“Why is there something rather than nothing?” This philosophical question arises quite often in discussions of cosmology, particularly as it relates to macro evolution and intelligent design theories. You come to expect it, and yet with most naturalists we are all still awaiting something that resembles an answer.
In addition, I have been in the company of some in the last few months who have asked, rhetorically mostly, an even more existential question, “Why do we exist?” The immediate answer, as if on cue, has revealed something along the lines of a “need” God has in creating us for the purpose of displaying, experiencing, and even showering His divine love onto and even into His creation. The creation described is none other than what is considered God’s crowning creation, humans, to which He made in His image (Imago Dei) according to Genesis 1:26-28.
I must say that as a Christ-follower I am overjoyed at God’s revealed love and divine purposes in Christ that extend grace (giving me what I don’t deserve) and mercy (not giving me what I do deserve) in spite of my sin and separation from Him. But what is a mere mortal to think of a God that is in “need”. St. Anselm of Canterbury (A.D. 1033-1109) coined a way of rationally viewing God in the sentence, “God is fundamentally that than which no greater can be conceived.” God is a necessary being, in that He is the only one whose existence depends completely upon His own nature and desire as first cause (Creator/Sustainer of everything).
In essence, God is “defined” as the sum of all perfections, in other words, He is lacking in nothing. Wayne Grudem defines God’s independence as “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.” This attribute of God is known as his self-existence (aseity). God in no way needs anything from His creation (Acts 17:24-25; Job 41:11; Ps. 50:10-12).
Concerning God’s “sharing” of His love consider the Lord’s prayer in John 17, particularly verses 5 and 24. Jesus spoke of the eternal love shared with He and the Father “…for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Within the Godhead (Trinity) is one God in essence and three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Among the Persons of the Trinity there have always existed perfect love, fellowship and communication from all eternity. Grudem further says, “The fact that God is three persons yet one God means that there was no loneliness or lack of personal fellowship on God’s part before creation.”
So, is it possible for me to accept and marvel at the great grace and love of God towards me and my very existence, yet not postulate a finite and even marred theory of my existence upon God? Am I somehow forced to project my human limitations onto a God that supersedes me in all things? Perhaps, to ask it is to answer it. I shall hold fast to my confession that I exist purely, although exhaustibly unexplainable this side of Heaven, for the glory of God. For that I am eternally grateful.
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Believing that they exist for the glory of God would be complete paradigm shift for most people. Somehow so many Christians do have the idea that we somehow fulfill some purpose that God, in and of Himself, could not fulfill. Plus, most of the time we are so American that the idea that this Christian thing isn't, at its roots, about us is almost unfathomable. How incredible it is to know that God, although He doesn't need me, chose me anyway to bring glory to Himself by displaying His grace and mercy in and through me.
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