Let’s recap the first two life-changing truths about God…
- God is CREATOR
- God is ETERNAL
Today, we’ll tackle truth three and four.
LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH #3
GOD IS SELF-SUFFICIENT AND INDEPENDENT
We’re the opposite. We’re DEPENDENT. We need air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat… and Jeni’s ice cream to enjoy. Without air, water and food, we’re complete goners. Without Jeni’s ice cream, we don’t understand what heaven will be like. (Trust me, you have to try it for yourself.)
God, on the other hand, is SELF-SUFFICIENT and INDEPENDENT. He doesn’t need or depend on anyone or anything outside Himself for anything. [1]
Isaiah 43:10 speaks of the self-existence, self-sufficiency and independence of God.
But you are my witnesses.” God’s Decree. “You’re my handpicked servant so that you’ll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me.
I, yes I, am God. I’m the only Savior there is.
“I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you’re my witnesses, you’re the evidence.”
God’s Decree.
“Yes, I am God. I’ve always been God and I always will be God.
No one can take anything from me. I make; who can unmake it?”
—Isa 43:10-13 MSG
God is by definition self-existent and self-sufficient. He isn’t dependent upon anyone or anything. He has life in Himself and draws His unending energy from Himself.
Paul described it this way in his incredible sermon at Mars Hill recorded in Acts 17:
“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him…” —Acts 17:24-27 MSG
God doesn’t need us, but we need Him.
In fact, we’re completely dependent on and desperate for Him. Everything that exists — including you and me — depends on God for its existence. And, because God is self-existent, self-sufficient and independent we can trust Him to meet our needs.
He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.” —Acts 17:25 NLT
LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH #4
GOD IS PRESENT.
The theological word is omnipresent. It means that God is present everywhere with His whole being at all times!
Regardless of how awesome your Mom is or was, she can / could only be in one place at one time. At times you may have thought she was omnipresent, but she’s not! Neither are you. Neither am I.
God, on the other hand, because He is Spirit, is present at every point of space with His whole being at all times. That’s what omnipresent means.
God isn’t spread out like a thin layer of peanut butter all over the world. Right now… as you read this… all of God — not just an aspect or thin layer of Him — is present in Birmingham, Alabama; and, at the very same time, all of God is present in Baltimore, Maryland; and, at the same time, all of God is present in Bali, Indonesia; and, at the same time, all of God is present in the Baltic States… We could keep going!
In Jeremiah 23:23-24 God asks a great question…
“Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. 24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. —Jeremiah 23:23-24 NLT
This is the thought that captivated David when he wrote Psalm 139:
I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. —Psalm 139:7-10 NLT
God’s OMNIPRESENCE is what makes possible a promise that shows up at least FOUR TIMES in the Bible, where God says this to you and me.
“…I will never leave you or forsake you…”
—Deut 31:6, 8; Josh 1:5; Heb 13:5
God’s omnipresence means that He is with us! He doesn’t leave us. He won’t forsake us.
When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to Joseph in a dream in Matthew 1, He quoted an ancient prophecy found in the book of Isaiah 7:14.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” —Isa 7:14 (Cf Matt 1:23)
John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Church. He was an incredible man. One of his biographers writes that during his life Wesley usually traveled on horseback and preached two or three times a day. He died when he was 88 years old. Over the course of his life he rode more than 250,000 miles and preached 40,000 sermons.
The last words he said as he died were these: “The best of all is, God is with us. The best of all is, God is with us.”
“The best of all is, God is with us.“
Wesley died with those words on his lips!
God is PRESENT!
He is with US!
He is with ME!
He is with YOU!
HE NEVER LEAVES.
[1] John MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine, Kindle Edition, Location 4587 of 34425.