Where is God? Is he up in heaven looking down at his creation, or being omnipresent; is His spirit within each and every one of us?
Let’s consider a few verses that speak of God’s dwelling places. King David wrote in Psalm 113:5, “Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high?” We read in Ecclesiastes 5:2 that, “…God is in heaven, and thou upon earth…” 1 Peter 3:22 says, “(Jesus Christ) is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” It’s plain to see, isn’t it, that the Lord lives in Heaven.
Now let’s consider a few more verses concerning the Lord’s dwelling places. We read in 2 Corinthians 6:16, “…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 1 John 4:12 says very clearly, “…God dwelleth in us…” The Apostle John went on to say in 1 John 4:15, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” The Lord Jesus promises His presence to His saved ones in Matthew 18:20 where He said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” The Lord Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:20, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” It’s becoming obvious that the Lord has His dwelling place in Glory, but that He is also with each of His people whether individually or when gathered together in His name.
In Isaiah 57:15, the Lord expresses how He lives in Glory and also with His people. That says, “For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (NASB) We also know that the Lord cannot be confined to a building. We read in Acts 17:24, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”
David pondered the omnipresence of the Lord in Psalm 139:7-10, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” We continue to read of the Lord’s omnipresence in Ephesians 4:6 which speaks of, “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
1 Corinthians 3:16 says to all believers, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” The Lord’s desire has always been to dwell among His people. He told Moses concerning the Israelites in Exodus 25:8, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (NKJV) Isn’t that amazing? God, who is the Almighty, who is righteous and holy, who upholds all things by the Word of His power…this same wonderful God wants to be in our presence. He wants us to be around Him. As we just read, Ephesians 4:6 tells us that the Lord lives in us. The Lord promised His presence to us individually and as gathered to Him with other saints. We just read in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that the Spirit of God dwells in each one of the Lord’s redeemed people. Our great God is in Heaven and He is here among and in all those who are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (178.5)