God's Being

Introduction

“Last time, we considered the question, ‘Did God exist before time?’ We saw from Scripture that before anything was, God already was.”

“We established that God is not part of creation or time; He stands above both as their Maker.”

B. Transition to today’s focus

“If God exists before time, the next question is, ‘What kind of existence does God have? What is God in Himself?’”

“This is what theologians call Theology Proper—the study of God’s nature, His being.”

C. Purpose and pastoral aim

“We are not doing this to satisfy curiosity; we are doing it so that our theology leads to doxology—so that knowing God’s being will lead us to worship and trust Him more deeply.”

“God commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind; that means we must think rightly about who He is.”

D. Big idea

Because God is the eternal, self-existent, spiritual, unchanging, and incomparable One, we must know Him reverently, worship Him rightly, and trust Him fully.

I. God simply is (His self-existence)

A. The name “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14)

Exodus 3:14 KJV 1900

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

God does not say, “I was,” or “I will be,” but “I AM,” indicating absolute, underived existence.

His name reveals that His existence is not borrowed, caused, or sustained by anyone or anything else.

B. God’s being is from Himself

Every creature can say, “I exist, but I have my existence from God.”

Only God can say, “I AM,” without reference to another; His existence is necessary, not optional.

C. Implications for us

We are dependent; He is independent. We are contingent; He is necessary.

Therefore, we must approach Him in humility, not as if He were merely a bigger version of us, but as the One who simply and necessarily is.

Transition: “If God simply is, then we should not be surprised to learn that His being is not limited by time at all.”

II. God is eternal in His being

A. God’s eternity in Scripture

Psalm 90:2 – “From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”

1 Timothy 1:17 –17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

B. What God’s eternity means

God has no beginning: there was never a time when God was not.

God has no end: there will never be a time when God will cease to be.

God is not bound by succession of moments as we are; He sees the end from the beginning.

C. Contrast with creation and time

Time is a created reality; God is not trapped inside the timeline He made.

Our lives are like a vapor, but God’s existence is like an unending, all-at-once present.

D. Application

Because God is eternal, He is never surprised, never late, and never caught off guard.

We can trust His promises, knowing that the One who made them will still be there when they are fulfilled.

Transition: “So God simply is, and He is eternally so. But what is the nature of this eternal existence? Scripture tells us, ‘God is Spirit.’”

III. God is Spirit (His spiritual being)

A. The statement of Christ (John 4:24

John 4:24 KJV 1900

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Jesus bases the manner of acceptable worship on the nature of God Himself.

B. What it means that God is Spirit

God is not material; He does not have a body made of parts or atoms.

God is invisible, living, personal, and active, yet not confined to space as we are.

His being is not composed of pieces that can be added or taken away; He is simple and indivisible.

C. How this shapes our worship

Worship is not about location or outward form first; it is about the heart and truth.

We must not reduce God to images, idols, or merely physical rituals that ignore His spiritual nature.

D. Application

Because God is Spirit, He is always near—no walls or distances can keep Him from His people.

This should comfort us in prayer and challenge us about hypocrisy—He sees and knows the inner man.

Transition: “If God is eternally self-existent Spirit, then He is not slowly becoming better or worse. His being is not developing. That leads us to another vital truth.”

IV. God is unchanging in His being (His immutability)

A. God’s unchanging nature

When Scripture says God does not change, it means His being, character, and perfections are always the same.

He does not grow, improve, decline, or adjust His essence to fit the times.

B. Why this must be true

A being who changes is either becoming more perfect or less perfect; either way, he was not absolutely perfect to begin with.

The true God is infinitely perfect; therefore, His being cannot be subject to increase or decrease.

C. Apparent changes in Scripture

God’s dealings with men change (different covenants, different economies), but His character and purposes remain consistent.

From eternity past to eternity future, His holiness, love, justice, and wisdom remain constant, even as revelation progresses.

D. Application

God’s unchanging being is the anchor of His promises; He will not be a different God tomorrow than He is today.

When everything else in life shifts—relationships, health, circumstances—we rest in the God whose being does not change.

Transition: “So God is the self-existent, eternal, spiritual, and unchanging One. But Scripture goes even further: it tells us there is none like Him.”

V. God is incomparable in His being

A. “There is none like unto the Lord”

Throughout Scripture, God challenges idols and false gods: ‘To whom then will ye liken Me?’

He is not merely the highest among many; He is in a category all His own.

B. Creator–creature distinction

Everything else that exists is created; God alone is uncreated.

Every analogy we use for God—father, shepherd, rock—helps us, but each one ultimately breaks down because God is infinitely above His creation.

C. Guarding our thoughts about God

We must resist the temptation to drag God down to our level, making Him just a slightly bigger, stronger version of us.

True theology keeps the distance clear: He is God; we are not. This is part of thinking rightly about God with our minds, as the lecture urges.

D. Application

Because God is incomparable, He alone deserves our ultimate fear, loyalty, and worship.

We must not treat His name, His worship, or His Word casually; we are dealing with the One of whom there is no equal.

Transition: “If this is who God is in His being, then these truths cannot remain on the shelf of our minds; they must move into our hearts and lives.”

VI. God’s being calls for our response

A. We must know Him reverently

Theology is not an optional hobby for a few scholars; it is the Christian’s calling to think rightly about God based on His revelation.

The goal of theology, the lecture reminds us, is not merely information but worship, life, and ministry for the glory of God.

B. We must worship Him rightly

Because God is Spirit, our worship must be in spirit and in truth—heartfelt and biblical.

Because God is eternal, self-existent, and unchanging, our worship must be reverent, not flippant; God is not our equal.

C. We must trust Him fully

His eternal, unchanging being means that His promises do not expire and His character does not shift with culture.

When we struggle with fear, doubt, or instability, the answer is not to look more deeply into ourselves, but to look steadily at who God is.

D. We must live before Him consciously

A God who simply is, who is Spirit and is present, who never changes and has no equal, is the God before whom we live every moment.

These truths should shape our preaching, counseling, leadership, and all practical theology, just as the course material insists that theology is meant to affect worship and life.

Conclusion

A. Summarize

“Tonight we have not tried to say everything that can be said about God, but we have tried to say this: God simply is—self-existent, eternal, spiritual, unchanging, and incomparable.”

“We are finite, fragile, changing creatures; He is the infinite, eternal, unchangeable God.”

B. Appeal

To believers: “Will you let these truths steady your heart this week? Will you worship and serve God as He truly is, not as you might imagine Him to be?”

To unbelievers (if applicable): “The God whose being we have described tonight is the same God who sent His Son to save sinners. The eternal, unchanging God offers you salvation in Christ. Will you turn to Him?”

C. Closing prayer focus

Ask God to deepen the congregation’s reverence, correct their thoughts of Him where needed, and turn their theology into heartfelt doxology.