The Aseity of God

Day 1

God is Entirely Self-Existent and Self-Sufficient


Exodus 3:13-15

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.


The greatest distinction between the Creator and His creation is that of needs. As humans, we need air, water, food, shelter, safety, sleep, and clothing just to survive. God is not like this; God has no need. 


Since we constantly have needs, this is a strange truth to think about, but it is an incredibly comforting one. God having no need means He is entirely self-existent and self-sufficient. He does not rely on anything or anyone else for His existence! There is no one like God who has the power to carry out His will as He pleases (Isaiah 46:9). 


God does not owe His being to anything else. He is “the uncaused Cause and uncreated Creator.” God originated and sustains everything that exists (Job 38-40, Psalm 90:2,  John 1:1-5, Romans 11:36, Colossians 1:15-17). As 16th and 17th-century theologian Matthew Henry wrote, “All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon Him.”


When Moses asked God what name he should give the Israelites when they ask what to call Him, God answered, “I AM WHO I AM.” God's name,  “I AM,” embodies His 1) eternality and 2) immutability. In simpler terms, 1) God has no beginning or end, and 2) God’s character does not change. We will return to these essential truths throughout this devotional as it should give us great confidence in God! 


Reflect: How does knowing that God does not need us or anything else affect your view of God? Does it exemplify His power? Does it magnify His love for His creation? 


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Knowing that God does not need us or anything else is quite humbling. It forces us to recognize that our life is not about us (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). All of creation was made not out of any need God had but to proclaim His glory (Psalm 19:1-2). It breaks our pride, reorienting our minds on the glory of God, not the glory of self. 


Furthermore, this doctrine exemplifies the power of God, the only One with the power to create the world out of nothing. Lastly, it gives a greater understanding of the love of God. In Psalm 8:4-6 David writes, “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Though He does not need us, God is mindful of us, knowing how we are weak (Psalm 103:13-14). 


Knowing of God’s aseity humbles us, shifts our perspective on bringing Him glory, and magnifies His power and goodness. 


Today’s big words:


Day 2 link here!