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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Understanding the Transcendence of God
God’s transcendence, according to the website Theopedia, “means that God is above, other than, and distinct from all he has made—he transcends it all.”[1] The apostle Paul refers to this in Ephesians 4:6 where he describes, “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
The “Topical Encyclopedia” at biblehub.com explains:
“Transcendence refers to the aspect of God’s nature and power that is wholly independent of the material universe, beyond all physical laws and limitations. This concept is central to understanding the nature of God as depicted in the Bible, where God is portrayed as existing above and beyond His creation, yet also intimately involved with it.”[2]
But this is not the same as pantheism where it is asserted that the universe is God, and God is the universe. No, God created the universe, He is intimately and perpetually involved in sustaining the universe, but He is not the universe.
The Distinct Nature of the Creator
Tony Evans describes God’s transcendence this way:
“[God] existed before all things and is not limited to space or time. He is totally distinct from His creation. The word distinct is a synonym for transcendent. God is unique. He is one of a kind. You can make no comparison that will give you an understanding of God unless He grants that comparison because there is nothing you can compare Him to.”[3]
Frankly, this is another one of those attributes that is difficult for us with our finite human brains to understand. We simply do not have the capacity to fathom how much greater God is in His holiness, sovereignty, immanence, goodness, grace, mercy, perfection, or any other attribute you could possibly think of. Indeed:
- Job 11:7-8: Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?
- Psalm 8:3-9: When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers... what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Avoiding Human Traps in Understanding God
Even when we do try to imagine how God is transcendent, we can fall into a human trap, as A.W. Tozer warns:
“When we speak of God as transcendent, we mean of course that He is exalted far above the created universe, so far above that human thought cannot imagine it….
“To think accurately about this, however, we must keep in mind that ‘far above’ does not here refer to physical distance from the earth but to quality of being. We are concerned not with location in space nor with mere altitude, but with life….
“We must not think of God as highest in an ascending order of beings... We must grant Him transcendence in the fullest meaning of that word.”[4]
The Balance of Transcendence and Immanence
God is far more than we can imagine. But here’s where the analogy of the Wizard of Oz falls short. Because God is not only transcendent, He is also immanent! He is so far beyond anything we can imagine that we could never come close to understanding Him. But the psalmist captures the truth of the transcendent God who is nevertheless as close to us as our very breath:
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139:8-12)
Immanuel: God With Us
This creates another problem for us. This transcendent God is also a holy God whose eyes are too pure to look on evil (Habakkuk 1:13). Yet God has made a way. As gotquestions.com notes:
“A transcendent God must turn His face away... however, besides being transcendent, God also possesses immanence (nearness), and it is in His immanence that God chooses to draw near to His creation... This becomes clear in His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, as He breaks through the barrier of sin and separation to draw all mankind back into a close, personal relationship. We see God not only choosing to draw near to His creation but to personally come into the hearts and minds of His people through the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit. This is the miracle of God’s transcendence.”[5]
This is our marvelous transcendent God who became Immanuel, God with us.
Endnotes
- Theopedia, “The Transcendence of God,” https://www.theopedia.com/transcendence-of-god. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines transcend as to “be or go beyond the range or limits of.”↑
- Topical Encyclopedia, “Transcendence,” https://biblehub.com/topical/t/transcendence.htm.↑
- Tony Evans, God, Himself: A Journey through His Attributes (Moody Publishers: Kindle Edition), p. 11.↑
- A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (Fig: Kindle Edition).↑
- Gotquestions.com, “What does it mean that God is transcendent?”, https://www.gotquestions.org/God-transcendent.html.↑
R.L. Wilson
R.L. Wilson has been on staff at the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute since 1982. Wilson’s articles draw from the perspective of someone who grew up in a multicultural environment, and who has been a follower of Christ for many decades.
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