Isaiah chapter 57, verse 16 offers hope:
"For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made."

Conclusion: The Theological Significance of Omnipresence

The doctrine of omnipresence is not mere abstraction. It reveals a God who is both holy and near, who fills the heavens and yet draws close to the brokenhearted. God’s presence in heaven is the fullness of blessing. His presence in hell is the fullness of justice. He is not limited by time, location, or created order. No particle is too small, and no universe too vast for Him to occupy fully.

Let us, then, fear the Lord with reverence, knowing we are always in His presence. And let us draw near to Him in Christ, because He is near to all who call upon Him in truth.

As it is written in Psalm chapter 145, verse 18:
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."