This time the meditation will be on the connection self-existence has with the other attributes. When man tries to imagine a Being (God) that exists in and of Himself and is self-sufficient with no need, man cannot really comprehend what he apprehends. This should leave us in full worship mode. We know enough to know that we are on the edge of infinity and glory and we just worship and adore. The self-existence of God means that He is an eternal Being. He never came into being and will never stop being, He is the I AM. Only a Being who is self-existent could be eternal in the true sense of the word. He is the very essence and power of life.
Self-existence is needful for God to be omnipotent (all-powerful). God does not have to rely on any other being or beings to express all the power He desires. He is self-sufficient and does not need anyone other than Himself to carry out all of His desires. What other source of power would God need? Where else could God obtain power other than from Himself and His own self-sufficiency? Without self-existence and self-sufficiency, God would need to obtain power from other beings or other sources. However, He needs nothing.
The teachings of Scripture on hell and wrath are truly frightening by themselves, but in light of His self-sufficiency this fear is heightened. Hebrews refers to God as a consuming fire (12:29), but if God is not self-sufficient He and His fire might go out. But hell will never be lacking for the fire of His wrath because God has all life and power within Himself. He is moved by Himself and is energized by Himself. He will never stop being wrathful on His enemies because He is moved by Himself. However, heaven will never stop being the ultimate place of love, joy, and real pleasure because of that same truth about God and His self-sufficiency. He will always be sufficient in and of Himself to be wrathful to the damned and the pleasure of those in heaven.
God is utterly supreme and sovereign over all of creation because of who He is. Acts 17 sets this out clearly in that God gives all every breath and that all live, move, and exist in Him. Imagine the glory of this great God from whom all things have their being moment by moment simply at His sovereign pleasure! Who in the world does puny little man think he is? Everything we have we have only received by the sheer mercy and/or grace of God. He can withhold our next breath and take us into eternity or He can sustain our being as long as He desires. What can man do to serve this great God? Nothing, absolutely nothing at all since He needs nothing at all within His glorious self-sufficiency. Psalm 50:12: “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.” What can man give to God that God has not already given to man? After all, the whole world is His and all that it contains. It is also true that nothing has come into being that the Word has not brought into being. Let us bow before the majesty of our self-existent God.
Will God ever run out of love, mercy, and grace? Is God moved by something within us to show love, mercy, and grace? No, God is moved by His own glory to show these things. So instead of man worrying about God running out of love, mercy, and grace, he can look to the self-existent and self-sufficient God of all love, mercy, and grace. God is love and there is simply nothing that can force Him to love. By definition mercy has to be moved by God without any obligation on His part or it becomes, at least in some sense, justice. If grace is to the undeserving and hell-deserving, then there is no obligation on God from man to show grace. It must all come from Him or it will be in some way from man. Obligation destroys grace and we know that God saves and displays grace to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph 1:5-6). So as a self-sufficient Being who loves Himself, God is moved by love for His own glory to show love, mercy, and grace. If God has set His love on a sinner to love and lavish him with grace, then that person can know that God will never stop loving him and will never run out of love. Why is that? Because God is love and all love comes from His self-existence and self-sufficiency. Sinful man should never think that he receives love and grace for anything that he does, but because God is being God. What utter dependence man has on this self-existent God of all glory, but those who love God do not want it any other way. He is the delight of their souls by grace.
God Loves... Himself 
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