The Solitariness of God
Over the years there
have been several books that have deeply blessed and impacted me. One is The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink. The book itself is fairly brief, but its
thoughts go deep. As we kickoff this New Year I decided to include a portion of
one of my favorite chapters. It is
entitled “The Solitariness of God.” Pink discusses the eternality and self-sufficiency
of God. This might be a little more
difficult to read than the past newsletters, but it will give you some profound
and meaty thoughts to chew on this week.
The title of this article is perhaps not sufficiently
explicit to indicate its theme. This is partly due to the fact that so few
today are accustomed to meditate upon the personal perfections of God. Comparatively few of those who
occasionally read the Bible are aware of the awe-inspiring and
worship-provoking grandeur of the Divine character. That God is great in
wisdom, wondrous in power, yet full of mercy, is assumed by many to be almost
common knowledge; but, to entertain anything approaching an adequate conception
of His being, His nature, His attributes, as these are revealed in Holy
Scripture, is something which very, very few people in these degenerate times
have attained unto. God is solitary in His excellency. "Who is like unto
Thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful
in praises, doing wonders?" (Ex. 15:11).
"In the beginning, God" (Gen. 1:1). There was a
time, if "time" is could be called, when God, in the unity of His
nature (though subsisting equally in three Divine Persons), dwelt all alone.
"In the beginning, God." There was no heaven, where His glory is now
particularly manifested. There was no earth to engage His attention. There were
no angels to hymn His praises; no universe to be upheld by the word of His
power. There was nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for a day, a year, or
an age, but "from everlasting." During
a past eternity, God was alone: self-contained, self-sufficient,
self-satisfied; in need of nothing. Had a universe, had angels, had human
beings been necessary to Him in any way, they also would have been called into
existence from all eternity. The creating of them when He did, added nothing to
God essentially. He changes not (Mal. 3:6), therefore His essential glory can
be neither augmented nor diminished.
God was under no constraint, no obligation, no necessity to
create. That He chose to do so was purely a sovereign act on His part, caused
by nothing outside Himself, determined by nothing but His own mere good
pleasure; for He "worketh all things after the counsel of His own
will" (Eph. 1:11). That He did create was simply for His manifestative
glory.
"Which in His
times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords: Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no
man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour
and power everlasting, Amen" (1 Tim. 6:16).
Such a One is to be revered, worshipped, adored. He is
solitary in His majesty, unique in His Excellency, peerless in His perfections.
He sustains all, but is Himself independent of all. He gives to all, but is
enriched by none.
To Him alone be the Glory!
Collin
