The Self-Existence of God

Exodus 3:13-14 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

Every creature, person, and living thing has a beginning. Everything depends on its beginning, because without that it does not exist. Only the Triune God has no origin and no dependence on any beginning or anything else beside Himself.

What a great beginning to boast in: that God has always existed! For there is not one thing, and not one person on earth which has this perpetual existence. God, the Trinity itself, has been forever – and to boast in something of this nature is amazing. For if God had a beginning, we – the believers in Him – would not exist. How great it is to think that we are the chosen who get to enjoy coming into His covenant and boasting that He has always existed and will forever exist. How much enchantment and gratification it brings to the heart of man to know that his God whom he serves has forever reigned – and will forever reign – above all of creation. The believer needs to see that there is absolutely no other being that has, or will have, this nature. This nature, which is eternal, distinguishes the Creator from His creation, and gives reason for His creation. The trees, the mountains, the seas, animals, and most of all, His people – to bring Him the praise that is due Him because of His nature, for all eternity.

This truth needs to be sought out and placed into man’s mind most of all when thinking highly or becoming prideful of himself. Oftentimes, humans tend to think they are capable of many things and that they can find the enjoyment of life itself in their own existence. For example, man might find delight in making a lot of money, or having a well-known name, or many friends – so man often tries with his nature to seem like he is unstoppable or incapable from being brought down into humbleness and humility, as the believer experiences so often. The believer must see that this truth of the character of God calls for him to see his humanity and his own limitations that compels him to rely on God for his very existence. What I am trying to get across in this, is that since God is always there – with there being no beginning and no ending – it is a necessity for the believer to boast in this truth because he would otherwise cease to exist. How great it is to boast in the only existence that has, is, and will be forever! This particular truth, out of many truths of the gospel, is pleasing to the soul because of the uniqueness that it has from all else in creation. Believers can boast in and find their pleasure in the fact that their relationship, their religion, their beliefs, their Creator, have no beginning in the sense that God simply just is. This attribute of God cannot be possessed by any other creature, for its Creator stands alone and is the only One that will ever have it. The angels and demons themselves were created, just like this earth and the universes which are around it.

This is important to today’s 21st century believer, due to the philosophy and movements that try to make God seem as a created being and therefore lessen Him. To that, I say simply one thing: you lessen the character of God, and you have lessened the gospel. This God, who has and will endure through all ages and its mocking and lessening of Him, will one day destroy those who do so, and redeem His people to the consummation of spending eternity with Him forever and ever. As for the believer of this truth, may you stand in awe and boast of the God that not only created you, but also has allowed you to come into a covenant with Him in a relationship that only select humanity gets to delight in and fall in love with. The believer may boast that if it was not for this attribute of God, he would have no hope in life or in the gospel. It is God’s self-existence that gives all of creation existence. The believer needs to boast in this God – the God who is the One higher than all of creation and shows His character as that of being above all of humanity, like no other being that has been, or will be, created by Him. This God calls for the uttermost boasting; for His existence deserves His chosen to glorify His name and His nature above all else.