Human Experience of God's Immanence and Transcendence
The human experience of God's immanence and transcendence involves a dynamic interplay between divine closeness and divine otherness, often described through biblical texts and theological reflection. God's transcendence refers to His absolute otherness, His existence beyond and above creation, while His immanence speaks to His active presence within the created order and in human lives [12].
The Bible consistently portrays God as transcendent, possessing attributes that are beyond full human comprehension. His knowledge, for instance, is infinite and "unsearchable" [1, 2]. The prophet Isaiah describes God's ways and thoughts as higher than human ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). This divine transcendence is also evident in descriptions of Christ's glory as God, the Son of God, and one with the Father, existing before creation and as its creator [7]. The vastness of God's wisdom and knowledge is acknowledged as "too wonderful" for human understanding, particularly in how He knows all things—past, present, and future [13].
Despite this profound transcendence, God is also experienced as immanent, actively involved in His creation and in human affairs. Romans 1:20 states that God's "invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship" since the creation of the world [4]. This suggests that creation itself serves as a testament to God's presence and attributes, making humanity "without excuse" for not recognizing Him [4, 11]. The outward creation acts as an "interpreter" of faith in God, which also has its "primary sources within our own breast" [11].
A pivotal example of God's immanence is the Incarnation, where Christ "took our human nature into union with his Divine Person, became man" [5]. This act of grace demonstrates God's willingness to enter human experience directly, uniting divine and human natures in one person without mixture or confusion [5]. The Incarnation allows for a profound, personal knowledge of God's love, which is central to the Christian life [9]. Believers are encouraged to "experience (literally know) the love of Christ," even though this love "is too great to understand fully" [9, 10]. This experience of Christ's love is seen as completing the believer, filling them with "all the fullness of life and power by the presence of Christ within" [9].
The Holy Spirit also plays a crucial role in the experience of God's immanence. God is described as a Spirit, without physical parts or dimensions, yet "filling the heavens and the earth—pervading, governing, and upholding all things" [12]. This spiritual nature allows God to be omnipresent and intimately involved in creation. The concept of "inspiration" in the Holy Scriptures refers to a "supernatural divine influence" where writers were "breathed into by God" to express His mind, rendering their writings infallible [8]. This highlights God's direct engagement with human authors to reveal His truth.
Human beings can experience God's immanence through various means, including spiritual states like a "trance," where an individual passes "out of the usual order of his life, beyond the usual limits of consciousness and volition," often due to "strong religious impressions" [6]. Such experiences suggest moments of heightened awareness of divine presence. The "testimony of God" concerning His Son is also presented as greater than human testimony, indicating a divine self-disclosure that impacts human understanding and faith [3].
The tension between God's transcendence and immanence is not a contradiction but rather a description of His multifaceted nature. While God remains utterly distinct and beyond human comprehension in His essence, He also chooses to reveal Himself and interact intimately with His creation and His people. This dual reality shapes the human experience of God, inviting both awe at His majesty and comfort in His nearness.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
- Romans “Romans 11:33 (Tyndale) — O the depnes of the aboundaunt wysdome and knowledge of God: how vnserchable are his iudgementes and his wayes past findyng out.”
- I John “I John 5:9 (LEB) — If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son.”
- Romans “Romans 1:20 (BSB) — For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Incarnation — That act of grace whereby Christ took our human nature into union with his Divine Person, became man. Christ is both God and man. Human attributes and actions are predicated of him, and he of whom they are predicated is God. A Divine Person was united to a human nature (Acts 20:28; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:8; Heb. 2:11-14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Gal. 4:4, etc.). The union is hypostatical, i.e., is personal; the two natures are not mixed or confounded, and it is perpetual.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Trance — (1) In the only passage-- (Numbers 24:4,16)--in which this word occurs in the English of the Old Testament italics show no corresponding word in Hebrew. In the New Testament we meet with the word three times-- (Acts 10:10; 11:6; 22:17) The ekstasis (i.e. trance) is the state in which a man has passed out of the usual order of his life, beyond the usual limits of consciousness and volition, being rapt in causes of this state are to be traced commonly to strong religious impressions. Whatever explanation may be given of it, it is true of many, if not of most, o”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Excellency and Glory of Christ, The — As God -- Joh 1:1-5; Php 2:6,9,10. As the Son of God -- Mt 3:17; Heb 1:6,8. As one with the Father -- Joh 10:30,38. As the First-born -- Col 1:15,18. As the First-begotten -- Heb 1:6. As Lord of lords, &c -- Re 17:14. As the image of God -- Col 1:15; Heb 1:3. As creator -- Joh 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2. As the Blessed of God -- Ps 45:2. As Mediator -- 1Ti 2:5; Heb 8:6. As Prophet -- De 18:15,16; Ac 3:22. As Priest -- Ps 110:4; Heb 4:15. As King -- Isa 6:1-5; Joh 12:41. As Judge -- Mt 16:27; 25:31,33. As Shepherd -- Isa 40:10,11; Joh”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Inspiration — That extraordinary or supernatural divine influence vouchsafed to those who wrote the Holy Scriptures, rendering their writings infallible. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (R.V., "Every scripture inspired of God"), 2 Tim. 3:16. This is true of all the "sacred writings," not in the sense of their being works of genius or of supernatural insight, but as "theopneustic," i.e., "breathed into by God" in such a sense that the writers were supernaturally guided to express exactly what God intended them to express as a revelation of his mind and ”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 3:19: 3:19 May you experience (literally know) the love of Christ: The whole Christian life is based on the experience and personal knowledge of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ (see Rom 12:1). • it is too great to understand fully: Christ’s love is much greater than ordinary human love (see Rom 5:6-8). • The believer’s life is made complete when it is filled with all the fullness of life and power by the presence of Christ within (see Eph 1:23; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27). The believer then is conformed to his image and reflects God (see Eph 4:14, 24; 5:1-2; Rom 8:29; 2”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 3:18: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,.... The love of Christ to his own, to his church and people, is special and peculiar; free and Sovereign; as early as his Father's love, and is durable and unchangeable; the greatest love that ever was heard of; it is matchless and unparalleled; it is exceeding strong and affectionate, and is wonderful and surprising: the instances of it are, his engaging as a surety for them; his espousing both their persons and their cause; his assumption of their nature; his dying in their room and stead; his payment of th”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 1:20: For the invisible things of him from--or "since" the creation of the world are clearly seen--the mind brightly beholding what the eye cannot discern. being understood by the things that are made--Thus, the outward creation is not the parent but the interpreter of our faith in God. That faith has its primary sources within our own breast (Rom 1:19); but it becomes an intelligible and articulate conviction only through what we observe around us ("by the things which are made," Rom 1:20). And thus are the inner and the outer revelation of God the comp”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 4:24: God is a Spirit - This is one of the first, the greatest, the most sublime, and necessary truths in the compass of nature! There is a God, the cause of all things - the fountain of all perfection - without parts or dimensions, for he is Eternal - filling the heavens and the earth - pervading, governing, and upholding all things: for he is an infinite Spirit! This God can be pleased only with that which resembles himself: therefore he must hate sin and sinfulness; and can delight in those only who are made partakers of his own Divine nature. As all creatures were made ”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 139:5: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,.... Meaning either the knowledge of himself, such as God had of him, which was vastly superior to what he had of himself; and especially the knowledge of other persons and things, whether visible or invisible, in heaven, earth, or hell; things past, present, and to come; or else the manner in which God knew all this was amazing to him, and quite impenetrable by him; that he did know him, his thoughts, his words and actions, and so those of all others, was easy of belief; but how he should know all this was past his conception, ”