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A. The Self-Existence of God.
God is self-existent, that is, He has the ground of His existence in Himself. This idea is
sometimes expressed by saying that He is causa sui (His own cause), but this expression is
hardly accurate, since God is the uncaused, who exists by the necessity of His own Being, and
therefore necessarily. Man, on the other hand, does not exist necessarily, and has the cause of
his existence outside of himself. The idea of God’s self-existence was generally expressed by the
term aseitas, meaning self-originated, but Reformed theologians quite generally substituted for
it the word independentia (independence), as expressing, not merely that God is independent
in His Being, but also that He is independent in everything else: in His virtues, decrees, works,
and so on. It may be said that there is a faint trace of this perfection in the creature, but this
can only mean that the creature, though absolutely dependent, yet has its own distinct
existence. But, of course, this falls far short of being self-existent. This attribute of God is
generally recognized, and is implied in heathen religions and in the Absolute of philosophy.
When the Absolute is conceived of as the self-existent and as the ultimate ground of all things,
which voluntarily enters into various relations with other beings, it can be identified with the
God of theology. As the self-existent God, He is not only independent in Himself, but also
causes everything to depend on Him. This self-existence of God finds expression in the name
Jehovah. It is only as the self-existent and independent One that God can give the assurance
that He will remain eternally the same in relation to His people. Additional indications of it are
found in the assertion in John 5:26, “For as the Father hath life in Himself, even so gave He to
the Son also to have life in Himself”; in the declaration that He is independent of all things and
that all things exist only through Him, Ps. 94:8 ff.; Isa. 40:18 ff.; Acts 7:25; and in statements
implying that He is independent in His thought, Rom. 11:33,34, and in His will, Dan. 4:35; Rom.
9:19; Eph. 1:5; Rev. 4:11. in His power, Ps. 115:3, and in His counsel, Ps. 33:11.
B. The Immutability of God.
The Immutability of God is a necessary concomitant of His aseity. It is that perfection of God by
which He is devoid of all change, not only in His Being, but also in His perfections, and in His
purposes and promises. In virtue of this attribute He is exalted above all becoming, and is free
from all accession or diminution and from all growth or decay in His Being or perfections. His
knowledge and plans, His moral principles and volitions remain forever the same. Even reason
teaches us that no change is possible in God, since a change is either for better or for worse.
But in God, as the absolute Perfection, improvement and deterioration are both equally
impossible. This immutability of God is clearly taught in such passages of Scripture as Ex. 3:14;
Ps. 102:26-28; Isa. 41:4; 48:12; Mal. 3:6; Rom. 1:23; Heb. 1:11,12; Jas. 1:17. At the same time
there are many passages of Scripture which seem to ascribe change to God. Did not He who