The Presence of the Lord

“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” 
Genesis 3:8

The presence of the Lord can be either a cause of fear or source of blessing. Adam and Eve were greatly afraid of His presence because of their sin, and their son Cain “went out from the presence of the Lord” (Gen. 4:16) because of sin. Yet it will also be, to many, a time of great joy. “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?”
(1 Thess. 2:19).

The difference, of course, is the presence or absence of unforgiven sin in the presence of the Lord. Most of sixteen occurrences of the phrase stress the judgmental aspect. Those who reject Christ’s offer of forgiveness, through repentance and faith in His death for our sins, will eventually be banned forever from His presence, like Cain. “When the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

But for those who have repented of their sins and trusted in Christ for salvation, the prospect of the coming and personal presence of the Lord Jesus is one of joyful anticipation, for “in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11).

When He comes again, we shall be presented “in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 1:24), and shall thenceforth “always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).