The Attributes of God: Transcendence

If immanence is God's nearness, transcendence is the other side of it. It refers to God's distance - not distance in miles, but distance in character and nature from everything that was created.
Transcendence says God is separate from, distinct from, and superior to all that he has made. The biblical picture is God high and lifted up. He is exalted above everything, and nothing made is in his category.
Hold that next to the last poster and do not resolve the tension. He is completely other than his creation, and he is always present within it. Both at once. Losing either one gives you a different god - a distant one you cannot reach, or a familiar one who is basically part of the furniture.
This is also why Israel was forbidden to make any image to represent God. The prohibition was not because pictures are naughty. It was because God is completely other than anything in heaven or on earth, and nothing made could adequately portray his essence and character. Any image would be a downgrade, so they were forbidden from even trying.
Scripture links:
- Isaiah 57:15 - the one who is high and lifted up, who also dwells with the lowly.
- Exodus 20:3-6 - no carved image of anything in heaven, earth or sea.
- Isaiah 6:1 - the Lord seated on a throne, high and lifted up.
Wholly other. Always present. Both.