God is completely sufficient in himself. To the Jews, who must have felt that God needed them (after all, weren't they God's chosen people?), Jesus said, "do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. (Luk 3:8).
God doesn't need us. It sounds like a terribly strange thing for a Christian to say. After all, doesn't the bible say we're the body of Christ? (1Co 12:27). That is true. But only because God chooses to make it so. The supreme God of the universe has chosen to have a relationship with lowly man.
We should not feel discouraged by this reality. If I am chosen because of someone's need, I might meet that person's need out of a sense of duty, but who likes to feel as if they are just being used? I might just say, "no thanks, I've got better things to do." But what an honor to be chosen by someone who has absolutely no need for you! And feelings aren't the end of the matter. The reality is that a God who needs lowly man can be no God at all. But a God who needs no one? That's the only God who can claim to be "the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, (Gen 14:22).
Good, balanced treatment of the thought. Flies beyond Tozer's ideas without discarding them. "Absolute need" vs. "Need by decree" would make a stimulating study all on its own.
ReplyDelete