God's Independence

Definition: God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify Him and bring Him joy.

Paul states in Act 17:24-25- "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands as though he needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."
The implication being that God does not need anything from mankind.

Job 41:11 - the Lord says; "Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine."
Implying that there is nothing that we or anyone has ever created that does not go back to God first creating it.

Many think that God made human beings because He was lonely and needed the fellowship. If this were true then God would not longer be completely independent, because He need fellowship, and therefore said to the incomplete Trinity, let's make some rebellious, men and women that will constantly defile and blaspheme our Name.

Scripture however is going to tell us a different story, John 17:5 - during Jesus' prayer to the Father cries out; "glorify me in Your presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed." John 17:24 also says, "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, may be with me where I am, to see My glory that you have given me because You loved me, before the foundation of the world."

Wayne Grudem says it like this. "Theses passages indicate explicitly what we can learn elsewhere from the doctrine of the Trinity, namely, that among the persons of the Trinity there has been perfect love and fellowship and communication for all eternity." The Trinity, God 3 in one, means that there was no lack in the Godhead, there is no incompleteness, but rather the Trinity exists fully fulfilled and with infinite joy and glory that is given freely to each member of the Trinity.

God's independence is also seen in the burning bush, He tells Moses in Exodus 3:14- " I am who I am." God has always been, He has never not been, and He is self-existent, no one created Him, but He lives, He is totally unique from anything else that we know.

Some would say then are we important at all. To that I would say that we are in fact extremely important to God, He created us and He determined that we would be important and meaningful. It is something that we should delight ourselves in and why we strive to serve Him, love others, be a blessing to those that God has placed in our lives.

Isaiah 62:3-5 serves as a great reminder: "You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord; and a royal diadem in the hand of God. You shall no more to termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My delight is in her, adn your land Married; for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married... as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride so shall your God rejoice over you."

It is when we realize that God is complete, that He is in need of nothing, and there is nothing that I could offer that He could ever be in want of, that my life becomes about Him, rejoicing in a huge God that is not defined by man's definitions or thoughts, but He exists to bring Himself glory and that He has created me, that I may delight in Him.

Rejoice in a God that is in need of no thing, and is creator of all things.

LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE

Immensely grateful to Wayne Grudem for helping me understand this beautiful attribute.