the self-existence of god

     Children sometimes ask, "Who made God?"  The clearest answer is that God never needed to made, because He was always there.  He exists in a different way from us:  we exist in a derived, finite, and fragile way, but our Creator exists as eternal, self-sustaining, and necessary.  His existence is necessary in the sense that there is no possibility in Him of ceasing to exist.
     God's self-existence is a basic truth.  In his presentation of the "unknown God" to the Athenians, Paul explained that the Creator of the world is not "served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:25).  The Creator has life in Himself and draws His unending energy from Himself, needing nothing.  The independent self-existence of God is a truth stated clearly in the Bible (Ps. 90:1-4; 102:25-27; Is. 40:28-31; John 5:26; Rev. 4:10).
     In theology, many errors result from supposing that the conditions and limits of our own finite existence apply to God.  In the life of faith wed can too easily impoverish ourselves by embracing an idea of God that is limited and small.  The doctrine of His self-existence is a bulwark and defense against such mistakes.  The principle that God exists from Himself alone distinguishes Him from every creature and is a foundation of our thinking about Him.  Knowing that God's existence is independent protects our understanding of His greatness, and so has clear practical value for our spiritual health.