The self-existence of God is also an attribute that helps us understand the character and works of Christ. The end of the Gospel is to bring eternal life to those who believe and are His bride. But how can this be true if Christ is not life itself? John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” It is crystal clear from this text that the Word never had a beginning and was before the beginning because in the beginning He already was. When we ask where all things came from, we know that it is from the Word. All things that have being came into being through Him and “apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” He has to be in some way self-existent and self-sufficient to bring all things that have being into being. We see from Hebrews 1:3 that “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Not only did He bring all things that have being into being, He upholds all things as well.
The self-existence of God is also an attribute that helps us understand the character and works of Christ. The end of the Gospel is to bring eternal life to those who believe and are His bride. But how can this be true if Christ is not life itself? John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” It is crystal clear from this text that the Word never had a beginning and was before the beginning because in the beginning He already was. When we ask where all things came from, we know that it is from the Word. All things that have being came into being through Him and “apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” He has to be in some way self-existent and self-sufficient to bring all things that have being into being. We see from Hebrews 1:3 that “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Not only did He bring all things that have being into being, He upholds all things as well.
We can try to imagine what heaven would be like without a Being who is life itself. Would heaven indeed be eternal and full of joy if there is no self-existent and self-sufficient One who upholds all things? Where is all that joy to come from? Where is the love to come from? Where is life for eternity to come from? All are upheld in His hands for eternity only because He has the power of life in Himself. John 8:58 tells us that “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”” Here the “I am” is a clear reference to His self-existence nature and the one who was the “I AM” before Abraham was born which is really another way of saying John 5:26: “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.” The Son has life itself in Him which is the very power of life. He is not just alive, but He is life itself.
The above verses and the concept that in His divine nature Christ is self-existent and self-sufficient explains in some way how the following verses can be true. “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). He who is eternal life or He who is self-existent and self-sufficient can give life as He pleases. He who is life knows that no one can ever snatch His people out of His hand for who can take people out of the hand of the One who is life and upholds all things at every moment? “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”” (John 11:25-26). Christ was claiming not only that He had the power of life, but that He was and is life itself. Those who are united to Him by faith and have His life in them will never die because of the power of life itself that Christ has and is. No one can take life from Him who is life.
This power of being life also is of great comfort in other ways. Jesus Christ who is life itself took human flesh to Himself in order to die. Life itself died in order that His people would not die but have life. But how can sinners be so sure that they will always be in heaven? Because of this: “And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life (Heb 7:15-16). Those who have Christ have One as Priest and even a priest forever according to the power of an indestructible life. Their Priest and Representative will never die but will always represent them. Verses 24-25 go on to say: “but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” In other words, the very nature of salvation and the eternal nature of it rest on the self-existence and self-sufficiency of God. People will never need to stop drawing near to God and so they need one with the power of life to go to God through. People will always need a High Priest that they can make intercession through, so they need One with the power of life to do so.
Revelation 1 sets out the teaching of the self-existence of Christ too. “17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Jesus Christ is the living One and He is alive forevermore. He alone has the keys of death because He is life and has defeated death. How vital it is that our Savior and intercessor be the self-existent One. It is life itself.
God Loves... Himself 
Leave a comment