Dakota Community Church
August 21, 2011
Self-Sufficiency
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.
This morning we continue: “God’s Incommunicable Attributes” with a look at His self-sufficiency.
The $10 theological word that describes God’s self-sufficiency is aseity.
From the Latin ‘a se’ which means ‘from or by himself’
Big theological words can be discouraging even turn-offs that leave a foul taste in our mouths. Who are we trying to impress anyway?
Most of us use technical words in our various lines of work so why do we get turned off by difficult theological words?
Why even bother with this kind of teaching? It doesn’t help me with my financial struggles? It has no effect on my parenting skills? It isn’t helping me to determine the date of Jesus’ return!
In theology mistakes happen when we project the conditions and limits of our finite existence onto God. These doctrinal lessons stand against that. We impoverish ourselves by embracing an idea of God that is too small.
It is vital for spiritual health to believe and know that God is great!
Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Grasping the truth of God’s aseity; His self-sufficiency, is a huge part of doing this.
We have already stated that it is our desire to boast only in knowledge and understanding of God so why do we distain this kind of education?
We need to develop an appetite for understanding these things!
God’s aseity or self sufficiency means that He does not need any part of creation in order to exist. God is absolutely independent and self-sufficient in and of his own existence.
Acts 17:24-25
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
God is self-existent, God has always been...Our Maker exists in an eternal, self-sustaining, necessary way, necessary, that is, in the sense that God does not have it in Him to go out of existence, just as we do not have it in us to live forever. We necessarily age and die, because it is our present nature to do that; God necessarily continues forever unchanged, because it is His eternal nature to do that. - J.I. Packer Concise Theology
Self-sufficiency means that:
1. God is Self-Existent
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God…
There was a time, though "time" is not the right word, when God, in the unity of His nature “One” subsisting equally in three Divine Persons, dwelt all alone.
There was as yet no heaven, where His glory is now manifested; He had not created it yet.
There was no earth to engage His attention.
There were no angels singing His praise; no universe to be upheld “by the power of His word.
There was nothing and no one, but God; not for a day, a year, or an age, but "from everlasting."
During eternity past, God was alone: self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied; in need of nothing.
If a universe, angels, or human beings had been needed by Him in any way, they also would have been called into existence from all eternity.
The creating of them added nothing to God.
2. God is Self-Attesting
God’s knowledge is complete in Himself and He presents truth that comes only from Himself.
What He knows is real and true. He looks to no one else to inform His understanding or to guide Him in what is true or false.
God has no need of others to provide him with knowledge.
As men we search for ultimate truth. We probe religious and secular authority.
We examine and analyze our experiences and circumstances diving to the depths of our ability to reason; however, truth is found only in God.
So easily we become proud and puffed up imagining how we would like to stand before God and tell Him a thing or two.
In our minds we imagine that we have some points that would surprise God, some views about how wrong He is about certain things, holding us to one plan of salvation, threatening those who do not bow with horrible punishment – who does He think He is?
With these things in mind consider these chapters from the book of Job:
Job 38:1-7
Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Job 40:1-14
The LORD said to Job:
“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
Then Job answered the LORD:
“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer - twice, but I will say no more.”
Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:
“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his? Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.
Job 42:1-6
Then Job replied to the LORD:
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
God does not require outside input – He is self-sufficient in knowledge
3. God is Self-Justifying
God serves has His own measure of righteousness. He alone determines good and evil, right and wrong. I used this verse last week but it suits this point well.
Romans 11:34-36
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
We must distinguish between God’s needing to do things a certain way and his choosing to do things a certain way.
Did God have to create us?
Did God have to save us?
Does God need us to spread the Gospel, or could He speak directly?
Matthew 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Exodus 3:2-6
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
God is self justifying
Is the Holy Spirit a gentleman?
Acts 9:3-9
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Conclusion:
In conclusion; what should be our response to the Self-Sufficiency (Aseity) of God?
A. A Sense of Complete Awe
B. A Sense of Utter Dependence
C. A Sense of Deepest Humility
D. A Sense of Ultimate Gratitude
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
Follow Dan Cormie on twitter: @DanCormie
