God – Spirit, Self Existent, Transcendent

Psalms 139:1-6
LORD, Thou hast searched me and known me. 2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. 3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all.

God – There is only one true God who exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are equal in divine perfection, coeternal, and execute distinct but harmonious offices. God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is Holy, sovereign, and personal. God knows all things, is everywhere present, and is all-powerful. God is love, gracious and merciful, and in everyway good. God is spirit, self-existent, and transcendent. Being the Creator of all things, it is in Him that we live and move and exist. (Gen 1:1,26-27, Ex 34:6-7, Lev 11:44, Isaiah 9:6, 44:8, 45:5, Jer 23:23-24, Dan 4:35, Matt 3:16-17, John 4:24, Acts 17:24-28, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Tim 1:15-16, 1 John 3:20, 4:8, Rev 4:11)

God is spirit, self-existent, and transcendent. Being the Creator of all things, it is in Him that we live and move and exist.  –

God is spirit – To say that God is spirit is to speak of the essence of His being. This is a difficult concept for us as most of the things in the creation that we see have a physical nature. Not so with God! He is spirit. This is to say that He does not have a physical body or physical attributes. God therefore is a being that is not made of any matter, and is unable to be perceived by our bodily senses. We should not think of God as having size or dimensions, even infinite ones as we sometimes try to describe Him with. Since God is a spiritual being, He is in a realm beyond our own, and it is a kind of existence which is far superior to our material existence. God has the ability to act within the material universe, but we have no ability to act in the immaterial.

John 4:24 – 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NASB

God is self-existent – This is to say that God exists apart from the power or influence of any other being, force, or circumstance. The Lord is the creator of all things. More than that, it is he who defines the meaning, purpose and value of all things. He is the very source of life and everything in the entire creation is dependent on him, and He alone controls the destiny of His own creatures. God is sovereign in His creation, setting the limits of life and freedom for His creatures. He has no beginning or end, rather He is the beginning and the end. He is literally the source of all things, He is dependent on nothing, and his power and authority is the highest of all. He is not dependent upon His creatures for happiness or any other thing. If God is the source of life, He therefore transcends it, and the dimension in which it exists. God is eternally self-dependent. The creation of angels and men added nothing to God, for He existed billions and trillions of years (eternally) prior to their creation. He was perfectly blessed in Himself before the first creature was ever called in to being.

Acts 17:24-25 – 24 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; NAS

Col 1:16-18 – 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities —  all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  NASB

God being Eternal is “before all things.” He has always existed. He has neither beginning of days nor end of life. (Heb 7:3) He always was, is now and always will be. Because of this truth, God stands alone like no other being in the universe, “Who is like unto Thee Oh Lord?” (Ex 15:11). He transcends the limits of time. The scripture affirms that “heaven and earth will pass away,” but God will remain forever.

Psalms 102:12,25-28 – 2 But Thou, O LORD, dost abide forever; And Thy name to all generations. 25 "Of old Thou didst found the earth; And the heavens are the work of Thy hands. 26 "Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing Thou wilt change them, and they will be changed. 27 "But Thou art the same, And Thy years will not come to an end. 28 "The children of Thy servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before Thee." NAS

God is transcendent  – This is to say that God is surpassing the limits of the created universe. He is above and beyond all that is. To transcend is to rise above, it is to go beyond, it is to exceed and to surpass. This accurately describes God, but can be said about no other being. He alone is transcendent in the ultimate sense. The word transcendent is defined as “of surpassing excellence, superior and supreme worth and ability, outside of the limits of human knowledge, of such a nature that it cannot be realized in experience.” These words therefore describe God. For instance consider that God’s omniscience states that He transcends time, having a perfect and complete knowledge of future events. Not only does He surpass all the physical limits of the universe, but He even surpasses the spiritual limits of things, such as our thoughts and feelings, so it is said that He knows our words before they are even on our lips.

Psalms 139:1-6 –  LORD, Thou hast searched me and known me. 2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. 3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all. 5 Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. NASB

God is therefore transcendent!

Being the Creator of all things – The Bible clearly states that God is the creator of all things. (Gen 1:1, Ex 20:11) We see very clearly all the members of the Trinity involved in the creation. If He is the creator of all things, then He is the rightful owner, proprietor, and possessor of all beings, power and dominion. When considered, this truth alone should produce an holy awe in us. God began from nothing created everything just as He saw fit. The vast limits of the galaxies were spoken into existence by the Almighty power of God.

Hebrews 11:3 – 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. NASB

If then God is the creator, He is also the owner or possessor of everything. It is therefore self evident that everything exists FOR God. If things were created by Him, then they are also created for Him. This the Bible affirms again and again.

1 Cor 8:6-6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom  are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. NAS

Col 1:16- 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities —  all things have been created by Him and for Him. NASB
We exists for the purposes of God. God has “sovereign prerogative” over everything that exists.

Romans 9:21 – 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump on vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? NASB
Since God created the universe out of nothing, it is His and will always serve His purpose. As He shaped creation without any interference from anyone, He will bring creation to its desired end. No power can frustrate God in His purpose to complete the process started in creation and revealed in Scripture.

God, it is in Him that we live and move and exist. – It is God who gives life and breathe and everything else for all to richly enjoy. The entire creation is absolutely dependent on God for its existence. Both calamity and well-being come from the Lord. It is God who ultimately determines the events of the day. Nothing happens unless He allows it. The Lord even feeds and clothes His enemies, giving them day by day the opportunity to turn away from their sins in repentance. No one lives unless God permits, and no one dies unless God permits.

Exodus 4:11 – 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?NIV

Deut 32:39 – 39’See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. NAS

Isa 45:6-7 – That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other,  7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. NAS

1 Sam 2:6-8 – 6 "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 "The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 "He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. NAS

All of the beings in creation are therefore dependent upon God. He is the provider and sustainer of life. God literally sustains everything in heaven and earth, this is what we call Providence.  He determines the weather and the seasons, the rising and falling of nations and kings, indeed the entire creation is under the rule of His sovereign hand.

Job 34:14-15 – 14 If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, 15 all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.  NIV

Job 37:5-12 – 5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. 6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ 7 So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.  8 The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. 9 The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds. 10 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. 12 At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.

God alone determines the length of our days(Job 14:5), the measure of personal freedom that we possess and even the amount of wealth and prosperity that we have is determined by God.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 – 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. NASB

We therefore live and move and have our being because of and for God and His purposes!

Romans 11:33-36 – 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. NASB