THE NATURE OF GOD

THE  NATURE OF GOD

The Scriptures tells us three things about the nature of God.

• God is LIGHT (James 1:17; I Tim 6:16)
• God is LOVE  (I John 4: 16)
• God is SPIRIT (John 4:24)

In the Greek there is no indefinite article, and to say “God is a Spirit” is objectionable, for it places Him in a class with others. God is Spirit; He is incorporeal; not composed of matter, having no visible substance. He is not limited to one place, because He is Spirit. He fills heaven and Earth (II Chron 6:18, Acts 17:23-28).

1. Webster’s Dictionary defines spirit as: “a supernatural, incorporeal, rational being usually invisible to human beings but having the power to become visible at will.”
2. The Hebrew word translated as spirit is RUWACH, which means wind, breath, life, anger, unsubstantiality, region of the sky, or spirit of a rational being.
3. The Greek word translated as spirit is PNEUMA, which means a current of air, breath, blast, breeze, soul, vital principle, spirit, angel, demon, or God

• One unmistakable fact stands out in these definitions, which is that a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).
• Therefore, when the Bible says that God is Spirit, it means that He cannot be seen or touched physically by human beings, however, as Spirit, He is an intelligent, supernatural Being who does not have a physical body. 

God is INVISIBLE (Col 1:15; I Tim 1:17, Heb 11:27).

1. No man has ever seen the invisible God or the Spirit of God (John 1:18; I John 4:12; Exodus 33:20)
2. He can only be seen if He so chooses to manifest Himself in a visible form to man, which we call a THEOPHANY (Gen 18:1-2, 12-15, 25). 

God is OMNIPRESENT (Everywhere Present)

1. Because God is Spirit He can be everywhere at the same time. He is the only Spirit that is truly omnipresent; for all other spirit beings such as demons, angels, and Satan himself are confined to specific locations (Mark 5:10; Jude 6; Revelation 20:1-3).
2. Although God is omnipresent, we cannot equate Him with the nature, substance, or forces of the world (which would be pantheism), because He does have individuality, personality, and intelligence.
3. Solomon recognized God's omnipresence when he prayed at the dedication of the Temple, saying, "Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee" (I Kings 8:27; II Chronicles 2:6; 6:18).
4. God declared His omnipresence by saying, "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool" (Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49).
5. Paul preached that the Lord is "not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:27-28).
6. Perhaps the most beautiful description of God's omnipresence is found in Psalm 139:7-13

• A frequently asked question is: If God is omnipresent, why does the Bible describe Him as being in      

      heaven?  These are the possible answers to such a question:

1. This teaches that God is transcendent, that is, He is beyond human understanding (Psalm 139:1-6) and He is not limited to this earth.
2. It refers to the center of God's reasoning and activity - His headquarters, so to speak.
3. It refers to God's immediate presence; that is, the fullness of God's glory and power, which no mortal man can see and live (Exodus 33:20).
4. Also, it may refer to the visible manifestation of God to the angels in heaven. It cannot mean God lacks omnipresence, is limited to one place, or is limited to a body.

• Similarly, when the Bible says God came to earth or appeared to a man, it does not mean He is no longer omnipresence. It simply means the focus of His activity has shifted to earth at least as far as a certain individual or a certain situation is concerned.

• When God comes to earth, heaven is not empty. He is still just as much in heaven as ever. He can act simultaneously in heaven and on earth, or at several locations on earth.