The biblical teaching of God’s omnipresence is really spread through the whole of Scripture. It is not always explicitly taught, thought it is at times, but it is a necessary teaching within the character of God and for biblical doctrine. In other words, despite the seemingly massive rejection of this attribute of God in today’s version of Christianity, this teaching is vital to the doctrine of God and basic Christian doctrine. If a person denies the omnipresence of God, then if one wants to be consistent that person must deny a lot of other things. Last time we looked at a few verses that show clearly that God is omnipresent. Next time we will meditate on how this attribute fits with other attributes. But now we will look at the meaning for a few of the many doctrines that depend on it.
The first doctrine to look at is the doctrine of Scripture. As we think of Scripture and its application to all of men, the authority of Scripture is over all. Wherever missionaries or ministers go with the Gospel, they take the Scriptures with them. Why is that? It is because God works through the Gospel wherever it is taken. We also know that God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). We also know that the Word of God does what it is supposed to do: “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Unless God is omnipresent and there to perform His Word, preaching the Scriptures is without real purpose.
The doctrine of what Scripture is also rests on the omnipresence of God. We have 66 books written over 1500 years or so. We have all of these authors and all of these books and they are all said to be “God-breathed.” How could it be that all of these books have one Author? How could it be that all of these books are breathed forth by God? How could it be that all of the events of these books all happen under the sovereignty of God? How can God call the stars out and call them by name? How can He know the numbers of the hairs of all men if He is not omnipresent? How is it that He is the One that opens His hands and feeds the birds and the wild animals? How is it that not one bird can fall from the sky apart from His will? How is it that large fish are right where He wants them and vomit right where He wants them too? None of these things could be true unless God is omnipresent. This is simply to say that for all of these parts of Scripture to be true, His omnipresence must be true as well.
The doctrine of sin also leans on the omnipresence of God. All sin is said to be directly against God. One part of the so-called atheist is that he wants to claim that God does not exist and then that God will not see (Psalm 10:11-14). Here is the real issue with men wanting to deny the omnipresence of God. They want to do away with the fact that they sin in His presence and that He knows all of their sin. When men had idols in Scripture, they are said to have idols in His presence. So the teaching of Scripture that sin is in the presence of God and against God depends on God actually being present at all places at the same time.
The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is utterly dependent on God being present at every place and at every moment. If God is not actually present in each place at each moment, then who gives each person and each animal their every breath? If God is not actually present, then who upholds finite and utterly dependant creatures in being? If God is not actually present in each location, then who determines what is to happen according to His divine plan in the places that He is not present?
Can the doctrine of the new birth be a work of the Spirit of God if God is not present in all places and at every moment? Can the Gospel be preached with confidence in God being able to perform the work in men’s hearts apart from the omnipresence of God? Wouldn’t the power of conversion and of preaching be all in our power if God is not present at all times and in all ways? Would we have confidence in the Gospel as being the power of God unto salvation for all who believe if God is not there to call sinners to Himself? How would sinners be reconciled to God if God is not actually there? How does God pour out His love in the hearts of people through the Spirit if He is not in all places? How is it that there is no love in the universe apart from the God who is love (I John 4:7-8) and yet believers are known to be believers by their love for one another if God is not omnipresent? Scripture teaches us that only those that are born of God and know God actually love. This means that if there is to be any love in any part of the universe God must be there if love is to be there. What keeps humanity from plunging into utter depravity? It is the restraining hand of God. The working of humanity as we know it depends on the omnipresence of God. The doctrines of Holy Scripture rest firmly in the hands of a God who is there even if it is in the grave or heaven above. Wherever there is anything at all, God is there because all things came into being through Him.
God Loves... Himself 
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