How is God different from us?

Self- Existent- Aseity

Psalm 90:2 ESV

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Everything had to come from somewhere.

All of creation needs a source, an unmade maker.

This is a defining thing about our God, there is nothing that He needs, because He is the origin and sustainer of life.

The world continues to tick because of Him who holds it together.

God doesn’t need us, because He is perfect without us.

This makes a relationship with Him even more special, because though He doesn’t need us, God has still chosen to love us.

Transcendence- limitless, immutable, and simple

Limitless-

Not confined by space and time. God being Spirit is not contained solely in a temple or any one person, and Him being eternal means that He is not locked in to any one moment of time.

Immutable-

Numbers 23:19 ESV

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Simple-

Every Act of God is perfectly loving, wrathful, just, merciful, holy

Omniscient and Sovereignty

Isaiah 46:1–11 ESV

Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts. They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

God knows all, because He has declared all. There is nothing that escapes His sight or will.

Why does this matter?

Is it strange to think that God doesn’t change? How can this be encouraging?

Everything God does is perfect in every way. This is God’s simplicity. How can it change our view of life, when we see that everything God does is perfect in love, wrath, mercy, etc?

How does God knowing and planning everything impact how you live? Is it encouraging or kind of scary to think about?