God is with us in a very personal and intimate way. The God of all creation lives within each of his children. He comforts them in difficult times. He teaches them his ways. We cannot have a greater privilege than have God with us.
As believers,God is always with us? When do we come together as believers? In both good times and bad? As Christians, we would generally say yes to all of these questions. But what does this little expression mean, “God is with us”? throughout this study you will understand it.
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God’s immanence
As Christians, we believe that God is transcendent and immanent. The transcendence refers to the exteriority of it. God is external to his creation, he is not linked to it or by it. Immanence, on the other hand, refers to his activity within the creation.
God is intimately involved in the government of his creation. There’s a lot of debate about how involved he is. But no one seriously questions that he takes an active interest in his creation, in humanity, and especially in the church and believers.
In the first pages of the Bible, we find God walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. At the end of the Bible, we find God in the New Jerusalem living with a redeemed humanity. And among these, you find God interacting with people, nations, and the created order.
Not a passive observer of creation and everything that happens within it. Is an active participant in his affairs, guiding and directing according to his divine purpose. God’s presence with Israel was obvious during the wanderings in the desert after the Exodus.
On Mount Sinai, after the incident with the golden calf, God told Moses that he would not go with the people on their journey to Canaan because they were “a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 33:3-4). But Moses pleaded with God to accompany them on the journey and God relented. (Exodus 33: 12-17).
And so, God was with Israel, leading them with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. Where that pillar led them, they went. For Israel, during the Exodus, God is with us meant two things: that God was pleased with them (Exodus 33:16) and that it was giving them direction (Exodus 40: 36-38). This would continue to be true in the rest of the Old Testament.
Emmanuel, God with us
In the New Testament, we see God’s presence in an even more intimate way. When God reassures Joseph about Mary’s pregnancy, tells him that the one to be born of Mary would be called Emmanuel, or “God with us.” Jesus was Emmanuel. He was God, in human form, living and moving among us.
Those who followed Jesus during the three years of his earthly ministry experienced the presence of God with them in a very intimate way and personal. During Jesus’ last night with his disciples, Philip asked him to show them the Father (John 14:8). Jesus replied that if they had seen him, Jesus, they had seen the Father.
In Matthew 18:20Jesus tells us that where two or three of us meet, in his name, there it will be. Although we no longer see his physical presence among us when we come together, we can be sure that God is with us. As a church, we are his body. Wherever we are, he is too.
The Holy Spirit who dwells in us
In the New Testament gospels, the followers of Jesus experienced the presence of God with them in the person of Jesus. Jesus was God in human form, walking, talking, and eating with them. I have often wondered what it would be like to spend time like this with Jesus.
But the reality is that we now have an even more intimate relationship with God. As Jesus walked alongside his disciples, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. For those of us who believe in Jesus, God is with us at every moment of every day. In John 14: 16-17Jesus said:
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another lawyer to help you and be with you forever: the Spirit of truth.”
Jesus promised that the Father would give us another advocate, the Holy Spirit. This lawyer, like Jesus, would be God. The savior said that this lawyer would be with us forever. Unlike God’s presence with Israel, a presence that seemed to come and go.
Unlike Jesus, who walked with his followers for a limited time, the Holy Spirit will be our constant companion. He is God with us. Jesus also said that this lawyer would help us.
The Holy Spirit not only walks with us, helps us to live holy lives. It teaches us the things of God. And it gives us power to serve in the kingdom. Your help is indispensable to each and every one of Christ’s followers.
So what does it mean that God is with us?
From a global perspective, it means that God is working within his creation. He is not the god of deism, a god who creates a universe and then leaves it alone. Instead, God has a plan for his creation and is working on it. It means that nothing that happens is outside of the final purpose of the Creator.
God is with us has a special meaning for those who have surrendered to the lordship of Jesus. Our Lord, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is with us in a very personal and intimate way. The God of all creation lives within us, comforting us in the worst of times and teaching us to walk with him and serve him.
What does it mean? It means you’re never alone. Even in your darkest moments, he is with you. You can trust that no matter what comes your way, he will keep you safe. We cannot have a greater privilege than having God with us.
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10 beautiful and comforting verses to remind you that God is with you
There is something incredibly comforting about the fact that God is with us. Throughout the Scriptures, he has assured us that he will never leave us or forsake us. Here are some Bible verses that can help us remember that God will not leave us, especially in our darkest moments.
1. Matthew 1:23
In Matthew 1: 22-23 is the narrative of the birth of Jesus; “a virgin would conceive a son and his name would be Emmanuel (which means God with us)” (Matthew 1:22-23). This Scripture fulfills some ancient prophecies that we witness in the Old Testament. God promised to be with us in a whole new way, and he fulfills it during the New Testament.
2. John 14: 16-17
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will be with you forever” (John: 14: 16). God exists with us in a completely new way after his death and resurrection. In this passage, Jesus promises that we will experience God in an unprecedented way.
When he ascends to heaven and can no longer physically be with the disciples, the Holy Spirit comes and rests on each one of them (taking the appearance of tongues of fire). The Holy Spirit dwells within them and remains with them forever.
We do not see this in the Old Testament. Although the Holy Spirit would empower people, he had never occupied a permanent tabernacle within anyone until after Jesus ascended. What a beautiful reminder! God does not leave us to navigate life on our own. The Holy Spirit guides us, comforts us, and intercedes for us.
3. Jeremiah 31
In this passage the Lord declares that he will put the law and write it in the hearts. (Jer. 31:31, 33). God does not leave his people in the Old Testament. He knew they had a sin problem that no amount of good deeds could ever rectify. So he makes this promise. That he will find a way to be with us.
We must also take into account the context of the book of Jeremiah. This prophet existed during a difficult time in the history of Israel. Babylon had conquered and taken captive his people. However, Jeremiah leaves this with this hope and promise of a new covenant with God, to be fulfilled 500 years later.
4. Matthew 28:20
Before Jesus left this earth, he spoke the following words to his disciples: “I I am always with youuntil the end of time” (Matthew 28:20). They must have felt some uneasiness when she ascended to heaven. Jesus, who had walked beside him for three years, had disappeared. However, this promise shows that the Savior never left. God would still be with them through the role of the Holy Spirit. God never abandons us.
5. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Here it is affirmed that we are a temple of the spirit of God. In the Old Testament, people had to travel to the temple on certain days of the week and of the year. Y no one could truly approach the abode of God (the Ark of the Covenant), except the High Priest, once a year.
And if he did it wrong, he could die! Fortunately, we have a different temple thanks to the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we no longer have to go near the Holy of Holies to feel His presence.
How wonderful that God chooses reside within us! May we boldly approach him and feel his presence. Something with which many heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 they could only dream.
6. Psalm 139:7
“Where will I go from your Spirit?” Or where shall I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7). We cannot escape from God. For those who love God, this can be a comfort and reassurance. For those who want to run away from God or his plan, like Jonahthis may seem like a small warning.
One thing I found interesting in my minor philosophy was that all philosophers pointed to the Gospel whether they wanted to or not. Plato, Kant, Aristotle, among others. All had gospel threads woven into their messages. We can’t escape from God physically, mentally or spiritually.
7. Ephesians 2:18 and 3:11-12
“Because through him we both have access by the same Spirit to the Father.” Think about the profound nature of this verse. We have access to the Father. We can often take this for granted in our prayer life until we realize what the High Priest went through when he had to approach the Holy of Holies.
They had to put bells on it in case it stopped moving (which would indicate that it had died in the presence of God). Praise the Lord that he found a way for us to have access to him and the ability to come into his presence.
8. Psalm 145:18
“The LORD is near to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). Many Christians may fear that God will leave them. I know that I have certainly felt this way many times in my life. During my childhood, many teachers had given me a false idea that if I was wrong once, God would abandon me.
But this verse reminds us that God is close to those who call on him. Even during our darkest moments, when we fear that God has left us to the wolves, we can know that it is not in his character to abandon us. Therefore, even when we cannot feel it, he is there.