We naturally understand that being first has value. Have you ever argued over a toy and said, “I had it first?” Or have you seen two people fight over a place in line by saying, “I was here first?” First implies we have rights that those who come after us do not have.
When it comes to being first, nobody can compare to God. He was here from the beginning. In fact, God was before the beginning! How else would he be around to create everything?
Just the thought of a time before time is exhausting for our human minds to comprehend. Yet, there is an important reason to consider what was before the beginning.
Only God existed before the beginning. Only God is eternal. Only God has no beginning. He has always existed.
Even more, God existed as the Trinity (one God in three persons) for all eternity past. God the Father, Son, and Spirit have always dwelt together forever in eternity past.
So why is this important? For several reasons:
First, the fact that God has always existed means that all creation depends upon Him. Because God created us, we belong to Him. The Bible says that the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1). According to Scripture, there is nothing that completely belongs to us. It all belongs to Him.
Second, God’s eternal existence in the past means that God does not need anything or anyone. He is sufficient in Himself. No other person in the universe can make that claim. As humans, we are created to be dependent. No man can survive without food, water, air, shelter, and human interaction –all of which were created by God. Ultimately, we are made to be dependent upon God. Conversely, God is not dependent upon anyone. He would have been perfectly happy if He had chosen to continue without creating anything (including us).
So why did He create the world? Why did God create us?
The answer, in short, is for His own glory. While that may seem selfish for us, remember that is completely right for God. He alone is worthy of all glory!
Think about it this way: If we enjoy earthly things that are glorious (the Grand Canyon, beautiful music, a grand sunset, or a display of athletic talent), imagine how much more joy is to be found in God! Now, consider the fact that for all eternity past, God enjoyed that glory. But instead of keeping it all to Himself, He decided to create a place called heaven full of angels to enjoy it with Him and to echo His glory. In addition, He created the universe and humans to reflect and enjoy His glory as well.
The more we enjoy God, the more we glorify Him. The more we glorify Him, the more we enjoy Him!
How awesome is our God!