YHWH: The Self-Existent God Revealed Through His Image
The Purpose of This Teaching
The goal of this teaching is not to sound deep or impress people with Hebrew words. The goal is to open our eyes to the greatness of God and to understand what it means to bear His image.
When this revelation begins to dawn on your heart, you stop seeing people as ordinary. You begin to recognize that every human life is a testimony that God is the Giver and Sustainer of life.
The Tetragrammaton — YHWH
The four Hebrew letters YHWH are known as the Tetragrammaton, the covenant name God revealed to Moses.
“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’… Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
(Exodus 3:14, NKJV)
God is not merely alive.
He is Life.
He is the only Being whose existence depends on no one.
Aseity — God’s Self-Existence
The theological word aseity means that God exists entirely from Himself.
He was never created.
He cannot cease to exist.
He depends on nothing outside Himself.
Everything that exists depends on Him.
“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” (John 5:26, NKJV)
“Before the mountains were brought forth… from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:2, NKJV)
Every Breath Is Sustained by God
Our existence is not self-generated.
The reason your heart beats…
The reason your fingers move…
The reason you can speak…
Walk…
Laugh…
Think…
Create…
Love…
…is because God continually sustains your life.
“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28, NKJV)
“He Himself gives to all life, breath, and all things.” (Acts 17:25, NKJV)
“He upholds all things by the word of His power.” (Hebrews 1:3, NKJV)
Every breath is a testimony that YHWH is sustaining His creation.
We Were Created in His Image
God did not create mankind merely to exist.
He created mankind to reflect Him.
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26, NKJV)
“So God created man in His own image.” (Genesis 1:27, NKJV)
We do not possess God’s aseity.
Only God is self-existent.
But we were created to reflect His character, His wisdom, His righteousness, His holiness, His love, and His kindness.
We are image-bearers.
God Reveals Himself Through His Image
Although God is invisible, He has chosen to reveal His character through those who bear His image.
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12, NKJV)
When we walk in love, people encounter the love of God.
When we extend mercy, they experience the mercy of God.
When we forgive, they witness the forgiveness of God.
When we choose humility, they see the humility of Christ.
When we show kindness, they experience the kindness of God.
God’s image is not merely something we possess.
It is something we are called to express.
Jesus was the perfect revelation of the Father.
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9, NKJV)
Now the Holy Spirit is transforming believers into that same image.
“But we all… are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV)
Love and Kindness Reveal God’s Character
God is not merely loving.
God is love.
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8, NKJV)
God is also rich in kindness.
”…the goodness of God leads you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4, NKJV)
The fruit of the Spirit includes:
”…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness…” (Galatians 5:22, NKJV)
Every act of kindness reflects the character of the God whose image we bear.
The Simplicity of God’s Image
After studying the Tetragrammaton, God’s aseity, and mankind as His image-bearers, we discover something beautiful.
It is actually much simpler than we often make it.
Sometimes religion overcomplicates what God has made wonderfully simple.
We become consumed with debates, traditions, systems, and theological arguments while missing the life God intended us to live.
The simplicity of God’s image and likeness is not found in religious complexity.
It is found in life.
It is found in existence.
It is found in walking with God.
It is found in loving people.
It is found in kindness.
It is found in mercy.
It is found in humility.
It is found in forgiveness.
Every breath reminds us that God is the source of our existence.
Every act of love reveals His nature.
Every act of kindness displays His character.
Every act of mercy reflects His heart.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NKJV)
Jesus reduced the entire Law to love.
”‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart… and… your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40, NKJV)
The world is not waiting for us to become more complicated.
The world is waiting to see the invisible God made visible through His people.
We do not reveal God’s aseity
that belongs to Him alone.
We reveal His character.
His love through our love.
His kindness through our kindness.
His mercy through our mercy.
His compassion through our compassion.
His holiness through lives surrendered to Him.
This is the beauty of being created in His image.
This is the simplicity of the image and likeness of God.
Not religion.
Not overcomplication.
Not indoctrination for its own sake.
But lives sustained by YHWH, transformed by His Spirit, and reflecting His character every day.
When people encounter genuine love, authentic kindness, true humility, mercy, grace, and forgiveness through us, they are catching a glimpse of the God whose image we bear.
That is why we exist.
To glorify Him by making His invisible character visible in the earth.