The Practical Implications of the Christian Doctrine of The Transcendence of God
Purpose and Scope
This article will present the Christian doctrine of the transcendence of God, along with several major religious and philosophical views which oppose the Christian God of the Bible and thereby militate against the doctrine of the transcendence of God. The article will also examine some of the more practical implications of the doctrine of the transcendence of God as they may be applied to faithfully living the Christian life and serving God in ministry.
The Transcendence of God
The doctrine of the transcendence of God expresses the attribute of God which regards His being separate and distinct from the physical world. God is not a part of the world, nor is the world God or a part of Him. Moreover, God is above the world in position and power, and the world is wholly subject to Him in all ways.
This doctrine first begins to become evident in the doctrine of creation. As the Nicene Creed states, “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible.”[1] The doctrine of creation holds that a transcendent God created the universe, and that He had a purpose in creating it and that His purpose is being fulfilled in it.
The Doctrine of Creation
God created ex nihilo, that is, out of nothing. The more complete phrase is Creatio non de deo, sed ex nihilo, or Creation not from God, but out of nothing.[2] “Nothing” means no thing. “Nothing” is not a substance that existed prior to the creation. In fact, the concept of nothing cannot be described in the positive. It must be described in negative terms. “Nothing” is merely a way of expressing the absence of something. Nothing existed, that is, there is nothing that existed, apart from God prior to the creation, and the creation was not and is not God or any part of God.
Neither did God fashion the universe out of any matter that existed eternally nor out of any matter that existed prior to the creation. Rather, God created matter, bringing it into existence in the creation event, and then He fashioned that matter into the physical universe. Moreover, God also created all non-physical things which exist, whether visible or invisible, things which are not God, including the angels, the devil, heaven, hell, the nether world and everything in the spiritual realm. There is nothing that exists which is not God which God did not create.
Since the doctrine of transcendence is bound up in the doctrine of creation, several major philosophies and religions may be quickly dismissed, as this paper will demonstrate. These false systems of philosophy and religion include Deism, Dualism, Materialism, and Pantheism. These will be discussed in more detail later.
The concept of transcendence refers to God’s personal existence, which is separate and distinct from His creation. God is not a part of the creation, but rather the Creator. Of all the religions of the world, the Christian God of the Bible is unique.[3] Other religions see God as a part of the creation, or at least operating within its confines, constrained by the physical world. However, while God operates freely and sovereignly within the creation, He is nonetheless separate and distinct from it. The Christian God of the Bible exists high above and independent of the creation and sovereignly rules over it.[4]
The creation is not a part of God and, thus, does not exist merely because He exists. The creation exists because God wills it so. The creation is dependent upon Him (contingent) for its existence. God created as a deliberate act, though He was not compelled to create. God did not need to create to sustain Himself in any way, nor did He need to express Himself or fulfill any needs. God has no need of anything for His existence. God’s motivation for creation was His love. His object in creating was His own glory.
The Doctrine of Immanence
Closely related to the doctrine of transcendence is the doctrine of immanence. Not only is God separate and distinct from the creation (transcendent), but He is also active in maintaining the creation, which “is continually dependent on Him for its existence and functioning.”[5] God’s continual involvement in the creation is known as immanence. The apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus explained that God is both transcendent and immanent when he wrote “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all” Ephesians 4:6.[6]
The Doctrine of Aseity
Both transcendence and immanence are non-moral attributes of God. A third non-moral attribute, Aseity, must also be mentioned to provide more depth to the understanding of transcendence. Aseity is the concept of God’s utter independence. He does not require help or support for His existence from anything that is not God. He is sovereign in will, power and action. In short, God has no needs whatsoever.
The Doctrine of Providence
The final doctrine which must be considered in approaching an understanding of the transcendence of God is the doctrine of providence. Providence refers to God’s involvement in the creation beyond mere immanence (sustaining the creation’s existence). Providence regards God’s activity in actually directing the actions of the creation according to His specific will and purposes. God has designed the creation and everything in it, down to the smallest base element of matter, to act in a way in which all His plans and desires are fulfilled exactly according to His will.
The Role and Nature of Evil
Here, a brief statement should be made about evil. God, in His providence, is not the author of evil. On the contrary, it may even be said that evil does not exist in the ontological sense. Just as nothing refers to the absence of something, so evil refers to the absence of goodness.
Evil exists in the world where God’s goodness is absent. This does not suggest that God is not omnipresent, indeed He is omnipresent. But His attributes do not pervade every aspect of the creation. Specifically to this point, God’s goodness does not pervade the creation. God’s goodness may be said to be available to the creation, even offered to the creation, but it is, in part, rejected by sinful man. The condition which is present in the absence of God’s goodness, where God’s goodness may be said to be absent, is the concept known as evil. This concept of evil includes in its definition pain and suffering.
Some argue that since God is defined as love or that because He is defined as being loving, that God cannot exist since a God who is love or a God who is loving would not allow evil in the world (including pain and suffering), and there is evil in the world. This argument fails on two points. First, evil in the world cannot be said
Views Which Oppose the Christian God of the Bible
Deism
Deism is the view of God which suggests that God created the universe, but then left it to run its course like a wind up toy. While deism embraces transcendence (that God is separate and distinct from His creation), deism argues against immanence (that God is active in maintaining the universe). Thomas Jefferson, who was the third president of the United States, like some of his contemporaries, is thought to have been a deist.
Dualism
Dualism is the philosophy in which good and evil exist eternally in the cosmos as two equal but opposing forces. In such a system, God cannot ultimately triumph over evil. In dualism, God is neither sovereign nor transcendent. A version of dualism may be seen in the film Star Wars which presents “the existence of a universal Force that has both a good and an evil side.” [7]
Materialism
Materialism, which is a pervading philosophy among non-Christians, denies the existence of God (atheism) and, thus, denies His transcendence. This philosophy asserts that there is nothing in existence beyond the physical world. Materialism holds that no reality exists beyond matter and that thought, emotion, and will may be explained in terms of natural material phenomena.[8] Materialism argues that the greatest good is physical well-being and material earthly possessions.
Pantheism
Pantheism is the belief that the entire material world is God. Rather than God being transcendent (separate and distinct from the creation), God is seen as nature itself. Pantheism denies God’s transcendence and ultimately creation, since a pantheistic system sees the universe as emanating out of God, but not separate and distinct from Him. Moreover, since nature is forever changing, pantheism also argues against another attribute of God, His immutability. Further, since the universe is God and God is the universe and there is evil in the universe, God cannot be holy. Buddhism is one example of a pantheistic religion. [9]
The Practical Implications of the Doctrine of Transcendence
A Test of Truth
All systems of belief, whether religious or philosophical, may be tested against the doctrine of transcendence. Any system of belief which denies in any way this doctrine may be discarded. A non-transcendent god is a god who is no god at all. It is illogical to conceive of the concept of a God which does not include the attribute of transcendence.
As Anselm states in his ontological argument for the existence of God, God is “a being than which nothing greater can be conceived.” Transcendence is an attribute which falls under Anselm’s definition, because transcendence is a virtue, and non-transcendence falls short of Anselm’s definition because a greater virtue can be conceived, that of transcendence.
No pagan system of religion or philosophy has ever contemplated nor could ever contemplate the perfect and virtuous God who is the Christian God of the Bible. All such religious and philosophical systems originate in the mind of fallen and sinful man. All such systems also fail to recognize transcendence as a necessary attribute of such a god. The possibility of a perfect and virtuous god has been contemplated, but not the God who is the Christian God of the Bible. Man may be able to contemplate the concept, but not the reality.
In other words, man may conceive that a perfect and virtuous god exists, but he cannot fully construct such a god. The mind of fallen man can never, on its own, come to a complete realization of the perfect and virtuous essence in which the Christian God of the Bible exists. Even if man were able to recognize some of the attributes that such a being must necessarily possess in order to be perfect and virtuous (love and omnipotence, for example), he cannot, on his own, arrive at a comprehensive and complete realization of the Christian God of the Bible, unless that God, who is the only perfect and virtuous God, so reveals Himself.
Logical Integration, Coherence and Elegance
God’s attributes are logically integrated, coherent and elegant, and they make Him perfect and virtuous. Unlike the pagan gods whose attributes mirror those of their creators (fallen sinful man), and whose attributes are often at odds with the god in whom they reside, the Christian God of the Bible has attributes which are complimentary, interdependent, and of the highest possible virtue. Transcendence is one such attribute.
God’s transcendence is interconnected with His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. God cannot be omnipotent (all powerful) if He cannot be in all places at all times and in all places at once. God cannot be omnipresent (present in all places at all times and in all places at once) if He is not all knowing. God cannot be omniscient (all knowing) if He is not separate and distinct from His creation, and above it and ruling over it. And, He cannot be transcendent (separate and distinct from His creation, and above it and ruling over it) if He is not omnipotent.
Further, God’s providence (His activity in the creation which results in His will being accomplished in it) is not possible apart from His Transcendence. His transcendence makes possible His immanence (His sustaining the existence of the creation and ensuring its functioning). His immanence supports His providence.
Transcendence is part and parcel of a perfect and virtuous God whose attributes are logically integrated and coherent. God’s attributes, as revealed in the Bible, are never at odds with each other or with the God in whom they reside. On the contrary, each attribute not only identifies God as uniquely perfect and virtuous, but each attribute individually supports and cannot exist without all the others. Thus, God’s attributes are logically integrated and coherent.
Lastly, God’s being is elegant. His attributes show Him to be perfect and virtuous. And, the attributes which He lacks are neither necessary for Him to be perfect and virtuous nor could their presence in Him make Him more perfect and virtuous. Only the mind of sinful fallen man could seek to add to God’s attributes to make Him more virtuous.
Fairness is one such possible attribute which man sometimes attempts to force upon God to make Him more virtuous. In the human mind, fairness is seen as a virtue. But, the Christian God of the Bible is not fair. Fairness denotes equality, which is a different concept from justice. Fairness requires that God give all people the same attributes, the same opportunities, the same position in life, and so on. For God to be fair, He would be required to make all people identical and give each of them identical life circumstances.
This is nonsensical. God is not fair. God is just. While each person created by God is different in many ways, each of them is entitled to and receives justice from God. God denies no one justice. Though justice may not be readily seen or even provided for in this life, it will surely be meted out by Him in the next life through His coming judgment.
Elegance embodies precision, simplicity and efficiency. God has all the attributes required to define a perfect and virtuous God. God lacks no attributes that would make Him perfect and virtuous. Conversely, none of His attributes could be described as imperfect or vicious. And, all the attributes which God lacks would make Him imperfect and vicious were they present in Him. Since God’s attributes include all those attributes required to make Him perfect and virtuous and exclude all those which would destroy His perfection and virtuousness, and since no attribute of God is imperfect or vicious, God is elegant.
Monotheism
Transcendence is consistent with and requires a monotheistic view of God and the universe. The transcendence of the Christian God of the Bible rules out the existence of any other gods. If God is far above the creation and rules over it (transcendent), then He necessarily can not share that rule or else He does not, in fact rule. If God is separate and distinct from His creation, and He created everything that exists that is not God, then there can be no other gods.
The Worship of God
God’s people worship Him for who He is. His transcendence is an attribute of virtue and an essential part of His nature. God’s transcendence is one of His manifold perfections and is a reason He should be worshipped. In this way, God is worshipped with the mind, intellectually.
Knowledge of the transcendence of God also promotes worship through obedience. A transcendent God has the resources to judge and punish disobedience. Obedience is the most basic expression of worship. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship”[10] Romans 12:1[11] God is worshipped when one lives sacrificially in obedience to Him. The idea of “a living and holy sacrifice” relates to the self denial of one’s sinful fleshly desires. The denial of the flesh in favor of the will of God is what Paul meant by “living and holy sacrifice.”
The Praise of God
God’s people praise Him for the things He does. Apart from the redemption of mankind through the shed blood of His Son on Calvary, the creation is His greatest work. God created the world because He desired to glorify Himself through the expression of His love. Humans benefit from His act of love because they are brought into existence and given the opportunity to commune with God. That people have been given life by a transcendent God is reason to praise Him. If God were not transcendent, He could not have created the universe or given life to men.
Praise leads to thanksgiving. God’s act of creation, which relies upon His transcendence, is a reason for thanksgiving. Men praise God for creating them, and they thank Him for creating them. Praise is the expression of God’s virtues and acts. Thanksgiving is the appreciation of His virtues and acts.
The Love of God
Because God is transcendent, He desires to interact with His creation, which He loves. The only right and proper response to a transcendent God who is worshipped, praised and thanked is to love Him. Men should love God as they come to understand how His transcendence is a means by which God expresses His love toward them. God loves man because it is His nature to love. Man should respond in love to the God who was motivated by love to create him. The Bible teaches that it is not possible to love God apart from His initiating a change in the heart to make possible that love. Nonetheless, man should love God because of His transcendence.
The Fidelity and Veracity of Biblical Prophecy
That God is transcendent also means that He transcends time. God is separate and distinct from His creation and thus sees and knows the entire creation at once. Humans can look backward in time to what has passed, but they cannot look forward into the future on their own power. Humans move forward in time, but cannot move back in time on their own power. God, however, moves throughout history, but He is not contained within the time domain as it is understood by humans. God can and does act at any and all times throughout history and He knows and acts in the future.
God’s transcendence means He exists at all times and He exists at all times at once. Thus, God is capable of foretelling future events. Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” [12]
God declares what will happen in advance and then He performs it. He is able to declare it and perform it first, from the human perspective, because He exists in the past, the present and the future. Second, He is able to declare it and perform it because He has the power to do so. Third, He is able to declare it and perform it because He has the will to do it.
Prophecy attests to the veracity of God’s Word. The Apostle Peter stated that though he was an eyewitness of the majesty of Christ, referring to his having been present during the transfiguration of Jesus, he had something more sure than an eyewitness account upon which to build his faith. He had the “more sure word of prophecy,” 2 Peter 1:19.[13] Peter’s point was that while an eyewitness account of an event may be compelling, prophecy is even more compelling because it is not subjective like experience. Prophecy is objective. God’s transcendency makes prophecy possible.
Confidence in Evangelism
Fulfilled prophecy, which relies heavily on God’s transcendence, can be used in evangelism in two ways. First, fulfilled prophecy is a proof of God’s existence, will and sovereignty and evidence of His transcendence. Thus, fulfilled prophecy can be used to demonstrate the reality of God and the personal nature of His being, which cannot be demonstrated apart from His possessing the attribute of transcendence.
Through His transcendence, God is above, rules over and controls the creation and the lives of men. This interaction with man, via His transcendence, identifies God as personal. It can be easily seen that a personal God desires a personal relationship with man whom He created in His own image because God’s transcendence is no virtue if it does not affect God’s activity, especially His will. God’s transcendence is born out in His actions and will and requires interaction with His creation, and man, in particular.
Second, the evangelist rests in the knowledge that his evangelistic endeavors are neither unilateral nor solitary. The personal nature of God, which is rooted in His transcendence, results in His desire for evangelism. God has commanded those who have a meaningful and intimate relationship with Him to seek others with whom He may also have a meaningful and intimate relationship. The evangelist’s endeavors are not unilateral, but a response to the command of a transcendent God.
The evangelist does not labor alone. God’s transcendence must necessarily be exercised (or it is no attribute) and in so exercising it, He interacts with His creation. The transcendent God of Christianity co-labors with the evangelist to achieve God’s will, which is the reconciliation of man with Himself. Thus, the evangelist’s endeavors are not solitary, but performed in conjunction with the transcendent God who seeks their end, the reconciliation of man to God.
Entropy
The Second Law of Thermodynamics expresses the concept of entropy. Entropy is essentially the law of decay. All things in the known universe are in varying forms of decay. Everything in the universe is winding down. All the stars, including the sun, are burning out. Even the speed of light is now suspected to be slowing down. Everything in the universe is progressing from order to chaos.
When a human being builds something, he builds with materials that will decay and disintegrate over time, and what he builds will decay and disintegrate over time. Erosion, friction, and decomposition are all evident in the creation and attest to the entropy laws.
God, however, transcends the known universe. He is separate and distinct from it. God is not subject to the entropy laws, but rather is the author of them. Men need not fear that God will go the way of things that decay and disintegrate. God is eternal. He pre-existed the creation.
The universe changes under the influence of the entropy laws. But God is immutable and does not change. God’s transcendence precludes a view of God which leads to His destruction. His transcendence also precludes a view of Him which denies His authority over the universe. If God is transcendent, He is not a part of the creation or contained within it and, thus, not subject to its limitations.
Conclusion
God created everything that exists that is not God. He is separate and distinct from the creation, and He is high above it and rules over it. This is the essence of the Christian doctrine of the transcendence of God. [14] The doctrine has many practical implications for living the Christian life and for serving God in ministry.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 1998.
Grudem, Wayne Arden. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1994.
Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Creeds. London: Longmans, 1972.
May, Gerhard. Creatio Ex Nihilo: The Doctrine of ‘Creation Out of Nothing’ In Early Christian Thought. New York: T. & T. Clark Publishers, 1994.
New American Standard Bible. Anaheim, California: Foundation Publications, Inc, 1997.
[1] J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds (London: Longmans Publishing, 1972), 205-262.
[2] Gerhard May, Creatio Ex Nihilo: The Doctrine of ‘Creation Out of Nothing’ In Early Christian Thought (New York: T. & T. Clark Publishers, 1994), 15.
[3] Wayne Arden Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1994), 267.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] New American Standard Bible (Anaheim, California: Foundation Publications, Inc, 1997), 152.
[7] Wayne Arden Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1994), 270.
[8] Norman L. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 1998), 650.
[9] Wayne Arden Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1994), 269.
[10] Emphasis added.
[11] New American Standard Bible (Anaheim, California: Foundation Publications, Inc, 1997), 152.
[12] New American Standard Bible (Anaheim, California: Foundation Publications, Inc, 1997), 152.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Wayne Arden Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1994), 267.
