In this message we examine something that we will never really be able to completely grasp — that there was never a time when God did not exist.
Teaching Notes:
Intro:
Theology = the study of God. Very difficult because God is infinite and incomprehensible. We are finite. He is wholly other than us.
Only way we can relate to God’s attributes is to think of something that we understand. Definition of Holiness: no sin. We understand sin. Definition of Eternal: no beginning and end. We understand beginning and ends.
Thomas Manton: “We know God as men born blind know the fire: they know that there is such a thing as fire, for they feel it warm them, but what it is they know not. So, that there is a God we know, but what He is we know little, and indeed we can never search Him out to perfection; a finite creature can never fully comprehend that which is infinite.”
Who is God? 1) A Person (called Father, Counselor, Friend, Shepherd – He, not it.) Not impersonal force; not floating cosmic computer. Has traits of person (thinks, feels, speaks, decides). 2) A Spirit: Jn.4:24. Invisible. God does not have body of man. Scripture says God sees, hears, smells. Yet God doesn’t have eyes, ears and nose. Anthropomorphisms. 3) A Unity: Deut.6:4. 4) A Trinity. We will study this later.
There are 3 Types of Beings: 1) those that had a beginning and will have an end (animals and plants). 2) Those that had a beginning and will have no end (men and angels). 3) He who had no beginning and will have no end (God).
1. God is Eternal:
Ex.3:14 – God lives in eternal now. Ps.90:2; Rev.1:8. Nothing future, nothing past. Doesn’t live in time. He created time and acts within it. 2Tim.1:9 NIV “before time began.”
Study of physics tells us matter, time and space all occur together. If no matter, no time. Time, therefore, does not have existence in itself, but, like the rest of creation, depends on God’s eternal being and power to keep it existing.
God’s own being does not have a succession of moments, but all is present. He is outside of time, and sees all of time at once. Illustration: little boy watching New Year’s Parade in New York City from street, then from top of building. 2Pet.3:8 In God’s perspective, any extremely long period of time is as if it just happened, and any very short period of time seems to God to last forever. It never ceases to be present in His consciousness. Thus, God sees and knows all events past, present, and future with equal vividness.
Will we ever be like God in this respect? As long as we are finite creatures, we will necessarily experience events one after another. Casting crowns (Rev.4:10) and tree of life yielding its fruit each month (22:2) imply succession of moments in heaven. We will experience eternal life not in an exact duplication of God’s attribute of eternity, but rather in a duration of time that will never end.
2. God is Self-Existent: Was a time when God dwelt alone. Was perfectly happy in the fellowship of the Godhead. No matter. No heaven, no earth, no angels, no universe. He has no origin. If something besides God brought God into existence, that thing would be God! He has always been. We can’t fathom this, because we are creatures, and everything we see or experience had a beginning.
3. God is Self-Sufficient: if God is self-existent, then depends on no one. All creation dependent for each moment of existence on Him. Acts 17:25; 5:26. Apart from God I cannot exist. Apart from me, God does exist. We are dependent, fragile. Can’t live w/o food, air & water. No one has power of being within himself. Our life lived between 2 hospitals. God different. Nothing caused Him. He is the Cause of all. He is not dependent, derived, or fragile. The only Totally Independent Being!
Application:
1) We Should Not Seek to Be Like God in this Respect: sin is seeking to be utterly independent of God. Following Lucifer’s example “I will be like the Most High” (Is.14:14). Sin so evil and ugly because rejecting our creaturehood & exalting self to be like God. Saying, “I don’t need God.” Faith and prayer demonstrate dependence on God. Sin and self-will demonstrate independence of God. Essence of Pride is to say to God “I don’t need You!” In some ways it is right for us to be like God (holiness, love). In this way it is Wrong! Must realize our place. We are creatures – not Creator. Will never be God!
2) Never Think That God Needs You To Make Himself Complete: God is perfectly complete in Himself: we can’t add to Him. Our ceasing to exist can’t diminish Him in any way. God is not growing or developing or becoming more complete. We can’t make Him any more complete than He is. God doesn’t need us! Before we existed, He was perfectly happy. Sometimes person thinks if only found right woman and got married, would be whole. God not like that! He loves us, but doesn’t need us. Didn’t create us to meet some unfulfilled need He had. Evangelist: God was lonely & wanted companionship so created man. But when man sinned, fellowship cut off. God had to send Jesus to save them from sin so fellowship could be restored. God is lonely and incomplete without you. No! That message lowers God and exalts man. Opposite of truth.
3) Never Think That God Needs You to Accomplish His Will: God can’t save them unless I preach or witness. Lu.19:40 “if these become silent, the stones will cry out.” Esther 4:14. If we refuse to serve, God will raise up someone else, and we lose the privilege of serving Him! We benefit from God; not Him from us.
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