A central question soon surfaces when people search for God or some higher power. Where is God? Where can we find him?
Different religions have sought to answer this question, and Christianity has done the same. In many religions, deities are in nature or regions (particularly places designated for worship).
But how does Scripture answer the question, “Where is God?” How is the Judeo-Christian stance on this question similar or different from other perspectives?
How Do Other Religions Answer the Question ‘Where Is God’?
Various religions offer diverse perspectives on where God is. Each perspective reflects their distinct views on the divine. Their answers to “Where is God?” vary significantly.
In polytheistic religions, where belief in multiple gods is central, the gods are often associated with specific domains, territories, or natural aspects. These gods are considered localized beings with particular influence over certain regions or elements. For example, in ancient Mesopotamian religions, each city had its patron deity, and people worshipped the local god believed to inhabit that area. Similarly, in Hinduism, numerous deities are associated with the natural world’s features, and temples are dedicated to specific gods or goddesses, emphasizing their connection to particular locales.
Animistic and indigenous religions often perceive the divine as inside natural elements such as trees, rivers, mountains, and animals. In these traditions, sacred spaces are often identified based on spirits or deities being there. People demonstrate their belief that the divine is intimately connected to the land by carrying soil or stones from sacred sites that symbolize divine presence.
On the other hand, pantheistic traditions propose that God and the cosmos are the same. In pantheism, the distinction between the Creator and creation blurs. The divine is inherent in everything. Hinduism aligns with pantheistic ideas in certain interpretations, suggesting that the divine essence (Brahman) is present in all living beings and forms reality’s fundamental fabric.
In contrast to pantheism, deism posits a transcendent God who created the universe but remains separate from it. In deistic thought, God is seen as a distant Creator who sets natural laws in motion but does not actively intervene in the world. This perspective implies that God is present within the created order but has a distinct existence apart from it.
Christianity provides a different answer than these religions. It has its foundations within Judaism and the Old Testament, which refers to God (Yahweh) being connected with certain places, whether the land of Israel or a temple.
Does the Bible Answer the Question ‘Where Is God’?
While the Bible doesn’t provide a straightforward geographical location for God, its teachings offer insights into the nature of God’s presence and how humans experience and relate to the divine.
We should begin with one key biblical concept about God’s nature: his omnipresence (that he is everywhere at once). The Bible affirms that God is not confined to a specific place or limited by spatial boundaries. Psalm 139:7-10 expresses this truth: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
God’s omnipresence leads us to a key point: God is present in nature, though not in a pantheistic way.
What Does Creation Tell Us about Where God Is?
The idea that creation reveals God’s existence and divine attributes is foundational in Christian theology. Nature provides glimpses of a divine design, evidence pointing to a Creator’s existence and wisdom.
One notable passage about this concept is Romans 1:20:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse.”
The cosmos’ intricacies and vastness reveal God’s eternal power. The universe’s order, complexity, and beauty—from galaxies’ arrangement to natural laws’ precision—attest to a power transcending human comprehension. Creation’s grandeur and remarkable design echo the concept of an eternal, omnipotent Creator.
Nature provides insights into God’s divine nature. Lifeforms’ variety, ecosystems’ intricacies, and the environment’s delicate balance reflect attributes like:
- Wisdom
- Creativity
- Purposeful design
The way species interdepend on each other suggests a divine intelligence behind creation. Something more than random chance, an intentional design, is behind the universe’s complex order and design, from patterns to physical laws.
The Romans passage also has moral implications. The assertion that people are “without excuse” suggests we are somehow accountable for recognizing evidence of God in creation. Furthermore, the universe has a moral fabric, which we perceive from the moral law within human hearts. The moral fabric implies a moral lawgiver.
Finally, the Romans passage says the evidence of God’s existence and attributes is “clearly seen” and “understood.” Nature’s revelation is available to all—transcending cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries.
The Bible maintains that there is more than just evidence in nature for God’s presence. God is both omnipresent and manifest in certain places—namely heaven, Jesus, and now God’s people as his temple on earth.
What Specific Places Does God Reside In?
The primary “place” where the Bible places God’s presence is in heaven. Isaiah 66:1 poetically says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (NIV). This imagery emphasizes God’s majesty and transcendence. In the Lord’s Prayer, when Jesus teaches the disciples to pray, he begins with “Our Father, who is in heaven.”
For a time at least, God promised his presence would reside within the Temple in Jerusalem. He affirms he can’t be contained in an earthly temple, but he still promises his presence will reside in the Jerusalem temple. 1 Kings 9:3 records God’s message to King Solomon:
“And the Lord said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.’”
The New Testament builds on this idea with something radical: the transcendent God has made himself available to people in a very personal and powerful way. Through the Lord Jesus Christ.
What Does Jesus Teach Us about Where God Is?
Jesus Christ’s birth is pivotal in Christian theology, signaling God’s unique manifestation in human history. The name “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us,” underscores the idea that, in Jesus, God entered into the human experience. Matthew 1:23 quotes the prophecy from Isaiah: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’).” Jesus was God in a human body.
Moving forward from the Gospels into the rest of the New, the Bible emphasizes God’s indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit within believers. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, the Apostle Paul declares, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” This intimate connection between God and believers suggests that God is not distant. He is intricately involved in his followers’ lives.
Why Did Jesus Have to Come in Human Flesh if God Is Already Everywhere?
The Incarnation of Jesus—God taking on human flesh—is a central and profound tenet of Christian theology. But why did Jesus have to come in human flesh, especially if God is already omnipresent?
The Incarnation accomplishes several things which are fundamental to Christian belief.
- Identification with Humanity. The Incarnation represents God’s radical identification with humanity. Jesus fully entered the human experience by taking on human flesh and sharing humanity’s joys, sorrows, temptations, and struggles. This means he is a powerful expression of God’s love and solidarity with His created beings. Jesus also intercedes for humanity as the Great High Priest.
- Revelation of God’s Nature. The Incarnation reveals God’s nature in a unique way. In Jesus, the invisible God becomes visible. The unknowable God becomes known. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Through Jesus, God’s character, love, and redemptive purposes are tangibly manifested.
- Atonement for Sin. The Incarnation is intimately connected to Jesus’ redemptive mission. Humanity’s separation from God, caused by sin, required a means of reconciliation. Jesus, as both fully God and fully human, became the bridge between humanity and God. His sacrificial death on the cross atones for sin, bringing reconciliation and redemption.
- Model of Holiness and Obedience. Jesus gave humanity a model of holiness and obedience by living a sinless life. The Incarnation demonstrates how to live in perfect obedience to God. This serves as an example for believers and highlights the transformative power of God’s grace in human lives.
- The New Creation of Believers. Jesus isn’t only the model; he is the model for all believers. Through his death and resurrection, any human who repents is now “born again” and a New Creation in Christ. The Holy Spirit now dwells in us. This indwelling Holy Spirit empowers us to do God’s work. We can’t obey him in our own strength.
- Establishing the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ earthly ministry was focused on proclaiming the Kingdom of God—a kingdom Jesus brought about. Through His teachings, miracles, and establishing a new covenant, Jesus laid the foundation for the Kingdom of God—now and in the future. He invited people into a transformed relationship with God.
- Fulfillment of Prophecy. The Incarnation aligns with numerous Old Testament prophecies foretelling the Messiah’s coming. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies, providing continuity between the Old and New Testaments. He was the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s Messianic redemptive plan.
While God is indeed omnipresent, the Incarnation expresses God’s love, redemption, and divine purposes in a unique way. The mystery of the Incarnation underscores how God’s interactions with humanity have many facets. Furthermore, it shows God’s profound lengths to restore a broken relationship. Jesus, a human being, does not negate God’s omnipresence. He shows God’s power in a tangible, relatable, and transformative way that continues to shape Christian understanding and devotion.
Peace.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Oleksandr Bushko
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