God is Self-Existent
Eddie Parrish, from the Brown Trail Church of Christ, presented this sermon.
The concept of God as an uncreated being poses a significant philosophical challenge, particularly for those of us who exist within the confines of created time and space. God is described as eternal, existing outside the limitations of the universe and not subject to the processes of creation and decay that govern all other entities. This notion of a necessary being, one that has always existed and is the source of all that is, contrasts sharply with our experiences as created beings, where every effect has a cause. Understanding God in this context requires a shift in perspective, recognizing that the divine nature transcends human comprehension and operates on a plane that is fundamentally different from our own. - Bee
Sermon Summary
The sermon explores the concept of God as self-existent, eternal, and possessing the power to give life. He discusses how God's self-existence is both logical and biblical, referencing scriptures and emphasizing the significance of God's ability to bring life out of death. The narrative in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel illustrates this power, providing hope for resurrection and overcoming fears, particularly the fear of death. By understanding and relying on God's self-existence, believers are encouraged to live with confidence, hope, and faith in the face of death, worshiping and praying to the eternal Father for strength and assurance.
Parrish discusses the concept of God as self-existent. He addresses the question children may ask about who made God, stating that God is eternal and has always existed. He explores the logic behind God's self-existence, arguing that something must have always existed and that matter is not eternal, as seen through decay in the universe. He concludes that an eternal, uncreated, self-existent spirit that possesses life and existence within itself exists, which is described as God. The idea of God's self-existence is presented as both logical and biblical, referencing scriptures from Exodus as an example.
God's self-existence explained.
Parrish discusses the nature of God's self-existence and its significance. He mentions that God, as conveyed in biblical text, possesses life and being within himself, which is highlighted through the story in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel. In this chapter, God leads the prophet Ezekiel to a valley filled with dry bones, symbolizing death and decay. Through God's power, the bones come together, flesh and breath are restored, signifying the ability of God, who has life within himself, to give life to the dead. This power to resurrect the dead is seen as a significant aspect of God's self-existence, as it demonstrates his ability to bring life out of death. The practical application emphasized is the promise of resurrection found in Scriptures, pointing to our reliance on God's self-existence for the hope of life after death. The narrative in Ezekiel serves as a visual representation of God's power to restore life and fulfill promises of resurrection.
God is eternal.
Parrish discusses the concept of God as self-existent and eternal, highlighting how understanding this attribute can help overcome fears, particularly the fear of death. He emphasizes that Jesus, as the self-existent one, holds the key to death and has conquered it through His resurrection, freeing believers from the bondage of fear. He relates to biblical passages like Hebrews 2:14 and Romans 4:17 that underscore God's power over death and His ability to give life to the dead. He encourages living with hope, confidence, and faith in light of God's eternal nature, offering worship and prayer to the self-existent Father.
Transcript:
One quick announcement before uh we uh begin the lesson uh if you normally uh attend the multi-purpose room class at 10:00 that David web is currently teaching uh let me save you the trip uh around there this morning uh illness has attacked the web household and uh David sent a text out this morning that it just hit him this morning kind of similar to what happened to me last week evidently and um and so they're not going to be here
(20:56) today and so uh just his class is just just going to meet in here in the auditorium as uh children grow up and develop the ability to think more abstractly they begin to and especially this is true with with children who are being reared in Christian homes they begin to have questions about this God that they hear so much about at home in Bible class of course and in worship assemblies one example of these questions that uh most parents of children young children have probably heard is that um you know after a child
(21:53) has heard repeatedly that God made everything they begin to reach this age where they're thinking more abstractly and eventually they're probably going to come up with this question well but who made God if God made everything who made God it's a good question now the simple answer to that question is that no one made God that God is self existent that he's Eternal that he simply has always been but now can can a person prove that what evidence is there that it that that there is to support the claim that God has always been that God
(22:59) is self-existent that no one made God that's the task before us this morning as we begin what will be a series of lessons but it won't be consecutively done but periodically throughout this year if the plan holds up uh that uh we're going to address matters pertaining to the character the nature of God who is God who is this God that we assemble each week to worship what makes God God and so we begin today with this question who made God well the answer is no one but what evidence is there that supports that
(23:52) answer how do we know that God is self existent well I would for this in the first place that the self-existence of God is logical that it's that it's it's the only possibility so work with me through this because something now exists something must have always existed now nobody questions the fact that something now exists they like lots of things that exist now well if anything exists now then something must have always existed if there were ever a time when there was absolutely nothing in existence nothing no no Force no energy
(24:49) no being no matter no nothing if if absolutely nothing ever existed then nothing would exist today because nothing nothingness can't just all of a sudden stir up the energy to become something because there's no energy to stir up because nothing exists so the fact that something exists now logically implies that something has always existed second Point whatever it is that has always existed is either material or non-material there is no third option right the law of excluded middle proves that that it's something anything
(25:44) is either material or it's non-material there's no there's no middle ground between those two things another way that we could say that using different words but it's the same point whatever has always existed is either material IAL or ethereal matter or mind matter or Spirit those are all different ways of saying the same thing there's no third option it has to be one of those two next point we know that matter the material has not always existed and the reason we know that is because of that
(26:34) 1940s era pickup truck that's sitting out in that field that you've passed by on many a Texas Highway that is rusting and falling apart or that old barn that you've passed by in a similar Texas field that is has a rusted metal metal roof the wood on the side of it is falling apart there holes because planks have fallen over that's why we know matter is not Eternal because every material thing in this universe is in the process of decaying including your own body ask someone who's over the age of
(27:26) 56 Newton's Law law of second law of Thermodynamics incidentally no it's law it's not Theory there there are no contradictions to it's like gravity gravity is going to work well so the second law of Thermodynamics which teaches that that or implies that matter has not always existed because everything in the universe every material thing in the universe is in the process of decaying Eternal things by their very nature don't do that Eternal things by definition don't run down they don't
(28:22) Decay but everything material in our universe is so what does that tell us matter has not always existed it had a beginning point so because something now exists something must have always existed and whatever it is that has always existed is either matter or Spirit matter or mind We Know That Matter's not always existed because everything that's material is in a state of decaying process therefore what has always existed must be nonmaterial ethereal Spirit but even more than that that Spirit entity that has always
(29:16) existed must have the power of being the power of Life The Power of existence in himself in order to have imparted life being existence to something else so we could reform our earlier statement and say since something living now exists something living must have always existed because life does not come from non-life so there is an eternal uncreated self-existent spirit that possesses life and existence and being within
(30:19) himself it's the only logical answer we call him God the self-existence of God is logical but in the second place the self-existence of God is biblical the scriptures teach this principle this idea this characteristic if you will of God he is eternal he is self-existent he has life he possesses the essence of life and existence and being in his own nature and so we look at Exodus chapter 3 when God Called Moses to lead his people out of Egyptian bondage Moses was reluctant at first and offered to God a number of
(31:12) excuses as to why God had made a mistake in selecting him to be the one to lead the people out of that captivity it was a feudal attempt God didn't make a mistake but Moses was reluctant and one one of the things that he said in response to God when God said go and Lead my people out of Egypt he claimed ignorance that he didn't know enough you know what what if what if they ask me a question I can't answer what am I supposed to do in that situation and specifically the question was if I go in there this is the parish
(31:51) phrase the paraphrase if I go in there and tell them that God their God has sent me here to um uh to lead them out of Egyptian bondage no doubt they're going to ask me what God are you talking about what's his name and Moses says I I don't I don't know what to tell him it was to that excuse use that God told Moses how to respond verses 14 and 15 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 God also said to Moses say this to the people of Israel the Lord Yahweh
(32:58) the god of your fathers the god of Abraham the god of Isaac and the god of Jacob has sent me to you this is my name forever well volumes have been written about God's response to Moses here volumes have been written about uh the um uh about this uh I am statement of God and and the the uh the the name of God Yahweh translated in most English translations as Lord in all capital letters as it is here so we won't settle every question settle every issue or answer every question about that in the time we have
(33:41) before us today the primary takeaway for us is this the words the phrase I am who I am the shortened form I am and this Yahweh translated as the Lord in all caps in most English translations it's it's what's translated Jehovah in the American Standard 1901 version and perhaps some other translations uh not sure about that but that's where this that's where Jehovah comes from this word well all of those words come from the same root word in Hebrew that simply means to be to exist God says to Moses tell the
(34:37) people if they want to know who I am tell them I am the existing one I am not I was not I have been not I will be though all that's true but simply I am I I exist I am the existing one the self-existing one you see in the name of God is expressed the Eternal self-existent self- sustaining nature of God he simply always is in the New Testament we might consider acts 17 when Paul comes to the city of Athens and he sees that the city was full of Idols verse 16 says and when he's given
(35:42) the opportunity to tell the people about the God that they didn't know verse 23 when he says you know I've walked through your fair City I see all these altars and Idols I saw one altar to the unknown God let me tell you about him he took that opportunity to tell them about the God they didn't know and one of the characteristics of God that Paul Drew their attention to was his self-existence notice verses 24 and 25 The God Who made the world and everything in it being Lord of Heaven and Earth does
(36:20) not live in temples made by man nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything since he himself gives to all mankind life breath and everything notice again back in 24 if God made the world and everything in it then he predated it he existed before it did he existed before the material like we pointed out earlier material things had a beginning Point even science will tell you that scriptures told us it all along so matter has not been Eternal some entity had to bring it into existence God's the one who did that
(37:14) Paul calls attention to that but he also calls attention to the fact that the life that we experience the life that we have the essence the being that we have we owe to God because he has that in himself if he didn't he couldn't give it to anyone but since he has given life since he has given breath since he has given all of these things to us he must possess those things in himself they exist inherently in him the only way that we can have being existence is through him as he says in verse 28 in him God in him we live we move we have
(38:12) our being God is the self-existent one so the self-existence of God have you ever come across in your reading the term aay that's what that means the assay of God this the self-existence of God a seity coming from the Latin uh for being self-existence of God is logical it's biblical but before we leave this characteristic this morning I want us to consider the fact that the self-existence of God is practical you may be hopefully not but you may be listening and thinking okay so what so what God is self-existent next what
(39:05) difference does it make is this just a philosophical exercise well it needs to be more than that I've said this before when we have talked about and and studied together the characteristics of God the nature of God that if our study of the nature and characteristics of God does not become practical to where it affects us Us in some way then we're studying it wrong because of all the Practical things that we could study the being of God is but but what is the Practical side of this what difference does it make that
(39:50) God is self existent that he has life and being in himself well to answer that I want us to think about uh the 37th chapter of Ezekiel in that chapter in a vision God took the prophet Ezekiel to a mass graveyard and he set him down in the middle of it in verse one of Ezekiel 37 says the valley was full of Bones the place was covered in piles of bones but as you think about that we're not thinking about bodies that are in the State of Decay with flesh on them and the flesh is rotting these were not rotting corpses Not only was or is it
(40:51) described as a valley full of bones but verse two says the bones were very dry there was no flesh left on them nothing for nothing for vultures to eat you can you can picture them bleached white by the Sun and it's in the middle of that that God places Ezekiel the prophet and then he asked him son of man can these bones live that's a good question can these bones live Ezekiel knew that ultimately God was going to be the one that would have to have the answer to that question perhaps that's what he meant in
(41:51) verse four when he says well Lord you know but by God's power as this Vision continues by God's power the bones came together and flesh Came Upon them breath came into them so the answer to the question is yes son of man these bones can live time out for just a second now the application that God is making here and the purpose of this Vision has to do with the restoration of the nation of Israel following their captivity period and then ultimately some implications that involve the coming of the church
(42:39) okay so the vision was intended to teach those lessons but those lessons would lose their Punch If the illustration didn't hold water and I want to focus on the illustration itself for a moment can the bones live can bleached Dry Bones live by the power of God they can only The God Who has life in himself can Restore Life to the dead and Ezekiel Saw that firsthand in that Vision so here's the Practical side of that hasn't God promised to do exactly that to give life to the dead to take cemeteries full of
(43:42) Bones and give them life Jesus will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself or in Romans 8 we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as Sons the Redemption of our bodies didn't Paul say in Acts 24:15 there will be a resurrection of the Dead upon what basis do we even venture to put any kind of faith and trust in that statement Ezekiel 37 son of man can these bones
(44:47) live yes they can by the power of God because only The God Who has life in himself can impart that life to to the dead so when we read these promises in Scripture that yes there will be a resurrection of the Dead we have every reason to put all of our faith and confidence in the fact that that will be true that's why the self-existence of God is practical or you may think about Romans chap Revelation uh chapter 1 and also chapter 22 we'll look at a couple of passages there but in the Book of Revelation in a vision that John has
(45:26) of a lot of things but Jesus primarily in this Vision John hears the Lord affirm that he is the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end I am the first and the last all the way back in chapter one The Living one I died but behold I'm alive forever more and I have the key of death in Hades alpha omega beginning end first last all of those are ways of the Lord claiming eternality self-existence but before he identified himself in chapter one as the first and the last he said two very important
(46:25) words fear not why is the self-existence of God practical because it helps us overcome our fears the reason why John was told to jettison his fears is because he was in the presence of the self-existent one our deepest fears come from our weaknesses and our frailties think about what people fear maybe it's cancer maybe it's flying maybe it's Alzheimer's pain in general snakes drowning Heights why do we fear those things because we know we're susceptible to death we know we could die we know we're
(47:29) weak in that way that we're frail in that way and so we fear these things we're mortal but we can let go of those fears ultimately because when Jesus burst forth from the Tomb in Victorious Conquest over death it was like a jailbreak but he came out carrying the key to the jail I don't have to fear death because who holds the key to that whole realm Jesus does and who's Jesus my Savior my friend my Lord fear not I'm the self-existent one it's because our savior possesses life in himself possesses being in
(48:31) himself something that he powerfully showed in his own triumphant Resurrection from the dead that we no longer have to live in fear of death isn't that Hebrews 2:14 through death Jesus destroyed the one who has the power of death and that he would deliver all those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage we don't have to live Shackled to a fear of death why because we serve a God who self-existent we serve a God who has life in himself who has being in himself and so death is not
(49:17) permanent because of the resurrection of Jesus Paul described God in Romans 4:1 17 as the one who gives life to the Dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist that's who God is and only the self-existent one could do that could give life to the dead could bring into existence things that to that point before didn't exist and by doing those two things giving life to the dead bringing into existence that which didn't God has given us every reason to live life with hope with confidence and with
(50:19) faith and that's the god in whose presence we've come this morning to offer our worship let's pray gracious loving and Eternal self-existent Father we thank you so much that you have revealed to us in your word your name and your nature and we stand in awe of you and we offer to you our our worship our praise our Thanksgiving for the life that you have given to us and for the promise of eternal life that we have through Jesus it's our prayer that we would always live in view of that eternity and that we would live with
(51:21) gratitude both in our words and in our deeds in the name of Jesus we pray amen