Transcendence
 The Limitless Presence of God.

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  • Both in His essential being and in any of his revealed attributes, God cannot be reduced to a finite dimension.

  • Just as one cannot establish a limit to the reaches of empty space or establish a beginning to eternity, so also is it impossible to confine God to any finite limits if either time or space.

  • God transcends all of the limits which He has imposed on all His creation.

1.    God's Being is infinite and cannot be limited to any particular dimensions in space

  • 27"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!  (1 Kings 8:27)

  • 7Where can I go from Your Spirit? 
    Or where can I flee from Your presence?
    (Psalm 139:7)

  • 1Thus says the Lord:
    "Heaven is My throne,
    And earth is My footstool.
    Where is the house that you will build Me?
    And where is the place of My rest?
         (Isaiah 66:1)

  • 23"Am I a God near at hand,"
    says the Lord,
    "And not a God afar off?
    24    Can anyone hide himself
    in secret places,
    So I shall not see him?"
    says the Lord;
    "Do I not fill heaven and earth?"
    says the Lord    .
    (Jer. 23:23-24)

2.    God's Being is eternal, without beginning or end, and cannot be limited by the constraints of time.

  • 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.  (Eccl. 3:11)

  • 15For thus says the
    High and Lofty One
    Who inhabits eternity,
    whose name is Holy:
    "I dwell in the high
    and holy place,
    With him who has a contrite
    and humble spirit,
    To revive the spirit of the humble,
    And to revive the heart
    of the contrite ones.
    (Isaiah 57:15)

  • 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim. 1:17)

3.    God's Knowledge and Wisdom embraces all that can be known.

  • 7"Can you search out
    the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the
    limits of the Almighty?
    8    They are higher than
    heaven-what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol-
    what can you know?
    9    Their measure is longer
    than the earth
    And broader than the sea.
    (Job 11:7-9)

  • 5Great is our Lord,
    and mighty in power;
    His understanding is infinite.
    (Psalm 147:5)

  • 8"For My thoughts
    are not your thoughts,
    Nor are your ways My ways,"
    says the Lord.
    9    "For 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)

  • 33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
    34    "For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has become His counselor?"       (Rom. 11:33-34)

4.    God transcends all created beings and is worthy of their praise and glory..

  • 3When I consider Your heavens,
    the work of Your fingers,
    The moon and the stars,
    which You have ordained,
    4    What is man that You
    are mindful of him,
    And the son of man
    that You visit him?
    (Psalm 8:3-4)

  • 4The Lord is high above all nations,
    His glory above the heavens.
    5    Who is like the Lord our God,
    Who dwells on high,
    6    Who humbles Himself to behold
    The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
    (Psalm 113:4-6)

  • And one cried to another and said:
    "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
    The whole earth is full of His glory!"
    (Isaiah 6:3)

We wish to acknowledge with gratitude the valuable efforts and scholarship of Pastor Ciff Bjork for these excellent notes.  He can be contacted at the following address:

Cliff Bjork
570 Day Road N
St Croix Falls WI 54024
 cbjork@searchingtogether.org