Is it true that God did not want heaven without us?

What Does the Bible Say?

Heaven is part of creation, meaning God has always existed, but heaven has not (Psalm 90:2). God is a se, i.e., self-sufficient; He does not need anything or anyone (Acts 17:24–25). God could have continued to exist eternally without creating us, while remaining perfectly satisfied within Himself.

Some teach that God’s love requires Him to love someone outside Himself, that He needed to create, and that He needs us in heaven. However, being the Triune God, His love is perfectly expressed within Himself (i.e., John 14:31; 17:24). He did not need to love something outside of Him to be complete.

The idea that God created and saves us to fulfill a desire in Himself, such as filling heaven, is false, as it would mean that He was not a se, that He is contingent on His creation. But Scripture teaches that creation is contingent on Him and not the other way around (Colossians 1:16–17; Romans 11:36; Revelation 4:11). It also teaches that God saves sinners not because He needed us, but because He loves us and freely chose to display His grace and glory (Ephesians 1:5–6; 2:7).

From the Old Testament

• God is eternal. That means He existed before creation (i.e., Psalm 90:2; cf. Genesis 1:1; Nehemiah 9:6). God created everything, including heaven.
• God is self-sufficient. He needs nothing outside of Himself, including us (Psalm 50:10–12, Job 41:11, 1 Chronicles 29:14).
• Creation exists because God chose to create for His glory and purposes, not because He needed something to complete Himself (Isaiah 43:7; Isaiah 45:18).
• To glorify God means to praise Him for who He is. One reason He created us was to display who He is. That included showing His mercy and grace. He did that by promising a Savior from our sin (Genesis 3:15) who He would crush (Isaiah 53) to provide forgiveness for sin (Isaiah 43:25).

From the New Testament

• Paul, speaking to pagans whose gods were contingent on them, said, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24–25). God does not need anything from humankind (Romans 11:36).
• The idea of God wanting us to fill heaven is a misunderstanding of God’s love. God's love towards humanity (John 3:16) is not an expression of need but of fatherly care for His children (believers). God is Triune (one God in three Persons), so He can infinitely receive and give love.
• Jesus spoke of this love, saying, “Father, I desire that [believers] also … see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24, cf. John 14:31). “Before the foundation of the world” means before creation. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit perfectly expressed love in eternity, needing no one to love. God extended His love to creation, demonstrating His love (Romans 5:8).
• God doesn't need us; we need Him. Of Jesus, we learn that “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17). God created and sustains all of creation.
• Why then does God save people? God desired to display His glory. To do that, He chose to save some to highlight His mercy (Romans 9:23). This is why, “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:5b–6; cf. Revelation 4:11).

Implications for Today

Singing that God did not want heaven without us is sentimental and evokes warm feelings in us—but it misrepresents salvation. It is true that God took on flesh and "brought heaven down" to us when Jesus came. It is also true that God saved us because we cannot save ourselves. However,

God’s is not sentimental. Nor does He need us. Him not wanting heaven without us is not why He came. Rather, He willingly gave Himself because He loved us. His coming to rescue us was an undeserved, sacrificial love that expresses mercy and grace to His enemies who only deserve His wrath.

God’s love should evoke in us is awe and thankfulness that He who didn’t need us chose to adopt believers as His children (Ephesians 1:5). That is the right and God-honoring way to respond to His great plan of salvation.

Here’s a thought-provoking exercise for you for the next time you hear a compelling line in a song. Try to connect it to Scripture. Consider what the Bible teaches and see whether you can support what it says from there. Songs are great ways to worship God, but they are only useful if they help us apply Scriptural truths to our lives (Colossians 3:16). That doesn’t mean they need to be hymns or psalms or in some other traditional form, but they should be words of truth.