The Ancient Scriptures

God is Transcendent.
The word “transcendent” literally means to go beyond. So, when we apply it to the God of the Bible it means that God is so beyond us. Transcendent is not a word which can be truly used of the LDS Heavenly Father.The difference between the LDS Heavenly Father and the Biblical Heavenly Father is immense. The LDS Heavenly Father is supposedly of the same species as we. He began as a sinful human who had to obey the Gospel Principles. Having done so he evolved into one of the many Gods of the pantheon of LDS apologists. So, in a sense Heavenly Father is greater than we but more like a superman as compared to the rest of us. Both of us are created, had a beginning as a human, exist in time, are unable to escape our own thoughts, and are limited. True the LDS Heavenly Father’s limitations are not as great as our’s on earth nevertheless, there are sources outside of himself which are able to limit him.

But the transcendence of the God of the Bible is very different. The God who is described in the Bible is so beyond us, and the Heavenly Father of LDS apologists, because we are not of the same species. The essence of the God who the Bible describes is described by the term infinite (Psalms 147:5). The word infinite means that are no outside limitations which can be placed on God. Sure, there are some things which God cannot do like lie (Hebrews 6:18) or deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13). But these limitations are due to God’s very nature. If God could do these things he would not be God. This is why the term infinite must accompany each word or phrase we use to describe God. As an example, God is not just holy he is infinitely holy. The God described by the Bible is infinite and this makes him so beyond us and clearly we are not of the same species.

As mentioned the God described in the Bible is the infinite being who is holy (Isaiah 6:3). This means he is way beyond sin and cannot even be tempted by sin in his normal estate. This is not true of humans who are tempted daily. The God described in the Bible is the infinite being who is alone has immortality (1 Corinthians 6:16). The word immortal means one cannot die. Immortality is given to the human body as a gift from God (2 Timothy 1:10). But in this sense mortality must proceed it. The God who the Bible describes has infinitely been Deity and therefore there has never been a time when he could die. If God can die he is not God. Paul’s point is that it is impossible for God to die. In fact, this brings us to Moses’ statement that God is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:2). Moses is saying that God has been Deity from everlasting to everlasting which means there has never been a time in the past, the present, nor will there be in the future when God has not been fully Deity. He did not begin as a human on some planet but has always been so beyond us because we are not of the same species. The Heavenly Father of LDS apologists is also said to be “from everlasting to everlasting” (D&C 20:17). But the sense in which they mean it, Heavenly Father has been from everlasting to everlasting from the point at which he became a God. This is not the way the Bible uses the term.

The Heavenly Father described by the Bible is clearly way beyond us because he is truly transcendent. This is something the Heavenly Father of LDS apologists is not. Because the God described by the Bible is transcendent he alone is worthy of our worship. My friend, do you see the difference?