What does it mean that the High and Holy One draws near to us? (God’s Immanence)
One of the most beautiful truths about God is that He is both exalted above all creation and intimately near to His people. The Bible presents Him as the High and Holy One who dwells in eternity and yet chooses to make His home with the contrite and humble in spirit (Isaiah 57:15). This truth, often called God’s immanence, shows us how the transcendent God who rules over the heavens also walks with His children on earth. In our series on the attributes of God, this attribute emphasizes His closeness, reminding us that His holiness is not a barrier to relationship but the very reason He draws near to redeem and restore.
1. God’s Immanence in Contrast to His Transcendence
The Bible often holds two truths in tension: God is far above creation, yet He is present within it. His transcendence points to His uniqueness, independence, and majesty (Psalm 113:4–6). At the same time, His immanence affirms that He is actively involved in sustaining, guiding, and redeeming the world He made (Jeremiah 23:23–24).
This balance sets biblical faith apart from deism, which claims God is too distant to care, and pantheism, which confuses God with creation. Scripture instead proclaims a God who is both utterly holy and deeply near.
2. The High and Holy One with the Lowly
Isaiah 57:15 captures this paradox clearly: the One who “inhabits eternity” dwells also with the contrite. God’s holiness signifies His separateness and moral perfection, but it is precisely this holiness that compels Him to lift up the brokenhearted and revive the weary.
Far from diminishing His majesty, God’s nearness reveals His glory in a unique way. His immanence demonstrates that true holiness is not isolation but gracious engagement with creation, especially with the poor, weak, and humble.
3. God’s Spirit as the Means of His Nearness
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s Spirit is described as the agent of His presence. The Spirit moved over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2), filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–35), and empowered leaders, prophets, and kings for God’s purposes.
In the New Testament, this nearness becomes even more personal. Jesus promises His disciples that the Holy Spirit will dwell within them (John 14:16–17). God’s immanence is no longer tied to a single temple or location but is experienced wherever His Spirit abides in believers.
4. Immanence in the Life and Ministry of Jesus
The incarnation is the fullest expression of God’s immanence. In Christ, the eternal Son took on human flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). Jesus revealed God’s nearness by healing the sick, dining with sinners, and drawing near to the brokenhearted.
This nearness was not a compromise of His holiness but a demonstration of it. Holiness moved Him to enter into human suffering and bring salvation. In His death and resurrection, He not only came near but also reconciled us to God, making it possible for humanity to dwell with Him forever.
5. God’s Immanence and the Church
God’s immanence continues to be experienced through His people, the church. The New Testament describes the church as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16–17), the place where God dwells on earth.
Through the proclamation of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and the life of the community, God’s presence is made known. When the church gathers in worship and scatters in mission, it becomes a living witness to the God who draws near to save.
6. Immanence and the Gospel
The Gospel itself is a message of God’s nearness. In Jesus Christ, God has come close to sinners, offering forgiveness and life. The kingdom of God is described by Jesus as being “at hand” (Mark 1:15), signaling both immediacy and accessibility.
To belong to Christ is to live daily in the reality of God’s presence. Believers are never abandoned or forgotten, for He has promised to be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). God’s immanence assures us that salvation is not only a future hope but also a present reality.
7. Immanence and the Last Days
The doctrine of God’s immanence also shapes our view of the end of history. Scripture points to a future when God’s presence will be fully realized in the new creation. Revelation 21:3 declares: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.”
This final consummation is the goal of redemption: not merely escape from the world but the renewal of creation under God’s immediate and permanent presence. Until then, believers walk by faith, experiencing God’s nearness through His Spirit and anticipating the day when faith becomes sight.
8. Living in Light of God’s Immanence
Trusting in God’s immanence transforms the way we live:
Hope in suffering: We are never alone, even in trials (Psalm 46:1).
Confidence in prayer: God hears because He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
Holiness in daily life: His presence calls us to live as those set apart (1 Peter 1:15–16).
Mission to the world: Because God is present everywhere, we proclaim His nearness to all nations (Acts 17:27).
Every act of faith, obedience, and love flows from the reality that the High and Holy One has chosen to dwell with us.
Conclusion
God’s immanence reminds us that He is not a distant deity but the One who draws near to comfort, sustain, and redeem His people. His holiness does not push us away but draws us closer, for He delights to dwell with the contrite and lowly. In Christ and through the Spirit, we experience His nearness now, while awaiting the day when His presence will fill all things in glory.
10 Bible Verses about God’s Immanence
“For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” (Isaiah 57:15)
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)
“Am I only a God nearby, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:23–24)
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
“God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
