RD 12 - THE SELF-EXISTENCE OF GOD

By: R. C. Sproul

When the Bible declares that God is the Creator of the universe it indicates that God Himself is not created. There is a crucial distinction between the Creator and the creation. The creation bears the stamp of the Creator and witness to His lory. But the creation is never to be worshipped. !t is not supreme. !t is impossible for somethin to create itself. The concept of self"creation is a contradiction in terms# a nonsense statement. ! as$ the reader to pause and reflect a bit. %othin can be self"created. %ot even God can ma$e Himself. &or God to create Himself He would have to be before He is. 'ven God can(t do that. 'very effect must have a cause. That is true by definition. But God is not an effect. He has no be innin and therefore no antecedent cause. He is eternal. He always was or is. He has# within Himself# the power of bein . He re)uires no assistance from outside sources to continue to e*ist. This is what is meant by the idea of self-existent. Granted# it is a lofty and awesome concept. We $now of nothin else )uite li$e it. 'verythin we perceive in our frame of reference is dependent and creaturely. We can(t fully comprehend anythin as self"e*istent. But +ust because it is impossible ,by definition- that a creature to be self"e*istent does not mean it is impossible for the Creator to be self"e*istent. God# li$e us# cannot be self"created. But God# unli$e us# can be self"e*istent. !ndeed# this is the very essence of the difference between the Creator and creation. This is what ma$es Him the Supreme Bein and the source of all other bein s. The concept of self"e*istence violates no law of reason# lo ic# or science. !t is rationally valid notion. By contrast# the concept of self"creation violates the most basic law of reason# lo ic# and science .. the law of non"contradiction. Self"e*istence is rational/ self"creation is irrational. The notion of somethin bein self"e*istent is not only rationally possible# it is rationally necessary. 0 ain# reason demands that if anythin is# then somethin must have# within itself# the power of bein . 1therwise# there would be nothin . 2nless somethin e*isted in itself# nothin could possibly e*ist at all. 3erhaps# the oldest and deepest )uestion of all is# why is there somethin rather than nothin 4 0 necessary answer to at least part of the )uestion is because God e*ists. God e*ists in Himself eternally. He is the source and fountainhead of all bein . He alone has# within Himself# the power of bein . 3aul declares our dependence upon

the power of God(s bein for our own e*istence when He says: 5!n Him we live and move and have our bein 6 ,0cts 78:9:-.

Biblical passages for reflec io!" 3s. ;<:9/ =ohn 7:7">/ 0cts 78:99"?7/ Col. 7:7>"9</ Rev. 7::
7

S#$$ar%" 7. 'very effect must have a cause. 9. God is not an effect/ He has no cause. ?. Self"creation is an irrational concept. @. Self"e*istence is a rational concept. >. Self"e*istence is not only rationally possible# but rationally necessary.