The story of Christianity is the story of a God who has everything and lacks nothing, graciously laying his life down for those who have nothing and lack everything.

The late theologian John Webster once said of God, “He is the one who, out of nothing other than his own self-sufficiency, brings creatures into being, sustains and reconciles them, and brings them to perfection in fellowship with himself.”^[1] What Webster describes here is a doctrine the church has long believed, called “divine aseity.” Simply put, divine aseity means that God has life in himself. Consequently, God does not derive his existence from any source outside himself. He is not dependent on someone or something to give him life. Unlike you and I, God is not dependent on parents to bring about his life, nor is he reliant on food and water for continued sustenance. Rather, God simply is and has life in himself.

Hearing this definition, you might be tempted to conclude that divine aseity is a rather abstract doctrine. Doctrine can already have the unfortunate caricature of being impractical, and this is even more true for a doctrine which describes God’s inner life. Why should Christians, trying to pursue everyday faithfulness in their journey of following Jesus, concern themselves with a doctrine like divine aseity? I’d like to argue that much joy and clarity is at stake in the doctrine of divine aseity. Here are a few ways this doctrine might impact your day-to-day living:

A Grand Vision of God

There is nothing more practical for Christians than a grand vision of God. Contemplating who God is and what he has done should stir Christians to faithfulness. The doctrine of divine aseity brings into focus the fullness of God’s being in himself. In doing so, the Christian is reminded of the supremacy of God in all things. He is the one who lacks nothing and has everything to give since, from the fullness of himself, he creates out of nothing. Not only does he own the cattle on a thousand hills, but the hills themselves come from him; and he is the “Father of lights” who unchangeably gives “every good gift” to his children (James 1:17).

Extended contemplation on the doctrine of divine aseity should bring Christians to a place of worship at the grandeur of a great God who alone has life in himself.

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