God has no origin. That's precisely the truth. The concept of no-origin is what separates that which is God from that which isn't. Origin is a word that can only apply to things which have been created. When we are thinking of anything which has an origin we are not thinking of God. God is self-existent and aside from God nothing is self-caused.

You'll often here a kid question, "Where did God come from?", or "Who made God?" While their theology may be wrong their general understanding of creation is basically correct. Things exist because something or someone created it. However such a child does need to be told that God has no origins for He was not created. This will introduce a totally foreign idea which is hard for many to accept, as most people like to think of all things having a beginning.

The human mind, being created has a very hard time accepting the idea of the uncreated. We're not comfortable with something that is outside the circle of our regular thinking. The idea of there being a God who gives no account of His beginning, who does not have responsibility to anyone, is self existent, self dependent and self sufficient baffles our intellect.

Philosophy and science have never had a kind view of God because both practices are founded upon finding the cause of all things and are impatient to anything for which they cannot find it's cause.

We live in a country that is flooded with Bibles and churches, we are devoted to sharing God with others, yet many of us pass through life without ever stopping to ponder the thought of God's self existence. Few of us have ever taken a good look at God's revelation of Himself as "I AM".

We tend to spend more of our time thinking about insignificant things that apply only to this temporal life such as how to make our lives happier. Some may ask, "What good is it to me in this day and age to study the self-existence of God?" Because we are all the handiwork of God, all of our problems and their solutions are theological. The knowledge of the type of God to whom we belong is essential to a sound outlook on life. We can never really know who we are until we know something of the God of whose image we were created in. Therefore, the doctrine of God's self-existence isn't just dry theology but is part of understanding who we are in relation to Him.

For reasons unknown to us God created us to be honoured above all of His other creations and to be created in His image. The idea of being created in the image of God isn't just some pretty words that sounded good but is solid Biblical fact. It is a truth of great importance to the understanding of the Christian faith.

Man is a created being who in himself possesses nothing. Each moment, mankind is dependent upon the one who created him. The fact of God is necessary to the fact of man. Take God out of the picture and man doesn't exist. The fact that God is everything and man is nothing is the foundation upon which much of the Bible's teachings are built. Even the best that we do, is just a reflection of the one who created us.

Not only man, but everything that exists is continually dependent upon the creator for it's being and life.

John 1:1-3 (NIV)

One of the ways in which God's image is evident is our ability to make moral choice. The Bible teaches that man choose to be independent of God and confirmed this by intentionally disobeying His commands. This is what violated the intended relationship between man and God – the rejection of God's rule and authority.

God makes His claim to self-existence very clear when he reveals Himself to Moses claiming "I AM THAT I AM". Everything that God is can be qualified by that statement. Mankind are sinners because they challenge the selfhood of God in place for their own. Mankind views itself of being able to exist and operate totally independent of anything else. Some people may even openly confess the sovereignty of God with their mouths but their lives may still demonstrate a complete self-dependence. Maybe the authority of God just stretches as far as that person permits it. This person unknowingly is sharing the same heart and desire that Lucifer once had saying;

Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV)

Because man is born a rebel, it comes so naturally to reject the rule of God and we can easily not know we're doing it. Therefore a consistent fixation with self can be a very "natural" thing. He may be willing to share himself, or even sacrifice himself… but as long as it meets his desired end. Such a person would never take themselves off the throne. Not even for God.

One of my Bible School lecturers was very famous for his circle diagrams and because they illustrate what we're talking about, their fame now stretches to Mill Valley Ranch.

There are really three ways that our lives can be lived as illustrated above

1. Rule your own life and refuse to let God into your life at all
2. Have accepted God into your life but still keeping yourself as the King of your life
3. Give God his rightful place as ruler of your life and live a life devoted to serving Him

The main essence of sin is that we were created beings designed to worship before the throne of God but we elevate ourselves to sit on the throne and from that high position claim "I AM". However when confronted with the Gospel, the soul is confronted by the most Holy God and the conscience is convicted of it's shameful wrong. As Christ said of the Holy Spirit;

John 16:8-9 (NIV)

The earliest fulfilment of this was at Pentecost when after Peter had preached to the crowd.

Upon hearing the gospel, the mind has no choice but to face the challenge of "what shall we do?" The gospel demands a response. There is the realisation that we're sitting on a stolen throne. It can be a painful experience but one that leads to true repentance. However because of the self-confidence and self-centredness of many, they reject the gospel.

In a previous devotion on "Pursuing the Prize" we read a poem by Kierkegard from his book "Purity of heart is to will one thing". This is true of purity but the opposite idea "The essence of sin is to will one thing" is equally true. A life with one will to look after and please itself is the essence of sin.

Sins exist because sin exists. This is the basis for the idea of natural depravity. We're born sinners and can do nothing but sin. Even the best we can offer as an unsaved sinner is not acceptable to God. Only when one has a restored throne are his works pleasing to God. Good works motivated by a self-ruled life will never be pleasing to God. Good works motivated by the honour and worship to God bring Him much pleasure.

To save us completely, Christ must take away the old and place a new life within us. This can only be achieved by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul, as a man with a victorious life can write with confidence.

The concept of God's self-existent being is beyond what our minds can comprehend. Praise God that we worship a God who is infinitely greater than anything we could ever imagine. How amazing is it that not only does this God exist but that he wants us to know Him, be in a relationship with Him, having been created in His image and although we naturally reject Him, He extends abundant love to us.