The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us. This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged ¹. These are penetrating words from the pen of Tozer. Does your heart agree with these words? Do you hunger and crave the Presence of God? This is the first of a two part post on this important aspect of life in the Spirit.

The Presence of God Visited Adam and Eve in the Garden

Genesis 3:8 (KJV)
8 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.

• Notice something very significant about this passage. ‘They heard the sound of God walking.’
• The Hebrew word ‘cool’ means wind.

Acts 2:1–2 (KJV)
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

• Adam and Eve walked in the wind of God. The wind has sound. The Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and they heard the sound.
• The Presence of God has both sight and sound.

Why Can’t We See the Presence?

• The question invariably arises at this point. Why can’t we see it? Why can’t we hear it?
• The answer lies in the sin nature of man.
• When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they separated from the Presence.
• In Genesis 3:8, the Bible says they hid from it.
• How sad this was. All God wanted was to fellowship with them and they are hiding from Him. This is the sin effect.
• How different it is today because of Jesus.
• We are no longer hiding from the Presence. We are running after the Presence. We are welcoming the Presence in our lives, in our homes and in our churches.

The reason we don’t regularly see into the spirit realm sin is because sin has blinded our eyes and deafened our ears. It has erected a sight and sound barrier between us and the spiritual realm ².

• Though we are redeemed children of God, blood washed and forgiven yet the sin nature still lives in our flesh. That’s why a new body is reserved in heaven for you.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (KJV)
1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

• You cannot see the spirit realm with your eyes nor can you hear it with your ears.
• We live and move in a physical realm that in itself has been tainted by the fall of man. It has to be replaced. It is going to be burned up with fire (2 Peter 3:7-10).

[Tweet “Sin has erected a sight and sound barrier between us and the spiritual realm.”]

2 Peter 3:10 (KJV)
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

How Can the Presence Be Enhanced in Our Lives?

• We know some things about the Presence by experience.
• We know that if we raise our hands and worship. If we raise our hands and tell Him how much we love Him that His Presence increases.
  • So, there’s a direct correlation between your words and His Presence.
• There are some things that enhance the Presence. There are things that separate you from it.
• In Adam and Eve’s case, sin separated them from the Spirit realm (Genesis 3:24).
• The knowledge of good and evil they had acquired was in the physical sense realm. This knowledge did not enhance the Presence. It hindered them instead (Genesis 3:22).
• Knowledge, in one sense has a threat about it.
• This ‘knowledge’ danger is enhanced in this internet age.
• The truth is, you don’t have to know everything about everything in the physical realm.
• Knowledge puffs up and leads to pride anyway which separates from the Presence.

James 4:6 (KJV)
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

• The answer is not remaining ignorant. It’s about knowing the right things in the right way.

Romans 16:19 (KJV)
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

Why Did Israel See The Presence in the Old Testament?

• In the Old Testament, Israel saw the Presence. They saw the glory.
• The glory of God is a manifestation of the Presence in the physical realm.
• They were not able to sense the Presence spiritually because they were dead in sin. The only way they could know the Presence is to see it with their eyes. God accommodated Israel in this.
• Today, you have been redeemed from sin, enabling access to the Presence.
• But, the effect of sinning in this Dispensation of Grace has the same effect as it did in Adam’s day. It separates.
• In the New Covenant, sin separates you from the SENSE of His Presence.
• You already know this about sin from past experience. You know if you engage in a sin, like strife for example, you don’t sense God.
• It doesn’t mean you not saved anymore. It means instead of sensing His Presence, you sense anger. You sense the flesh. I have been there and I am sure you have been to, when you knew you should have kept your mouth shut and walked away. And instead, you got into it.
• The major difference in this dispensation is the Blood of Jesus. Thank God for the Blood.
• The blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin allowing us to reconnect to the sense of His Presence.

1 John 1:9 (KJV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Because of Jesus, we are not driven out of God’s Presence as Adam was.

Staying Out of Sin is Key

• In order to have a continual unbroken experience with the Presence, keep yourself from sin.

1 John 5:19–21 (KJV)
19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

• The sin of ‘not keeping yourself from idols’ in verse 21 separates you from the benefits of knowing and understanding Him found in verse 20.

The New Testament Definition of Sin

• You have to define sin in its New Testament context.
• In the New Testament, sin is not adultery, sin is not lying, sin is not anger, unforgiveness or bitterness.
• Sin is failure to walk in love.
• Failing to walk in love is why people commit adultery, lie, get angry, and walk in unforgiveness.
• Remember, love is not just a subject you study. God is Love.

1 John 4:8 (KJV)
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

• You study faith.
• You study righteousness.
• You study Covenants.
• You study hope.
• All of these Bible subjects are hinged on love.
• If you say, “I am going to study love today”, that would put it on the same level as any other Bible topic.
• God is not a Bible subject you study. You don’t study God. You walk with Him. And while you walk with Him, His Spirit teaches you about what’s in the Bible.
• Since, God is love, then love is everything in the New Testament.

Romans 13:10 (ESV)
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

• Since sin separates you from the Presence, and love connects you to everything in the New Testament, then there is only one sin that would separate you from His Presence. The failure to walk in love.
• “In the New Testament language, there is only one sin that you can commit that will keep you out of His Presence”, though it is described many different ways, it is still only one main sin: failure to walk in love.
• Take a pair of sunglasses and put them on and look at everything you do through the eyes of love.
• It is not WWJD, (what would Jesus do)?
• It is WWLD, or what would love do.

Call to Action:

Walking in love is walking with God. It is walking in the Spirit. The Bible is right. If you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So rise up and do as Jesus did. Press into His Presence and run the race which has been set before you.

Question: What have you learned and put into practice which helped you enjoy a greater sense of His Presence? Please leave your comments in the comments section below.