God’s Presence
Adam walked in the presence of God until they ate of the forbidden tree. It was Adam
and Eve that hid from the presence of God (Genesis 3:8). Because of the fallen
nature of mankind, no one was worthy to be in the presence of God, but God in the
Old Testament set up the law and sacrificial system to cleanse His people until His
Messiah could come, then in the New Testament He sent Jesus to pay the ultimate
price to bring us back into relationship and thereby enabling us to be restored into the
presence of God.
God’s presence is experienced by those who truly desire it. David’s greatest desire
was to live in God’s presence each day of his life (Psalm 27:4) “One thing have I
desired of the Lord Yahweh, that will I seek after, that I may, dwell in the house of the
Lord Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord Yahweh and to
enquire in His temple”. Sadly, this is not the greatest desire of many who claim to be
believers. But those who desire to live in God’s presence each day will be able to
enjoy that relationship
God’s manifestation of His spiritual being. Since God is Spirit, believers experience
Him by sensing His invisible presence. God also makes Himself known in other ways.
In the Old Testament God revealed His presence through the Angel of the Lord. The
Angel of the Lord was God’s emissary and Israel’s special helper. Hagar insists that
she had seen God Himself (Genesis 16:13). In Jacob’s experience the Angel identifies
Himself with God (Genesis 31:11-13). God was temporarily incarnating Himself within
the form of the angel, assuring His own that He was immediately present with them.
Throughout the Old Testament the glory of God is the transcendent God making His
presence and nearness visible to His own. The cloud by day and the fire by night.
In the Holy Spirit the transcendent God draws near to His people. The Spirit is the
medium through whom God’s presence becomes real among His people (Isaiah 63:11-
14) and by whom God’s gifts and power operate among them (Zechariah 4:6, 6:1-8).
David in Psalm 51:11 pleads with God not to take His Holy Spirit from him.
In Psalm 100 we are told how to get into His presence. Verse 4 says “enter into His
gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him, and bless
His name”. To pray to God in a holy place was to “seek God’s faced” (Psalm 24:3-6).
In Isaiah 26:3 says “You (God) will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
You, because he trusts in You. Trust you in the Lord Yahweh for ever, for in the Lord
Yahweh is everlasting strength”. The Bible says you shall seek Him and you shall find
Him, when you search for Him with your whole heart. James tells us to “draw near to
God and He will draw near to us” (James 4:8a). Through His Holy Spirit, God promises
to be with us always, if we just ask Him. When we accept Him as Lord of our lives, He
forgives us and purifies us on the inside so that He can ten reside in us.
What allows us to enter God’s presence? Now all of us, may come to the Father
through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us (Ephesians 2:
18). He has brought us back. He has done this through His death on the cross in His
own body, as a result, He has brought us into the very presence of God. Hebrews 10:
19-22 …we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred
curtain, by means of His death for us. Because of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and
resurrection, and our faith in Him, we stand holy and blameless in the presence of
God.
What can keep us from enjoying God’s presence? I Corinthians 6:9-10 says “know
you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived,
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, not revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”. This is repeated in Galatians 5:19-21,
and Ephesians 5:5. The presence of sin in our lives causes us to fear the presence
of the Lord.
How can we experience God’s presence for today on earth? James 4:8 “draw near to
God and God will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, purify your
hearts, you hypocrites”. God is with us everywhere, but we must draw near to Him.
there is only one way to experience God’s eternal presence – to turn from your sins,
ask God to forgive you for your sins, and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. Jesus
replied, “all those who love Me will do what I say, My Father will love them, and we will
come to them and live with them” (John 14:23). God longs for us to enjoy fellowship
with Him. God’s solution to the sin in our lives is for us to come to Him through
believing and accepting Jesus’ payment for our sin, turning from our sin, and obeying
God. We experience God’s presence daily as we look to Him and for Him.
God’s presence helps us to obey and please Him (II Corinthians 3:17). His presence
gives us protection and comfort. There is wonderful joy in His presence. Recognizing
Christ’s presence with us is a measure of our walk with Him (II Corinthians 13:5)
“examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine”.
Jesus said “I am with you always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). Just
knowing He is with us, gives us boldness. Remember when someone was threatening
you and someone came to your rescue, you got bold because you were not by
yourself. Well, we Jesus to protect us. God wants us to come boldly to the throne.
The early church lived in this awareness and did many miracles, just as Jesus said
they would do. Let’s get the understanding that we are invited into His presence, and
in His presence there is fullness of joy.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 2, 2007