As the last entry on the self-existence of God I would like to look at the beauty and loveliness of this attribute. It is really the beauty and loveliness of an attribute that draws the heart out to wonder and admire the glory of God. For example, when Scripture says that God saves to “the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph 1:6), we can see that the purpose of salvation is so that the beauty of grace would be admired and delighted in. However, this is not that man can do this on his own power, but that God would save sinners and then open their eyes and hearts so that His glory would be in them in order to rejoice in His glory displayed. I believe that all attributes are to be delighted over in this manner. So we really glorify or manifest who God really is when He gives us an understanding of the beauty of an attribute through an action displayed in Christ and then we admire and praise it. In this way the glory of God is seen in and through man.
As the last entry on the self-existence of God I would like to look at the beauty and loveliness of this attribute. It is really the beauty and loveliness of an attribute that draws the heart out to wonder and admire the glory of God. For example, when Scripture says that God saves to “the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph 1:6), we can see that the purpose of salvation is so that the beauty of grace would be admired and delighted in. However, this is not that man can do this on his own power, but that God would save sinners and then open their eyes and hearts so that His glory would be in them in order to rejoice in His glory displayed. I believe that all attributes are to be delighted over in this manner. So we really glorify or manifest who God really is when He gives us an understanding of the beauty of an attribute through an action displayed in Christ and then we admire and praise it. In this way the glory of God is seen in and through man.
While we may not often think of things in particular ways, it does not deny that they are true. Genesis chapter one has become a battle ground between liberals and conservatives and between old earth versus young earth devotees. I would assert that those issues are important, but there is something far more important going on. God is displaying His self-existence and self-sufficiency through the text of Scripture. In one sense if the glory of God is seen in the text then liberalism is not even a possibility and the age of the earth takes on less importance. In Genesis chapter one we read the words “in the beginning.” Chills should flow up and down our spine as we meditate on the significance of this. There was a time when there was nothing but God. What kind of God was He? He was a God who could bring things from non-existence to existence or as Romans 4:17 puts it, “even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” God simply calls into being things which formerly did not exist. How is that for self-existence and self-sufficiency with a vengeance? This is what is meant by the words, “then God said.” Several times the text uses those words. What it means, however, is that God was calling things into being. When God calls, even things without existence spring into being.
When man walks outside, he can look up into the sky and behold the sun, moon, and stars which God called into existence. How did all that happen? Simply because God is self-existent and sufficient within Himself as life itself and He can call whatever He desires into existence. God called all the planets into existence. God called the trees and all plants into existence. God called all the animals into existence. Only He who called them into existence can uphold them in existence. In one sense, everything that has existence is declaring the self-existence of God every moment. This is an utterly beautiful and glorious aspect of God. The sun rises (so to speak) because of His faithfulness every morning. What is He faithful to? He is being faithful to His own glory and to His Son. The world cannot fail to end until King Jesus reigns over all of His enemies. So every morning the believer can know that the sun rises in one sense because of the self-sufficiency of God and the love God has for His own glory.
So the sun has been called into existence to shine forth the glory of God. Man can look at the sun and be amazed at how beautiful the sun is and how through the light of the sun all the other physical beauties of God can be seen. This is simply God calling into being one thing (sun) to give light so that His glory in other physical things could be seen. Look at how God has supplied animals and men with food. His self-sufficiency displays that He is sufficient to supply animals and men with what they need to live. The sun also teaches us of the spiritual light which Christ the Son gives us. Men must have Christ in order to see the glory of God in the spiritual realm.
Chapter one of Genesis and the rest of Scripture are all demonstrations of how God calls things into existence and sustains them each moment. He does this to display His glory and the love He has for His own glory. Therein is the true beauty of God and of true beauty in the world. Beauty is seen by symmetry, order, and delightfulness to the eyes of the mind and heart. In seeing how the whole world exhibits the glory of God in calling it into existence, man is to see true beauty in the self-existence of God. How lovely the symmetry and order are that He displays in creation. How truly beautiful it is to see the love He has for His own glory. How marvelously lovely it is to see God’s love for his Son in that the Father has given to the Son to have life in Himself and then come to earth and display and share that life with men. Remember, the Gospel is all about God giving eternal life to men which is really a sharing in His life which is all about living in joy and love within the Trinity. Will that life and love ever cease? No, the self-existent God lives in joy and love within Himself because that is life, even eternal life. This is far more beautiful than words can describe, but let our hearts delight in Him which is why we were created.
God Loves... Himself 
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