The Presence of God vs the Presence of the Lord vs the Presence of the Spirit

 

The Presence of God vs the Presence of the Lord vs the Presence of the Spirit

Emmanuel: God With Us — Revelation and Experience

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.” (Immanuel means “God with us.”)

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and pitched his tabernacle among us, full of grace and reality. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father.

John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will be with you forever,”

John 14:17 “the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, because he dwells with you and will be in you.”

2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

Aspect	The Presence of God	The Presence of the Lord	The Presence of the Spirit (the Practical Emmanuel)
Meaning	God being with man, indicating His nearness, accompanying, and guidance	Christ incarnated as Emmanuel, personally with His people	The processed and consummated Triune God as the life-giving Spirit indwelling the believers
Reason	God desires to carry out His economy by being with His people	God became flesh to enter into humanity	To dispense God Himself into man inwardly and experientially
Illustration	God’s face, God’s way, God going with His people	The King-Savior’s presence and smile	The indwelling Comforter, the inner “Another One”
Effect	Guidance, rest, direction, and protection	Wisdom, insight, discernment, and victory	Life supply, transformation, divine dispensing
Explanation	God may help a person without granting His presence	The Lord’s help is not equal to the Lord’s presence	The Spirit’s leading and witnessing are His presence
Mutual Relationship	The source and origin	The embodiment and expression	The reality and inward consummation
Examples	Moses enjoying God’s presence  (Exo. 33:14)	Joseph prospering because the Lord was with him  (Gen. 39:2–5)	Paul living with the Lord in his spirit (2 Tim. 4:22)
Application	Examine everything by whether God’s presence is there	Be governed by the Lord’s presence and smile	Walk according to the Spirit and live with Him
Burden	Better to stop than to lose God’s presence	Do not merely seek the Lord’s help, but His presence	Move from doctrine to experience—live in Emmanuel
Prophesying Guidance	God’s presence is the way and standard	The Lord’s presence is the governing principle	The Spirit’s presence is the New Testament reality
Conclusion	Without God’s presence, everything is lost	The Lord’s presence is everything to us	Today Emmanuel is the Spirit in our spirit
Related Scriptures	Exo. 33:14; Psa. 27:4, 8; Psa. 51:11	Matt. 1:23; Matt. 28:20; 2 Cor. 2:10	John 14:16–20; Rom. 8:14, 16; Gal. 2:20; 2 Tim. 4:22; 2 Cor. 13:14

 

Core Points (Summary):

1.      The presence of God → the presence of the Lord → the presence of the Spirit is a progressive revelation.

2.      The practical Emmanuel today is the Spirit indwelling our spirit.

3.      Living with Christ is not by methods, but by remaining in His presence.

4.      The entire New Testament is the history and reality of Emmanuel, consummating in the New Jerusalem.

*Please refer to the 2025 Thanksgiving International Symposium on the All-Inclusive Christ Revealed in the Gospel of Matthew, Part Three: Jesus—The Name of King and Savior Given by God, and Immanuel—The Name Called King and Savior by Man