What is the immanence of God?

Another thing that is denied is the very popular idea of PANTHEISM — that God is not to be thought of as outside nature and above it, but as only dwelling in nature, somewhat as an electrical current dwells in insulated cables. God is immanent — that is the word they use — and they do not believe in a transcendent God, a God who stands outside of and distinct from nature. You must merely think of Him as a Supreme Mind, a Sense dwelling in all things; that is the "New Theology". This Pantheistic idea is plainly denied. You have God before creation, and God outside of nature. Genesis 1 clearly presents Him not as an immanent God, but as a transcendent God, One who stands outside of and distinct from creation.

There had remained some glimmerings of light about this among them, and Paul was able to quote some of their own poets as having spoken of mankind as being the offspring of God. In this they were right. Only by faith in Christ Jesus do we become children of God, but all men are His offspring as His creatures. This being so, we ought not to conceive of God as something less than ourselves or as the work of our own hands; and we should be those who seek after Him. His immanence is recognised in the words that "in him we live and move and have our being"; yet Paul preached Him as the transcendent One, who is Lord of heaven and earth.

This verse bears on the philosophical doctrine of the Transcendence of God, exaggerated by Deists, and the scientific doctrine of His Immanence, exaggerated by Pantheists… God is morally transcendent… The immanence of God should rather be described as that of nature in Him.

"The immanence of God in humanity" is a favourite phrase in the mouths of some, and by it is meant that God dwells in, and shows Himself through, all men. But Scripture teaches the very opposite. Notice the Lord's own words in John 14:17.

It may be permitted to remark on the use of that rather novel principle which New Theology has given such prominence to — "the immanence of God." Trust it not; especially when applied to the incarnation. "A mere philosophical notion, absolutely fatal to a gospel" is not an unfair description of it.

What is clear here is that God's dwelling is in harmony with His own nature. He is high and holy, and He dwells in the high and holy place. But He dwells also with him "who is of a contrite and lowly spirit," for He finds there what suits Himself… The God whom the highest heavens cannot contain is the God whom we may make our Guest, but only by getting down ourselves into the lowest and lowliest place. So if we have never met Him, it is because we have never got down as low as that level of self-judgment where He is found in grace.

The two notions find their reconciliation in the person of Christ, and in Him alone.

Theology's best and first thought of Him is rebuked at once. It says God is in heaven. No, comes the answer — God is on earth, among us, acting, speaking, sympathising, in our nature, in our world, in our circumstances… He is in heaven, it is true, but He has been on earth. And if God in heaven is not known to us as the One who has been here, I am without Him.