The Immanence and Transcendance of God - Reconciling or Contradicting?

Modified from Oswalt, Bible Among the Myths, p 65.

     A friend of mine posted this question in response to the previous blog, "How can God know what will happen before it happens?" "You're arguing for God's transcendence, yet also insisting God is immanent. I know theologians in the past have argued for both of these, yet most theologians now recognize the irreconcilable contradiction of these two. What's your defense?" This is an excellent question and I would like to explain my views concerning these two areas.

     Both transcendence and immanence describe God’s relationship to the universe. The relationship between transcendent God and the universe is that God created the universe and is separate in that He is not made of the material of the universe (Ps. 19). He is independent of creation (Grudem, pg 267). He is the cause of the universe.

     The transcendence of God stems from his omnipotence. God is infinite, whereas all creation is finite, thus God is separate from creation. Genesis 1-2, the beginning of the Bible, demonstrates the transcendence of God, because God created all that exists now within this finite realm. To truly understand the transcendence, a short detour to explain the opposite is in order.

     Transcendence defies the ancient beliefs, which consist of continuity. Continuity is deity, humanity, and nature coexisting within the same realm, much as modern day pantheism sees it. This idea teaches that all things exist because they are intrinsically a part of each other ("The Bible Among the Myths" by John Oswalt, ch. 2). This is seen in ancient myths, Egyptian, Canaanite, and Mesopotamian theogonies of 1000 - 4000 BC, which coincides with the backdrop of the Old Testament yet stand in stark contrast.

Modified from Oswalt, Bible Among the Myths, p. 48

      Transcendence within the Bible stands in stark contrast to the view of continuity within ANE religions. Within the idea of myth, cosmos and gods are linked; however, within the Old Testament's unique view, God is separate and prior to the cosmos. The Bible provides a unified set of rules, a high view of humanity as the crown of creation, monotheism at the core of scripture, images/idols are forbidden, and sexuality is denied as a part of worship. Humanity and nature coexist with each other; however, God is separate in that God is not a part what was created. Thus, God is within nature, but NOT of nature.

     Because God is within nature in the essence that He continues to act throughout history, but does not exist as a part of created nature, this is what is known as immanence. The relationship between God’s immanence and created nature is that God continues to move within nature while not being a physical part of the created nature. Genesis 1:2, stating the Spirit of God was moving across the waters, shows how God was personally involved within creation, but the Bible does not stop here. Hebrews 1:3 and Col. 1:17 both argue that God is the sustaining cause of the universe. If God were to completely remove Himself from creation, it would cease to exist. God’s personal involvement is the key focus behind immanence, in that God is not some distant deity (Deism), nor is God limited to the universe (pantheism).

     God’s immanence is further demonstrated through the many periods in time where God, via either anthropomorphism or the incarnation itself, has crossed the boundaries of the ethereal and has become physical, yet this does not limit God to the law that He becomes bound by creation. John 1 argues that God became flesh, and dwelt among us, thus God became immanent in the fullest sense, yet God was not born of two human parents, for the Holy Spirit was a part of the consummation removing the sin nature defying the laws of the universe.

     Miracles also attest to the immanence of God. Throughout history, God has enabled miracles to occur that defy physical laws bound by nature. Whether it is a miraculous healing, turning water into wine, the plagues of Egypt (which was a polemical attack against the deities of Egypt), or creation itself, God continues to work within nature while not being bound by nature. Thus, God is immanent, yet transcendent. 

How can God know what will happen before it happens?

   This has been and continues to be a long-standing question. Many people deny that God can truly know the future because it has not happened yet. This is known as foreknowledge and falls under the title of sovereignty within the realm of theology. This idea comes from several passages. Ephesians 1:4 and Romans 8:28-30 are texts used to argue the sovereignty of God, and rightly so. The passages clearly state, along with others, that God is sovereign and knows things even before the world existed.  
     God does allow things to happen in life that seems insane, unfair, downright wrong, and yet He has a plan, such as Joseph being sold into slavery ended up saving his entire family in the long run. The question comes down to this, how can God know if it has not happened yet. To understand the answer, one must decide whether or not God created the universe. I, myself, and a creationist (literal 6-day based on the Hebrew semantics). Even if one accepts theistic evolution, God still created all that exists, including time.
     Time is the key factor. Is God limited by time? The answer is no. Here's an example of why God is not limited by time. Let's say I sit down and decide to make a clay pot. I would get out the clay wheel, kiln, water, shaping tools, and ball of clay. I would then begin forming the clay on the wheel until it is exactly how I wanted it to be. I would then set it within the kiln at a certain temperature and fire it until it is baked. In order for me to make the clay pot, I had to be separate, yet involved within the procedure.
     It is the same way with God and time. Because God made all that exists, God was separate and yet intimately involved in it. Thus, God looks down upon time. Thus, God is able to aptly give prophecies knowing they will come to pass, see who will and will not be saved, as well as see the culminating time revealed in Revelation leading to a new heaven and a new earth. We humans can only see time as it moves along in our lives.
      Does this mean God causes sin? God is not the author of sin, nor can He cause it, but He can allow it to occur. It was sin that crucified Christ upon the cross, yet God allowed it to occur so that we may have a perfect sacrifice! If God prevented the crucifixion, we would still have to offer sacrifices the Old Testament way.
      Does this mean that humans do not have free will? Not necessarily. God created man and woman free within the garden of Eden (Gen. 2: 15-25). God placed them there, gave them one rule, and they were free to obey or disobey that rule. The same way, God allowed the tree to exist and continues to allows sin to occur. Without sin, we could not know the true meaning of grace and love. Man freely chooses to sin, because it is within man's nature (Rom. 1-3).  
     How then does one reconcile free will and sovereignty in regards to salvation? Here are two examples that demonstrate both sovereignty and free will in regards to salvation from the gospels. In John 4, Jesus states that He "must needs" travel through Samaria. This was very unusual for a Jew, especially a Rabbi or other prominent figure. Any good Jew would walk around Samaria rather than travel through it. However, Jesus tells the disciples that they are going to walk through it. Jesus stops at a well in Sychar, and asks a lonely Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Again, this would not have occurred with any normal Jew, but Jesus already knows what's going to happen. They begin to discuss living water. She sees this living water as a physical reprieve from the constant humiliation of drawing water; yet Jesus demonstrates His knowledge of her living situation. This astounds the woman, who runs back to the village declaring the Messiah has come. The realization was enough for her to believe that Jesus was in fact the Messiah. She, at that moment, put her faith in Christ; yet, Jesus already knew which well to go to before she even got there to draw water.
    For those who argue coincidence, here is another example. This one comes from Luke 19, and is a beloved children's story. "Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see." Many of us know or remember this song from Sunday School, yet there is a line that is flawed within the song. "And as the savior passed that way" is not quite correct biblically speaking. Notice the passage, "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him...". Jesus wasn't just strolling by, Jesus went to the base of the tree where Zacchaeus was! Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, and Jesus was going to radically change his life that day. "This day is salvation come to this house." Zacchaeus' desire was to see this Jesus who was healing the sick, casting out demons, doing miracles that defy explanation. Jesus' sovereignty is demonstrated in the fact that Jesus knew exactly which tree in the busy hubbub of Jericho to go to, not simply walk by and glancing up, notice a short dude up in some branches.
     God is sovereign, He knows where the lost are. He knows who will and will not be saved. The message carries the power of Christ today. Those who believe were called before the foundations of the world. God is at work all around and within the act of salvation. Faith, the act of belief, is what is required (Rom. 1:17). This is not a work, for the Bible always separates faith from works. The Bible also separates God from sin. Man freely sins and man freely believes; it is either the act of God to save or to condemn based on faith or lack thereof.