From Himself
A bite-sized lesson in doctrine: 1 Concept, 2 Definitions, 3 Passages...
Welcome back to Theology Thursday!
Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox, Biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:
ONE concept explained
TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct
THREE Scripture passages to meditate on
Concept: Divine Aseity
God exists in and of Himself; He is self-existent. God is “a se” (Latin), meaning “from Himself.” God derives His being from nothing and no one. He depends upon nobody but Himself and, therefore, is absolute, self-sufficient, and perfectly immutable (unchanging). If He is the great “I Am”—the self-sufficient one, then He needs nothing and learns nothing. God is the truly autonomous one. “God is free as only God can be free who lives, moves, and has His being from Himself, through Himself, and for Himself.”1 In a culture where man seeks to be fully independent and self-sufficient, this reminds us that we are totally dependent upon God for our existence. Like the grass of the field, we are finite and weak; God is the only independent one who should be depended upon daily.
Definitions/Distinctions:
Incommunicable Attributes: Those characteristics that belong to God alone. These are often expressed as negations or ways that God is not like us or His creation.
Communicable Attributes: Those characteristics that may be attributed to both God and humans. The scriptures predicate certain characteristics of God that we also possess, but analogically, i.e., in a manner that upholds the creator/creature distinction.
Passages:
“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.”
John 5:26
“…nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things…”
Acts 17:25
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Psalm 90:1–2
Next week, we continue a series on the attributes of God.
For more on this, check out Kevin DeYoung’s animated explainer videos on the incommunicable attributes of God!
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Pastor Chuck Renny, from a lecture he gave at a conference I attended.
Doctrine of Aseity? Let's go, brother!!!