From John 4:24, we learned that God is spirit. This post will explore what this attribute of God encompasses.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism’s answer to the question, “What is God?” will help us answer our question, “What does it mean that God is spirit?”
Q. 4. What is God?
A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
1. God is immaterial (not made of physical matter), spirit
God does not have flesh and bones like humans. People are both physical and spiritual beings (Genesis 2:7), and as a result, they are limited to being in one place at a time. After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and tells them to touch Him so they can know He is alive. Ghosts or spirits do not have physical bodies, so once they felt Him, they would know they weren’t seeing just a spirit but Jesus in the flesh, having overcome death!
Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” (Luke 24:39, NLT)
2. God is invisible
As Spirit, God cannot be seen with human eyes unless He chooses to reveal Himself, and thankfully, He has chosen to make Himself known to mankind. He has made Himself known through general and specific revelation, most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ.
All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17, NLT)
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, (Colossians 1:15, NLT)
3. God is omnipresent (present everywhere)
Though unseen, God is present. Since He is a spirit, God is not bound to one location, like we are as physical beings; He is omnipresent. God, being a spirit, means He is everywhere.
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. (Jeremiah 23:23-24, NLT)
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:7-10, NLT)
God is with us everywhere — there is no place we can go where He is absent.
4. God is eternal and unchangeable
Being spirit, God is not subject to decay, aging, or death. God is eternal. God’s eternality as a spirit distinguishes Him from angels, who are also referred to as spirits in Hebrews 1:14. Although angels, both heavenly and fallen, are spiritual beings, they are not eternal beings, as they were created by God (Job 38:4-7; Colossians 1:15-17). Scripture also teaches us that angels are not omnipresent, though spiritual beings are limited to being in one place at a time (for example, see Daniel 9:20-23; 10:10-14). In contrast to angelic beings, the Bible teaches that God is an eternal and unchangeable spirit.
He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16, NLT)
I am the Lord, and I do not change. (Malachi 3:6a, NLT)
God’s nature is constant, reliable, and unchanging across time.
5. God is personal, relational, and knowable
We were once interviewing a candidate for a summer internship in children’s ministry. The interview was going well until we asked her to tell us about the Holy Spirit. In her view, the Holy Spirit was an “it,” specifically a force that helped us in our lives and walk with Jesus. However, the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit in personal terms, not impersonal ones. God the Father is described in the same way. God is referred to in masculine pronouns, He has emotions, feelings, decision making capability, is involved in His creation, and desires relationship with the part of creation made in His image – people.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8, NLT)
Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! (John 17:24, NLT)
God is not a mere “force” — He is a living, relational being who communicates with and loves His people.
Conclusion
I pray this post helps you more fully grasp what it means for God to be spirit. In the last post of this mini-series, “God is spirit,” we will answer the question: What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth?
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