Exploring the Character of God: The Independence and Self-existence of God

Are you ready to embark on an enlightening journey toward understanding the self-existence of God? This episode revolves around the fact that God is uncaused, eternal, and independent - He requires nothing from us for His existence. Drawing from scriptural references in both the Old and New Testament, and delve into the implications of God's existence in Christian belief.  Allow this episode to be a source of comfort and stability, as you discover the deep-rooted presence of God's self-existence in biblical teachings.


References
Arthur, P (1975) The Attributes of God
Grudem, W (2020)  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine 2nd Edition
Wilkin, J (2016) None Like Him 10 Ways God is Different From Us (and why it is a good thing)
A. W. Tozer The Attributes of God: Deeper into the Father’s Heart, vol. 2 

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to Faithfully Living, the podcast where we learn how to live for Christ in our daily lives. I am Dawn, your host, and I would like to invite you on a journey with me to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. As a baby, we were dependent on our parents or our caregiver. We needed help with everything from eating, bathing, dressing, sitting up, etc. We couldn't do anything on our own. We were totally dependent. In a sense, that is true for us today. Of course, we can feed ourselves, we can bathe ourselves, we can get ourselves dressed, but it's only possible because of God. He created us and he sustains us.

Speaker 1: 0:52

In this episode, we're going to explore the self-existent, self-sufficient and independence of God. Self-existence, also known as a satiety, is the idea that God exists independently, without reliance on anything external. In other words, god's existence is uncaused and self-sustaining. This concept stands in contrast to the idea that everything in the universe depends on something or something else for its existence. The self-existence of God implies that there is a source of existence that is uncaused, eternal and necessary. God is the infinite Creator and Sovereign God. He is not dependent on anyone.

Speaker 1: 1:46

So here are a couple more definitions to help us better understand this attribute of God, jen Wilkin in her book None Like Him 10 Ways God is different for us, and why that's a good thing. She says. God, who is himself uncreated, creates everything, gathering no materials, painting no swatches to mood boards, consulting no color wheels. God speaks and the universe leaps into being. Aw Pink says in the beginning God, there is no heaven where his glory is now particularly manifested. There is no earth to engage his attention, there is no angels to him, his praises, no universe to be held by the word of his power. There is nothing, no one but God, and that not for a day, a year or an age, but from everlasting. Also, like the definition that Wayne Grudem gives about God's independence, god does not need us for the rest of creation, for anything. Yet we and the rest of creation can glorify Him and bring Him glory. So in eternity past, god was. Before he created the heavens and the earth, he was. No one created God. He has been, was and is. So we can see that God's self-assistance is deeply rooted in the Bible.

Speaker 1: 3:28

The Old Testament in particular contains numerous passages that emphasize God's self-sufficiency and eternal nature. Exodus 3, 14 says God says to Moses I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites. I am a sent me to you. So this famous declaration of God to Moses highlights his self-existence. God exists in and of himself, without dependence on anything else. Psalms 92 says Before the mountains were born, are you brought forth the whole earth? From everlasting to everlasting, you are God. And in this verse underscores the eternal nature of God, affirming his existence before creation. And then Isaiah 40, 28 says Do you not know, have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of heaven, the creator of the ends of the earth. So this verse not only speaks of God's self-existence, but also his role as creator of all things.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Now let's go to the New Testament. Acts 17, 24, 25 says the God who made the world and everything in it, being God of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives all mankind life and breath and everything. And even Jesus showed that he and God, he as God, existed before earth's creation. So in John 17, 24, jesus speaks to the Father of my glory that you have given me because you love me before the foundation of the world, which now only points to Jesus as God, but also helps to understand the Trinity. And we're not going to dive into the Trinity yet. We'll say that for another episode. All right, so you all know I can't get away without holding a W Tozer and he gives us perspective on the selfhood of God. He says God is self-existent. Selfhood.

Speaker 1: 6:00

Novan, the church father, said God has no origin, just these four words. God has no origin, would be an education to the average person. Origin, you see, is a creature word. Everything comes from somewhere. Tozer goes on to say everything has an origin. When you hear a bird sing, you know that once the bird, it was packed in a tiny little egg. It came from somewhere. It came from an egg. Where did that egg come from? A little egg. And that egg came from another bird, and so on. Back back and to the heart of God. Then God says let the heavens bring forth, let the earth bring forth, let the dry land appear, as it says in Genesis. One Origin is a creature word. The trees have an origin, space has an origin, Mountains, the seas, all things have an origin.

Speaker 1: 6:58

But when you come back to God, you come back to the one who has no origin. He is the cause of all things, the uncaused cause. Everything has a cause and effect. For instance, a man walking down the street with his little boy is the cause of the little boy, but the man is also an effect. He was caused by someone else, his father. It's cause and effect, cause and effect down through the years until you come to the cause, and that is the cause of all causes, which is God. So God is the uncused cause of everything. He is the origin, not that he's the origin that had no origin. And in quotes, the Tosa quotes from the Athanasian creed that says the Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made or created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created, nor begotten, but perceived.

Speaker 1: 8:23

Have you struggled with studying and understanding the Bible? Do you wish you could get some help? Well, go check out the Faithfully Living YouTube channel. There is a library of videos to help you learn how to study and understand the Bible better. There are videos on various topics, such as Bible study tools and how to use them, understanding context and more. You can find a link to the channel in the show notes Happy studying.

Speaker 1: 9:15

As believers, it is necessary to understand this attribute of God. The self-existence of God provides an ultimate explanation for the existence of the universe. If there is a self-existent God, then there is a reason why everything exists at all, offering us a satisfactory answer to the question of the universe origin. It is closely tied with the other attributes of God, such as his omnipotence, meaning all powerful, omniscience, meaning omnipresent, meaning present and re-queer. When we believe in a self-existent God, it can have profound moral and ethical implications. It can serve as a foundation for moral values and provide a basis for understanding our human purpose and responsibility on this earth. The self-existence of God can assist us in recognizing that he is the unconsolored cause of all that exists.

Speaker 1: 10:19

Unlike created beings and entities, god does not always exist to anything or anyone else. He is the source and origin of all reality. So, because God is self-existent, he is an inherently sovereign and all powerful. He governs the universe with absolute authority because his existence is not contingent on any outside factors which can give us comfort in knowing that God is in control of all things. We also know that God is not distant and he is not detached, but he is a personal and relational God. So his self-existence establishes the foundation for a relationship with his creation and he is not limited by the constraints of created things.

Speaker 1: 11:13

So, because God is not limited, this should encourage us to pray and place our faith and trust in a self-existent God. So this should foster confidence that God can answer prayers and work in ways that surpass our human understanding. So doesn't this bring you comfort? I'm humbled to know that God doesn't need or depend on me. I would fell Him every time. God really chose to create us for His glory. Isaiah 43.7 says Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made so.

Speaker 1: 11:56

The attribute of the existence of God is a foundation of belief in Christian theology, firmly grounded in biblical teachings. It reveals that God is the uncalls calls and sovereign creator of the universe and a personal God. So, as believers, it's important that we ponder the self-existent nature of God. It's going to give us assurance in the unwavering and eternal love of our Creator and Savior. Well, that's it for this episode. Remember God is always good and he's always faithful. Thank you for listening to the podcast. Do me a favor by following the podcast and leaving a review to help spread the word. I look forward to hearing from you.