I asked this question in another thread that was recently closed. I am confused when people say that God cannot be in the presence of sin. I have heard this said many times for a reason why we need our sin removed before we can be with God. I even said this when I was a christian. My confusion is that the bible does not seem to support this assertion. There are many examples of God being in the presence of people or sinful beings. Here are some:
Genesis 3 has God in the garden with Adam and Eve after they sinned.
The story of Job tells about Satan and God having a conversion in the presence of each other. God showed His backside to Moses.
Isaiah chapter 6 tells of being in the presence of God.
See also 2 Chron 18.
Jer 23 says God is everywhere and in the presence of sinful people.
The Damascus experience of Paul where Jesus shows up.
And then there is Jesus as fully God in the presence of sinners 24/7 for his entire life.
I never questioned this as a Christian. If you believe this how do you reconcile these verses? If not, then why do we need Jesus to be with God?
The story of Job tells about Satan and God having a conversion in the presence of each other.
Satan is a different kind of created being ... he is an angel and angels have special powers to change their appearance, be visible or not visible, and other "super powers" (so to speak) Satan & the 1/3 started out in the heavily abode and maintained their original created nature ... that is they remained angels (fallen ones)
If you will recall the Damascus experience ... Paul was blinded temporarily.
God, by nature, is Spirit and a spirit does not have a bodily form.
then there is Jesus as fully God in the presence of sinners 24/7 for his entire life.
and He was fully man (bodily form) ... fully God in the spiritual/divine ... both natures in the person of Jesus.
Jesus took on the form/nature of a man (physical characteristics) of a man. ie ... the Word became flesh.
God saw fit “to perfect the author of [our] salvation through sufferings.” To save humans, Jesus had to assume full humanity. But, for His suffering and death to have merit before God, Jesus had to be fully God. In the incarnation, He did not lay aside His divinity, although He set aside His glory and He temporarily gave up the use of some of His divine attributes (omniscience, for example, John 11:34; Matt. 24:36). But He did fully assume our human nature.
showed His backside to Moses.
Correct.
One can not see Gods face.
Exodus 33:20
Berean Study Bible
But He added, “You
cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
23 says God is everywhere and in the presence of sinful people.
Spiritually
chapter 6 tells of being in the presence of God.
Isaiah saw God in a vision.
Adam & Eve
Genesis 3:8
King James Bible
And they
heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife
hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
.. why do we need Jesus to be with God
Jesus in the only way to be reconciled with God. When we receive Him He welcomes us into and we become a member of the heavily family .... Jesus is our brother through Him and our relationship we become the children of God (sons & daughters)
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Hebrews 2:11 says, “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers” (ESV).
The word translated “brothers” is the word used for blood relatives, but it also refers to Christians. The generic term
brother in Scripture usually also includes sisters. In this passage, the writer of Hebrews is explaining how the perfect God-Man, Jesus, could call imperfect humans His brothers and sisters.
When a human being is born into the family of God, through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God becomes our Father (
Romans 8:15;
Galatians 4:4–6). This happens through an act of the Holy Spirit who moves into our spirits and begins to change us (
2 Corinthians 5:17). God is also the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we share in that relationship as adopted children.
Jesus' prayer for believers.
John 17
Prayer for All Believers
20I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message,
21that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—
23I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
24Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me.
26And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”
and it will be so .......... for eternity! Absolutely AMAZING what Jesus did for mankind because of His love for us. I pray you grasp the magnitude of the LOVE God and Jesus has for us.
We have an AWESOME LOVING GOD! AMEN and AMEN!
Whew .... I need a kleenix to dry my tears ;o)
May the Lord Bless all.