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“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? 
   Who is like you, majestic in holiness, 
   awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Exodus 15:11 ESV

Today I’m excited!  I get to start introducing you to GOD!  This isn’t something I take lightly and isn’t based on my personal opinions.  It is based on what the Bible has to say about GOD.

It is also based on what others who have studied the Bible have come up with after studying what it has to say about Him. But I’m trying to put it in my own words as much as possible. Anything that sounds in the least profound, probably didn’t come from me!

The links I have to Scripture can easily show you the context of the passage.  The most important thing needed is illumination from the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to truth. If we ever have insight into truth about GOD, we need to understand that ultimately, that insight came from Him. It is very humbling.

Today’s characteristic of GOD is that He is self-existent.  Other names related to this trait? Self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied and in need of nothing! Another way to describe it is that He is complete in Himself.  One way GOD is described is that He is solitary in His excellency.

I plan to use a way of dividing God’s characteristics that was helpful to me.  There are others.  The terms incommunicable attributes those that are not found in humans and communicable attributes those found to some degree in humans.

Since the list of incommunicable ones is shorter, but probably more foundational to beginning to understand GOD, we’ll start with them.  I’ll give you the list now so you can see what is coming the next four weeks.  They include:

• GOD’S self-existence

• GOD’S immutability/changelessness

• GOD’S infinity

• GOD’S unity

What are the ramifications of this attribute?

GOD is totally and completely self-existant and has all the resources He needs available within Himself.  There is nothing GOD lacks in any way.  He is totally complete.  He never has a need.  He is never lonely.  He never feels “insecure”.  He never “barely gets by” either.  In His self-existance, everything is excellent!  He is GOD!

When I think about what this would be like, it’s nearly impossible to imagine.  My life is so full of limitations in resources of every type.  Yet GOD has none!

There have been times when I thought of GOD as being like me, only better, but this is really not true. He sets a standard that is so much higher and better and with more depth than I will never dream of having! Of course, this attribute is one I will never have as a human. I am all too aware of my limits…physical, mental financial and in almost every way!

Imagine what it must have been like in the Godhead before the world and humans were created

Before any of the world as we know it, was created, the eternal GOD was there.  He had perfect fellowship within the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has been suggested to me that He created the world out of an overflow of that fellowship as in “Let’s share this fellowship.  It is so wonderful!”  I can’t prove it by a specific Bible verse, but it is an interesting thought.

There was no boredom, no fighting or discord, no wondering what to do with themselves. They were totally and completely excellent and self-existent. Their creativity knew no bounds even before creation. But I can’t imagine what it was like. I do know that they had plenty to do and it was purposeful.

The three persons of the Trinity were in complete fellowship with each other. It was out of that fellowship rather any lack, that GOD created the world and our universe.

Based on this attribute of God, I know it wasn’t, “I need someone with whom to fellowship.  I know,  I’ll make humans.”  Based on our performance on that score, it’s a good thing that wasn’t His purpose in creating us!

One result of GOD’s being self-existent is that creation did not lessen or diminish Him…at all!  He had all the resources to create everything…and everything He created was excellent. Yet He still had just as many resources after Creation as He did before!  The more we are able to explore and discover the fine details of Creation, the more we see the touch of GOD’s hand!

• DNA just happened?  In all its fine detail and potential for infinite diversity?
• All the grand expanse of galaxies that go further and further out with each newly developed piece of equipment that is able to explore?
• How could that have just happened with so many laws of nature that continue to follow in an orderly and predictable way eon after eon?  They all stay in place in relative relationship to each other and rarely crash…with the exception of a few smaller pieces of debris…but the sun and all the planets stay in orbit according to laws that can be mathematically calculated. That does not happen randomly.

It is amazing when you think about it.  So He not only created, but maintains the universe and all that is in it!  And that is only part of what He does and who He is.

Whether we love and worship Him, despite many sermons and songs to the contrary, it does not cause any gain to Him. He is self-sufficient.  He doesn’t need.  There are times when this pleading, somewhat weak God is presented to us, but that really isn’t the GOD of the Bible.

It is more true that we are the ones who need Him.  We rush around like busy ants thinking we are accomplishing something, but in reality, WE are the ones who need HIM!  Our need is even more desperate than we realize.

We need to worship.  We need to stop and be still.  We need to wait and be silent before this GOD, this majestic GOD who is solitary.

• He is not like us.
• He is different.
• He is vast.
• We are dust.  And that illustration is even out of proportion!
• As Moses learned, He is the eternal I AM.

The effect this would have on my prayer life alone should be dramatic.  As I think about this GOD, with whom I am privileged to have a relationship by virtue of His grace shown to me through Christ.  

He is the image of the invisible God, 

the firstborn of all creation.  

For by him all things were created, 

in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—

all things were created through him and for him.  

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

that in everything he might be preeminent.  

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  

and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether on earth or in heaven, 

making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)