The great God of heaven and earth interacts intimately with His creation, as seen in both Old and New Testament times. In the New Testament, He lived in the flesh for 33 years, engaging with thousands, and after His resurrection, appeared to His disciples and many others. Beyond these encounters, He has spoken personally to individuals like Peter, John, and Paul on multiple occasions. Jesus Himself teaches that both He and the Father are not merely with us but dwell within us, emphasizing that God cannot be more involved in our lives than through this indwelling presence. The gift of His Holy Spirit, made possible by Jesus' sinless life and sacrifice, allows us to approach His throne and enter His presence at any time through the covering blood of our Savior. God is not a distant Deity but is deeply involved with those He has called, working in and with us through His Spirit until we reach the fullness of Christ. His omnipresent nature ensures that He will never leave nor forsake us, always near and ready to intervene.

God dwells within us, making us His temple, the central place of His worship. We are not only consecrated as a temple in which God lives but are also employed to serve within its precincts. As individual Christians, we form the building of this spiritual house, while simultaneously working within it as priests under our High Priest, Jesus Christ. This spiritual house, understood as a temple, signifies that God resides in us, rendering a physical temple unnecessary. We fill out Christ's body, with Him as the Head, and we are part of His family, woven together in a divine design. Our responsibility as priests is to offer spiritual sacrifices, striving for holiness through continuing fellowship with Christ, reflecting His character and wisdom in our thoughts and actions.

The concept of God's indwelling presence is central to understanding His glory among His people. Initially, God's presence was represented physically as a fiery cloud in the wilderness, staying with the Israelites for forty years, visible day and night as a constant reminder that God was with them. This presence later manifested as a thick cloud in the temple at its dedication, residing in the Holy of Holies on the Mercy Seat, symbolizing God sitting on His throne among His people. The Jews named this presence Shekinah, though it limited their perception of God to that specific location. However, God's glory is not confined to physical representations or locations. His glory is defined by His character, particularly His goodness and truth, rather than mere light or splendor. This glory, once tied to the temple, is no longer found there after its destruction. Instead, God's presence by His Spirit now dwells within us, making us the temple of the Living God. His Spirit is not just with us but in us, an intimate connection that transforms us. Because we are the temple in which God resides, we must separate ourselves from the world, refrain from engaging in unclean practices, and perfect holiness within ourselves through growth. This transformation is possible only because God works within us, providing the strength and gifts necessary to come out of the world, cease doing wrong, and start doing right. Our motivation for this change is the fear of God, ranging from reverence to a fear of disappointing Him. As we grow in this process, God's character begins to be seen in us, a permanent experiential righteousness ingrained through practice over time. This likeness to God marks us as His children, evident when we act like Him. With Christ's Spirit within us, we have the liberty to access God's glory, a freedom not available under the Old Covenant. Through Jesus dwelling in us by His Spirit, combined with our cooperation, we are being transformed into His image, progressing from one degree of glory to a greater, ever-increasing glory. This glorification is a process, culminating in the fullness of God's glory at the resurrection. Christ in us by the Holy Spirit is our hope of glory, and as we put on Christ more and more, transforming into His image with God's help, this hope grows stronger. God's gracious purpose is to fully perfect in us all His goodness, His entire character, so that we look and act like Him. By our faithful works, powerfully manifested, we display God's glory in us and, in turn, glorify Him, proclaiming the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through a righteous life.

One of the central dichotomies in God's Word is presence and absence, particularly the indwelling presence of God through His Holy Spirit. Where God is present, there is light and life; where He is absent, darkness and death prevail. God's presence is transformative and healing, whether working at a physical level as at Creation or at a spiritual level with us today. Through His Spirit, God illuminates our minds, revealing His truths and bringing order out of chaos, as seen when His Spirit hovered over the dark, chaotic earth and brought forth light. The presence of God is often linked with the concept of "face," a term used in both Hebrew and Greek to signify being in His presence. When God's Spirit is near, we are in His presence; when we are away from His Spirit, we are out of His presence. This indwelling presence is a result of obedience to God's law and is an overarching, unifying force among His people. Christ Himself explained that His physical absence would be an advantage, as both He and the Father would come to dwell within us, making Their home in us, thus being with all His children simultaneously, no matter how scattered they are across the earth. God's presence through His Holy Spirit is not only overarching, covering all His people at once, but also unfailing. Unless we turn away from Him, He is always present, living within us, as close as one can be. This reliable presence assures us that we can carry on God's work effectively, even when physical absence or lack of information exists. Ultimately, in the new heavens and earth, God's presence will be fully realized as He dwells with mankind, resolving the presence-absence dichotomy, ensuring that the righteous remain forever present with Him.