The Infinity of God, Pt. 3

Third – God’s IMMENSITY. 

When discussing the infinity of God with reference to space, we are diving into God’s immensity.  Thus the immensity of God is that divine perfection that He possesses by which He transcends all spatial limitations, and yet is present in every point of space with His entire presence.

Now keep in mind the last phrase in the above statement: “every point of space with His entire presence.”  What is meant here is that God is not spread out throughout space – His head in one corner, his feet in another.  No, wherever there is space, God’s total Being is present in all its form. This is God’s immensity.

We can distinguish three modes of presence in space. For example, physical bodies are in space restrictively, because they are bounded by it; finite angelic spirits are in space definitively, since they are not everywhere, but only in a certain definite place; when it comes to God, He is in space completely, because He fills all space at the same time. He is not absent from any part of it, nor more present in one part than in another.

Now you may be wondering what is the difference between God’s immensity and His omnipresence since both pretty much teach the same thing?  There is difference to note.

When talking about God’s immensity, the Bible teaches that God transcends all space and is not subject to its limitations.  Omnipresence means that God fills ever part of space with His entire Being.  Or to say it this way, the “immensity” of God places emphasis on God’s total transcendence, while the “omnipresence” of God places emphasis on His total immanence.  While God is infinitely far away from us (immensity - transcendence), He is also very near to each of us (omnipresent – immanence).  While God is immanent with all His creation, He is not bounded by His creation.

 There are a couple of errors we need to avoid when discussing the immensity of God. First, the error of Pantheism.  This is the belief that God is part of creation itself. That is, God is present in every place where creation or matter exists since God is matter and matter is God. The Bible denies this to be unbiblical in the first two chapters of Genesis where it is clearly seen that God created matter out of nothing and is totally distinct from creation.

Second is the error of the Deistics.  This heresy teaches that God is present in His creation by virtue of His power, but not His presence, and therefore, when God does work or act, He does so from a great distance away.  No, God’s presence or Divine Being is present everywhere in totality all at the same time.

However, we do need to make this distinction.  Although God is present with and in His creation, His dwelling (by which e makes Himself known) is not the same. You see, God is presence and can be found in matter, but God dwells differently in a Christian man or woman (who are called the temple of God – 1 Cor. 6:19).  God’s presence is in all animals, but His dwelling is different in a born-again man and woman.   God’s presence is in the wicked (John 1:9), but His dwelling is different in the righteous heart of believers. God’s presence is in hell (Psalm 139:8), but His dwelling in heaven is much different. So while we are quick to say that God is immense, He is not bound by time and space and is present everywhere at the same time, His dwelling everywhere at the same time is perceived differently. I see this to be an act of God whereby He allows His presence to be perceived differently in different settings and locations based on His purpose and glory.

Here are the passages from the Bible:

I Kings 8:27 - “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you.”

Isa. 66:1, 2 - This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? ² My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Ps. 139:7-10  - “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! ⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.”

 Jer. 23:23, 24 -  “Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. ²⁴ Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.”

Acts 17:27-29 - ²⁷ “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ ^29 “And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.”

End of Series on God’s Infinity