The purpose of this post is to introduce the transcendent nature of God so as to post more in the future about understanding this aspect of God’s nature and how that helps explain his relationship to us.
We do not teach or preach about the transcendent nature of God in church or apologetics but it is a known topic in scientific circles where the truth of science and the truth of scripture are seen as converging. *
Earlier posts to the To Know With Certainty website have referred to God’s transcendent nature. This transcendence is derived from his being the creator of the universe where he transcends space (three dimensions), time and matter.
Like any creator the creator exists before his creation, stands outside of his creation and can go into it and change it at any time. He has total power over the creation and can transcend the dimensions of the creation because he lives in at least one dimension beyond that which he has created.
The transcendent nature of God cannot be illustrated in the three dimensions in which we live because we cannot go into a dimension beyond the four dimensions in which we live. But if we assume and observe a two-dimensional world from our three-dimensional spatial position an understandable illustration becomes possible.
Consider a created two-dimensional or flat world on which reside two dimensional or flat people. They look like the following to us observing from the creator’s third dimension view. Their view is quite different.
They can move around each other in only one plane and examine each other in detail but they will see each other as a stick corresponding to their length from the side or as a smaller stick corresponding to their width from above or below. They are totally unaware of a third dimension view as the creator views them. If Ms. Flat goes into a flat room and shuts the door Mr. flat cannot see her but she can be seen from the view of the creator in the third dimension above the room.
Now to illustrate one step further consider them laying on a flat table (the world) and the creator can put his finger on either of them and move them around as he determines. He can have them switch places and put Mr. flat inside the room where Ms. Flat cannot see him but their creator can see him from the extra dimension.
To observe them from the third dimension and to move them around, the creator has transcended from his third dimension into their two dimensional world and changed them or their environment. They may not know who changed it but they know there has been a change beyond their control. They may wonder “Who or what is responsible for this?”. They may even use their flat minds and think “Could there be a transcendent cause?”
In two dimensions they can also have an added time dimension that came into being at creation. Before their creation there was no time dimension.
As their creator, God, the “I am”, was before them and he will be after them. He can enter their world at any time of his choosing but not because of time but because of his choosing. Their world is time dependent but God is not. He transcends space, time and matter because he was before them.
Since God made them in the two-dimensional image of himself he chose to visit them in that image. This is something he knew he would do before the creation. He would live among them in their two dimensions telling them about himself, about his father, God, who sent him. He tells them how to live life abundantly and gives them some commands and tells them that if they obey those commands and believe in him that he will guarantee that when there time comes to die they can come live with him in a dimension that is forever. He will allow them to transcend into that dimension. He tells them that someday in the future their two-dimensional world will be destroyed because it was built of matter and for a time just as they were and matter is not eternal nor is time.
Now transpose this two dimensional plus time example to the reality of three dimensions plus time. As three-dimensional creations we should live to receive the transcendent gift of eternal life to live with God in his dimensions beyond the dimensions where we live.
The transcendent nature of God is critical to understanding God, our world and how God can supernaturally operate in our world. Look for future posts related to the transcendent nature of God.
“Artwork by Daniel B. Holeman ”
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<a href=”http://www.AwakenVisions.com”>Artwork by Daniel B. Holeman</a> )
*Recommended Reading: Ross, H., Beyond The Cosmos, The Transdimensionality of God, Third Edition, RTB Press, Covina, CA (2017).
