God is

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

God did not begin. God is.

This is expressed in the name God gave Moses, “I AM.” From it, comes the name YHWH (probably pronounced Yahweh). God uses or is given many names in Scripture, but this is the name God most seems to call “my name.” It is usually rendered in English Bibles as “the LORD” (as opposed to “Lord” which simply means sovereign or king) for historical reasons, but whenever you see it, remember that this is God’s self-designation and a statement of his nature.

It tells us that God is eternal. We already saw that something has to be eternal, uncaused, and that it has to be personal, powerful, and intelligent — so, God. Physics tells us that not just space but also time began, so God predates time. Before there was time, God simply is. So he created time, but it does not affect him. He is, however, aware of it. Millard Erickson tells us,

“The fact that God is not bound by time does not mean he is not conscious of the succession of points of time. He is aware that events occur in a particular order. Yet he is equally aware of all points of that order simultaneously. This transcendence over time has been likened to a person who sits on a tall building while he watches a parade. He sees all parts of the parade at the different points on the route rather than only what is going past him at the moment.”¹

Because God is timeless, he is unchanging. This is good news for us. God does not have moods. His character will not change. God does not reconsider his plans; his promises will not change. We can be confident that the promises he made 2000 years ago are still valid today and will be forever. God does not break his word because he does not change. We can trust him completely.

If God cannot change, he cannot learn. And if he sees all time at once, then he cannot be surprised by anything. God is all-knowing. One of my favorite passages in Scripture is during Moses’ call by God. He does not want to be God’s spokesman; he doesn’t think he can. God wants him and is angry with his doubt and fear. But he allows Moses to speak through his brother Aaron who is “already on his way to meet you” (Ex 4:14). God is not pleased by our sin, but he is never surprised by it. We can take comfort in the fact that our failures will never derail his plans.

Finally, God’s eternality, his self-existence, means that he is totally self-sufficient. This means he cannot be manipulated, nor can he be tempted. He does not lack anything, so there is nothing to tempt or persuade him.

This also means God does not need us. He did not create humans (or angels) because he was lonely. The Trinity was totally complete in their perfect love and companionship. God created us because he wanted us, but he certainly did not need us. He does not need our love, our faith, or our worship. God is complete in himself. As Jen Wilkin put it, “God has never and will never declare his need for us. It is for us to say, ‘I need thee every hour.’ It is for him to say, ‘I AM.’”

We should be glad we have a God who is not so weak as to need us. That makes his desire for us so much grander. Because he wants us, he will take care of us. I love the Tenth Avenue North song “Control.” Part of the chorus says,

God You don't need me
But somehow You want me
Oh how You love me
Somehow that frees me
To open my hands up
And give You control²

We should be willing to give up control to the God who steers galaxies and loves us deeply.

How do we respond to the God who is? I’ll let Jen Wilkin answer:

“Only God is self-sufficient. Only God has no needs. You have them, and so does your neighbor. Be quick to praise God for how unlike you he is in this. Be quick to confess to him your tendency to trust your own resources rather than acknowledge him as your provider. Be quick to confess your needs to him and ask him to meet them. Not only that, but be quick to ask for help from others, and to receive it graciously when it is given. Be quick to offer to meet the needs of others before they have a chance to ask, including those outside the family of God.”


For more on this topic, I recommend Jen Wilkins’ None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing)

1) “The Greatness of God” in Introducing Christian Doctrine
2) “Control” written by Jason Ingram and Matthew Bronleewe


Part of Christianity 101