233-236 (2001); J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, pgs. In a state of timelessness, everything would be experienced now. Nicholas Wolsterstorff in ‘God Everlasting’ states that the eternity of God has appealed to people not just because of the influence of classical Greek philosophy but also because the eternal God is different from human’s experience of life in the physical world; Eternity in the Bible – “For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy” – Isaiah 57: 1 Different thinkers suggest that God is: … 108 (2001)]. God's eternity -- his eternal power -- is visible to all from His creation, so that no one has an excuse for not understanding it. (Lauri Kangus / NASA.gov more). But all the slaves of God go into eternity with God as their Giver. a Beginning, Including a Beginning of Time Itself, The Bible describes God as an self-existent, eternal, transcendent being who brought the entire universe into existence. 1. - Colossians 1:17 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure” – Psalm 147:5. In the view of Christian philosophers, Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli, God sees each thing as it is embedded in its time, place and circumstance and God has this eternal vision because every creature is “embedded” in him, the Creator and Source of all being. God's name "I am" also asserts that He exists in Himself and that He was not created. nal (ĭ-tûr′nəl) adj. [See, Kenneth Samples, A World of Difference, pg. What is Eternal Salvation? Being without beginning or end: belief in an eternal creator. If it is asserted that God existed before creation of the universe, that would require God to be temporal, not timeless, “since to exist prior to some event is to be in time.”  [See, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pg. Definition: Eternal refers to the endless past, the unending future, or to God's present experience of all time.God has no beginning as man can understand beginning and no ending either, but God exists now and knows both the beginning and the end as we perceive them.. 126 (2001)]. Yet the more we think about it, that God is omnipotentens, παντοκράτορ — all powerful, the more we have trouble taking it all in. Or is he, rather, omnitemporal? This gift is in contrast to the “death” that is the natural result of sin. So, Mormons believe that Jesus is eternal in the sense that he will never cease to be divine. The attribute of “eternal” is one of those where the conflict between the Greek and Jewish heritage of philosophical theism is most obvious. Whether God simply began to co-exist with the universe or began to sustain the universe, he would be in new relationship with his creation which did not exist before and, therefore, he would be temporal. Arguably, an everlasting God cannot know the details of our future actions and choices without impinging upon our free will. “The attribute of eternity means that God exists endlessly. God Is Eternal Supplies Obtain and Prepare Before Class Handkerchief or small towel Water Glass jar Two big strips of paper that are large enough that all the children can see what you are doing Tape Marker Small zip-lock bag (be sure there are no holes in it) Baking soda Vinegar Warm water Napkin or paper towel Matches Two square mirrors (you may use a glass mirror tile or plexi-mirror) Rock … But what does it mean? Perfection does not allow for change, but change is a necessary consequence of any person who experiences the changing circumstances of the historical process. Eternal is a word that means "lasting forever; without a beginning or an end." 93 (1994)], Other theologians suggest that God’s eternalness “should be understood as an endless duration of time over which God has always existed (God is everlasting).” [Kenneth Samples, A World of Difference, pg. eternal synonyms, eternal pronunciation, eternal translation, ... That which is eternal is, by its nature, without beginning or end: God, the eternal Father. Deuteronomy 33:27 refers to the Lord as the "eternal God." O how we should hate the master, sin, and love the Master, God! Eternal vs Everlasting. We can even explain it to a three year old: God can do anything he wants to do. The Message Bible uses the phrase “Ancient God” to translate the Hebrew name ’Elohei qedem. Either way, assuming that God is eternal is not without problems. How can we begin to comprehend what that means in our lives? [Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics, pg. The problem is, in the act of defining … The gift of eternal life comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is Himself “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). He will never cease to be God. An everlasting God, however, is a different story. God Mean to Each One of Us Personally? God's Word Eternal, Timeless. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6a). Of that eternal life He is Himself the guarantee--"Because I live, ye shall live also" . Dr Mark Saucy is the Biola University’s Department of Theology Co-chair. By using Learn Religions, you accept our. The Christmas Star – Fact, Fiction or Miracle? Logic demands that either God existed before the universe or he did not. Such a God is more comprehensible; however, the trait of everlasting does tend to conflict with other Neoplatonic traits like perfection and immutable. 20,25-26 (1974)]  Consequently, Ross maintains the Bible correctly describes that the universe had a beginning and that beginning included all space-time dimensions of the universe, including time itself, which is consistent with what scientists have recently discovered about the universe. what is the eternal made of? What Does the Existence of an Eternal — Introduction and Summary, Hugh Ross, Ph.D. — Scientist Becomes a Christian after Finding the Bible More Reliable than Laws of Physics | Facts and Faith, Just-Right Design of Planet Earth | Facts and Faith, Evidence for the Existence for God from a Beginning — God’s Existence Best Explains the Universe Coming into Existence, Just-Right Design of the Milky Way Galaxy | Facts and Faith, Evidence for the Existence of God from the Design Scientists Observe in the Universe — Introduction and Summary, God’s Existence Best Explains Why Anything Exists — An Argument for the Necessity of an Uncaused First Cause, NOTE: Although many Christians reject the idea of a, We live in a half dimension of time that only proceeds forward (, Without time, everything would be experienced at once (. ETERN', a. Eternal; perpetual; endless. Answer: When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it refers to a gift of God that comes only “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). n. 1. He derives His existence or His being from no other source; rather, He has the power to be in and of Himself. He never comes into or goes out of existence; rather His existence is permanent.” [William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pg. This is sufficient to prove why Christians believe God is eternal. When we say that God is eternal, we mean that He doesn’t have a beginning and He will never end. Another argument Lafleur uses is that if God is all knowing, praying and worship is pointless because God already knows because he has conceived the whole world and all of us. If God is timeless, it means he transcends time, i.e., he doesn’t exist in time. The idea that God should be eternal in the sense of timeless is partially derived from the characteristic of God being omniscient even though we retain free will. What do we mean when we say that God is eternal? God is conceived of as eternal, omnipotent, omniscient and as the creator of the universe. It occurs in diuturnus, and seems to denote continuance. The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 33:26-27) Notice that in this blessing given by Moses, the name for God parallels the words “everlasting arms” (zero‘ot ‘olam). Proponents of Abrahamic faiths believe that God is also transcendent, meaning that he is outside space and outside time and therefore not subject to anything within his creation, but at the same time a personal God, … The Bible describes God as an eternal being. Despite that difficulty, however, the concept of “everlasting” has tended to be more popular among average believers and even many philosophers because it is easier to comprehend and because of it more compatible with the religious experiences and traditions of most people. Consider the famous words of John 3: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Weymouth New Testament For the wages paid by Sin are death; but God's free gift is the Life of the Ages bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is true even in … Understanding eternity, nature of Not Knowing God Revelation, Necessity Of God's Ways Beyond … The human … Minimally speaking, “it may be said that God’s being eternal means that God exists without beginning or end. See more. Or think of it like this: There is no fine print built into God’s contract that would allow Him to take back his gift. Some of the ways God is infinite include His power, His knowledge, His presence, and His eternal existence. Rather, Mormons claim that Jesus was exalted to his divine status at a point in time. This is God's unique, self-revealed name, sometimes given as Jehovah or YHWH. That which is endless never stops but goes on continuously as if in a circle: an endless succession of years. Eternal salvation meaning. Eternal in the sense of everlasting, on the other hand, presumes a God who is part of and acts within history. An analogy of how this might be so was offered by Thomas Aquinas, who wrote that “He who goes along the road does not see those who come after him; whereas he who sees the whole road from a height sees at once all those traveling it.” A timeless god is, then, thought to observe the entire course of history at once, just as a person might observe the events along the entire course of a road at once. Used with the. This is why Young's Literal Translation of the New Testament renders the term "life age-during." 233 (2001)]   Without time, no cause and effect phenomena could occur because causes always precede effects and produce change. Verse Concepts. The origin of the last component part of the word is not obvious. How to use eternal in a sentence. 2. 217-233 (2001); Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, pgs. Eternal salvation is, without a doubt, a cornerstone of the Christian faith. "eternal life, i.e., the life that belongs to the Age to come, the full abundant life which is fellowship with God." We Live in a Half (½) Dimension of Time that Only Proceeds Forward. [See, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, 15 (2001);  see also, J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, pgs. 559 (2003)], Craig further explains: “So even if God is timeless without creation [i.e., “before” creation], His free decision to create a temporal world would also constitute a free decision on His part to exist temporally.” Accordingly, as posited by Craig and Moreland,  “[g]iven that time began to exist, the most plausible view of God’s relationship to time is that he is timeless without creation and temporal subsequent to creation.” [See, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pgs. (2007) (C) free download available at:  www.newmanlib.ibri.org/NewmanPhillips_Gen1OrigEar/GN1OE-pics-071109-small.pdf, Hugh Ross, Creation and Time: A Biblical and Scientific Perspective on the Creation-Date Controversy(Navpress Publishing Group, March 1994), Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God(Navpress; 2 edition, 1995), Kenneth Richard Samples, World of Difference, A: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test (Reasons to Believe)(Baker Books, 2007). Mark Sandlin on 5 November 2020 0 Comments. According to Greek philosophy, especially that found in the Neoplatonism which would play an important role in the development of Christian theology, the “most real being” was that which existed perfectly and changelessly beyond the troubles and concerns of our world. Christian and Neoplatonic theology, however, is often committed to a God who is so “perfect” and so far beyond the type of existence, we understand that it is no longer recognizable. Because it has a beginning [see below] and can move in only one direction, time is really just a half a dimension.”[Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, pg. Grace and the Word of God have always taught the children of promise to avoid sin and to live a godly life in their generation (Tit. Eternal means a duration discharged from all limits whether actual or imagined, without succession and without end. Without beginning or end of existence. How is Living in Time Different than Being Eternal? ‘The Eternal which resides in the atman should be known.’ ‘Saving humanity is small compared to doing the will of the Eternal.’ ‘It is the masculine aspect of the androgynous Eternal.’ ‘Since God suffuses all of life, film can cut through the encrusted vision with which we usually view this reality and reveal the Eternal.’ one Eternal God, Alma 11:44. Slideshow Photo:  The photograph, taken by Lauri Kangus, and downloaded from www.nasa.gov, depicts the sun rising and light from the sun being reflected off ice crystals with the surrounding fog and clouds looking like billowing smoke. We talk about God being eternal, and many of us assume we know what “eternal” means, but eternal has a much deeper meaning than just “forever.” The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. The very first verse of the Bible states that “[i]n the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth  (“shamayim” and “erets“).”  Christian astronomerand apologist, Hugh Ross points out that when the two Hebrew  words (“shamayim” and “erets“) are used together, the phrase always refers to the entire physical universe of galaxies, stars, planets, etc. The word aion primarily signifies time, in the sense of age or generation; it also comes to denote all that exists under time- conditions; and, finally, superimposed upon the temporal is an ethical use, relative to the world's course. But what does it mean? All Knowing . God is eternal Bible verses QUESTION: God is eternal Bible verses ANSWER: We can acquire a deeper understanding of God by the ways in which the Bible proclaims that God is eternal. God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, D&C 20:17. As noted by Professors Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli of Boston College, everything in the universe is constantly changing and “[t]he measure of that change is what we call ‘time.’”  Everything men think and do takes time and is experienced within time. This is obviously an important question to answer. by Alex | Feb 4, 2014 | Knowing God | 0 comments This is part one of a two part series on the eternity of God, and focuses on the meaning of His eternity. Because God is, Time and Eternity: Exploring God’s Relationship to Time, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, www.newmanlib.ibri.org/NewmanPhillips_Gen1OrigEar/GN1OE-pics-071109-small.pdf, Creation and Time: A Biblical and Scientific Perspective on the Creation-Date Controversy, The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God, World of Difference, A: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test (Reasons to Believe). An Atheist's View of the Christian Right's Agenda and Beliefs, Albert Einstein Quotes Denying Belief in a Personal God. Why is it argued that just about everything which makes us human and makes our lives worth living something which detracts from perfection? God is Eternal: What Does Eternity Mean? God's self-existence also implies his omnipresence in space -- He exists both outside His creation and at … What does "God is Eternal" mean? Furthermore, God acts and causes things to happen — but actions are events and causation is linked to events, which are (as already noted) rooted in time. That's what eternal life means. We like heaven; we enjoy being spared from hell. Eternal Totality: On a More Rational God. ETER'NAL, a. L. oeternus, composed of oevum and ternus, oeviternus, Varro. Eternal salvation meaning. From eternity to eternity he is the same, D&C 76:4. On the other hand, God may be thought of as “timeless,” which means that God exists outside of time, unconstrained by the process of cause and effect. Yet, God sees events in time and acts in time. It would be impossible to share the gospel with someone without mentioning it. All three infinite, Eternal and one entity of nature; which is the basis of the trinity. God will never run out of gifts and cease to be Giver. World English Bible For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s presence permeates eternity. Without time, successive events (i.e., events that occur one after the other) could not occur. A more important basis for defining “eternal” as “timeless” is the ancient Greek idea that a perfect god must also be an immutable god. Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Our sin separates us from God, the creator and sustainer of life. Craig concludes that God could not remain untouched by the world’s temporality because as soon as time was created, God would stand in a new relation which he did not stand in before. In our culture, most people – even non-Christians – have a vague idea of what “being saved” means. Continuing without interruption; perpetual: earned my eternal gratitude. God, in monotheistic thought, is conceived of as the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith. Because God is not confined by time, he can see and know the past, present and future as claimed in the Bible (see, e.g., Change can only occur within time. All that the loving God expects us to trust Him and believe Him as the true God and live a sinless life to reap the eternal life He is offering for all. Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism. For this reason, Christian astronomer, Hugh Ross suggests that time “can be defined as a dimension along which cause-and-effect phenomena occur.” [Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, pg. Eternal life is defined by the bible... John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Not used. All past tense and future tense forms of every verb would also have to be eliminated. God as eternal. John 3:16-18 tells the clear picture of God’s Love and shows us the gift He will give to His people who believe in Him. As stated by Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose (the physicists who developed the space-time theorem of general relativity), “almost everyone now believes that the universe, and time itself, had a beginning at the big bang.” (Emphasis added.) He existed before the creations, before time and place. Charisma means a gift of grace, an undeserved favor ().Thus, eternal life is not something we deserve or earn. Eternal God of all other gods… 22,  27 (2001)]  With those thoughts in mind, the following viewpoints have been proposed regarding how God’s eternalness should be understood: Several classical theologians proposed the view that God is timeless. The meaning and application of the word ‘eternal’ In its absolute sense, the terms "eternal" and cognates signify of infinite duration, just as omnipresence indicates of infinite presence. Al-Bayhaqiyy and Ibnul-Jarud narrated with sahih chain that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said “Kanallahu wa lam yakun … Is Atheism Incompatible With Free Will and Moral Choice? God has also set eternity in the hearts of people -- it is a concept all people understand to some degree. Eternity cannot be measured; it is, so to speak, the ever-abiding present. T he Scottish theologian James B. Torrance (1923-2003) published in 1997 a brief but brilliant book titled Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace.The doctrine of grace, Torrance noted, is directly related to two of the primary divine attributes, God’s holiness and his love. We aren’t like God, so it’s hard for us to understand what it means to not have a beginning or an end. We also examine the eternal nature of God as the Ancient of Days, Alpha and Omega, First and the Last, Everlasting God (El Olam), I AM, Living God, and the One Who Lives Forever First, according to the difference between the words in the English language and, secondly, through theology which is a means to explain the difference between the two with reference to God and spirituality. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The claim Mormons make for Jesus is actually rather similar to the claim I … eternal definition: 1. lasting forever or for a very long time: 2. lasting forever or for a very long time: 3…. (John 3.16) … There are several arguments used to make a case for the idea that God is very definitely in time. He said, "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10–11). We may think we’re safe; we may reflect on our lives and be tempted to say, “that’s good enough.” The existence of time is what allows one thing to occur before another or after another. God is thought to be eternal. Meaning: This also points to how much we can trust God. [Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, pgs.23-24, 108 (2001)]  As further argued by Ross, all worldviews and religions which maintain that time has always existed or that God exists within time or that God created within time, are inconsistent with modern day science. We should strive to follow Paul's example. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV) This verse says “the eternal God” is our refuge–eternal, outside of time. Young's Literal Translation for the wages of the sin is … 144 (2007)]  In this view God is seen as omnitemporal, i.e., he exists at every moment of time there ever is. God's Word is eternal "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." 2:11,12). If God exists outside of time, then God can observe all events throughout the course of our history as if they were simultaneous. The differences between “everlasting” and “eternal” can be explained in two different ways. Yet, in our rebellion, we attempt to apply it to ourselves and to gods of our own making rather than to the true God. Paul emphasizes that eternal life is not merely something to be earned, but a gift from God, as in Romans 6:23: "wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God is commonly portrayed as being eternal; however, there is more than one way to understand the concept of “eternal.” On the one hand, God may be thought of as “everlasting,” which means that God has existed through all time. This does not mean that God had to undergo an intrinsic change but it does require that he experience an extrinsic relational change with respect to the newly created universe. 1. Yahweh, The Eternal God. The response [to this is as follows]. The way religion has typically been practiced, this implies some degree of “knowing” God. Isaiah 40:8 "...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever...." 1 Peter 1:23 eternal. He sees all time equally vividly. To say God is infinite is to acknowledge that He is not limited to the constrictions of the created universe. For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV) Seemingly endless; interminable: eternal waiting at the airport. Jesus taught that He was the "I AM," a reference to the Lord in Exodus 3:14 (John 8:58). As explained by Christian astronomer and apologist, Hugh Ross, “[t]he universe and everything in it is confined to a single, finite dimension of time. 14 (2001)]  Beyond this very basic definition, there is disagreement over how God’s eternalness should be understood. It is in fact one of the main implications of the gospel itself. God remains the giver forever and ever. Eternal means a duration discharged from all limits whether actual or … God's Plan Gods Plan greatness imagination past Knowing God The Past God's Plan For Us Suffering, Of The Innocent. By definition, one of the purposes of religion is to draw us closer to God. Learn more. Something timeless, uninterrupted, or endless: "Shall we speak of universals and eternals?" 5. 13 (2001) citing to Wheeler]  In fact, if time did not exist, all of the following words and phrases (and many others) would have to be eliminated from our vocabulary:  before, after, earlier, later, then, prior to, when, as soon as, while, during, etc. The eternal God is thy refuge. Many people assume that time has always existed; however, neither modern day science nor the Bible permits such an assumption. b. This is obviously an important question to answer. As part of the Triune God, Jesus Christ is also revealed as eternal in nature. These and other questions pose serious problems for the stability of the argument that God must be timeless. For Paul eternal life is a future possession and "the eschatological goal towards which believers strive." John 3:16-18 tells the clear picture of God’s Love and shows us the gift He will give to His people who believe in Him. Regardless of one’s particular point of view concerning the Big Bang, all Christians can agree the Bible (which was written thousands of years before the space-time theorems of general relativity were developed) is consistent with current cosmological theory which states time has not always existed but had a beginning. See Synonyms at continual. But each of them implies a third: the eternity of God. 2. Eternal God. Craig further cautions that Christians who choose to publicly address the issue of God’s relation to time should only do so after carefully considering all the issues involved so they do not unintentionally promote confusion or error. They also believe that he is merciful, meaning that he has a forgiving nature and that he will judge humans on the actions taken during their lifetime. God experiences all … Limitations of Living in Time — How is He Different than Us? If God exists outside of time, then God can observe all events throughout the course of our history as if they were simultaneous. Nevertheless, considering some general concepts about time can help us conceptualize what it means for God to be eternal and why his eternalness is important for each one of us. 511-516, 558-560 (2003)], Viewpoint No. Because we have always lived in time, it is impossible for us to completely comprehend what it means for God to be eternal. There is no point at which God began. Answer: Bismillah, praise be to Allah and may Allah raise the rank of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) That statment means God (Allah) has no beginning to His existence. Isaiah 9:6 refers to God as an "Everlasting Father." First Timothy 6:16 notes God's "eternal dominion" or rule. Nor can it be stopped. The principle involved in the use of the term "speaker" mutakallim) is not the speech, because it does not subsist in the speaker the way an attribute subsists in the thing characterized by it. 112 (2001)] As discussed below, even though we are constrained by one (or more precisely, a half dimension of time), an eternal (timeless or time-full) being, such as the God described in the Bible, is not so limited. God is Eternal. Eternal definition, without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal): eternal life. The Bible describes God as an eternal being. Consider now the third contrasting pair, death vs. eternal life. See more. Such a god exists through the course of time like other persons and things; however, unlike other persons and things, such a god has no beginning and no end. But though all these things may … 15 (2001)]  As a timeless being, God would not look forward in time or back in time, rather, he would see everything in a single, eternal act. Because every word contained in the Scripture is God-breathed, we have assurance that God desires to reveal more of Himself through each verse (2 Timothy 3:16). Yahweh, The Eternal God. History of Humanism With Ancient Greek Philosophers, God and a Priori vs. a Posteriori: Types of Knowledge. The idea that God should be eternal in the sense of timeless is partially derived from the characteristic of God being omniscient even though we retain free will. The answer is found in the scriptures (The Holy Bible). God's self-existence, in turn, implies that He is eternal, existing both before and after His creation. Jews believe that God is transcendent. ‘The Eternal which resides in the atman should be known.’ ‘Saving humanity is small compared to doing the will of the Eternal.’ ‘It is the masculine aspect of the androgynous Eternal.’ ‘Since God suffuses all of life, film can cut through the encrusted vision with which we usually view this reality and reveal the Eternal.’ The Apostle Paul states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).In this verse, the Greek word for gift is charisma. Before we can understand the meaning of salvation, we must first know what we are saved from. Granted, this is no easy task because as noted by Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig, apart from the idea of God itself, there is no concept “so profound and so baffling as that of time.” [William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pgs. Isaiah 26:4 calls Him an "everlasting rock." 10. Because human beings came into existence at a certain point in time, we are not eternal beings but are finite. Consider the famous words of John 3: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. The Resurrection Best Explains the Transformation of Jesus’ Disciples from Fearful Fleers to Faithful Followers, The Resurrection Best Explains Jesus’ Empty Tomb — Introductory Summary, God’s Attributes — What is God Like? 514-515, 558-560 (2003)], The Bible Correctly Describes a Universe with Salvation, receiving forgiveness of sins and eternal life, is not about intellectual assent, but about relationship with God. Because human beings came into existence at a certain point in time, we are not eternal beings but are finite. As explained by physicist John Wheeler, “[t]ime is what keeps everything from happening at once.” [See, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pg. The title page of the Book of Mormon says that “Jesus is the Eternal Son of God.” Mormons don’t mean that Jesus has always been God. God = Eternal; SC:Therefore God is a complex being who is Reason, Word, and Spirit. Our starting point, which we take from Bernard Williams's article on the Makropulos Case, is the intuition that it is inappropriate for persons not to become bored after a sufficiently long sequence of time has passed. To know God we must be able to define God. I am endless, D&C 19:10. It is in fact one of the main implications of the gospel itself. Isaiah 9:6 refers to God as an "Everlasting Father." Eternal God in Greek: God never came into existence and he will never go out of existence. Consequently, it is inevitable that the speech of God will be regarded as eternal so as to describe God as the Speaker, by virtue of the characterization of Him with that term. Because we have always lived in time, it is impossible for us to completely comprehend what it means for God to be eternal. Here are 15 attributes of God, what they mean and why they matter: 1. Being saved implies that we are in some danger – and that can be difficult for nonbelievers to wrap their minds around. This is perhaps one indicator of an important flaw in the assumptions which lie behind the classical ideas about what constitutes “perfection.” Why must “perfection” be something which is beyond our ability to recognize and understand? 101-102 (2001)]. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Genesis, the first book of the Bible, starts with the phrase: “In the. [J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, pg. The eternal God. Question: "What is eternal life?" eternal punishment, i.e., punishment characteristic of the Age to come, not meaning that it lasts forever." First Timothy 6:16 notes God's "eternal dominion" or rule. Limitations of Living in Time — How is living “in time” different than being eternal? Before God ever made a world, He already existed. Both Jewish and Christian scriptures point to a God who is everlasting, acting in human history, and very much capable of change. [Hugh Ross, Creation and Time, pg. In this article we argue that God cannot be omnitemporal. 93; see also, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pg. [Hawking & Penrose, Nature of Space and Time, pg. Death Vs. Eternal Life. 3 – God was Timeless Before Creation but Has Been Temporal Since Creation, Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig, explains that, in his view, although God could exist timelessly without (“before”) creation, it is difficult to see how God could stand in relation to a temporal world (a world within time) and still remain timeless himself. Therefore said Augustine, "Join thyself to the eternal God, and thou wilt be eternal." If the eternal life that God gives us could ever be lost or taken away, then it would contradict God’s faithfulness because “he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13, ESV).He is a “forever” God. Some of the practical implications of the existence of an eternal God include the following: Published: May 25, 2012 / Last Updated: April 28, 2013, ______________________________________________, QUICK LINKS TO SOURCES REFERENCED OR RELIED ON IN THIS ARTICLE, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity: Exploring God’s Relationship to Time(Crossway Books, 2001), Peter J. Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics(IVP Academic; 1St Edition, 1994), J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview(IVP Academic, 2003), Robert Newman and Phillips, Perry, Genesis One and the Origin of Earth, 2nd Ed. He existed in the beginning with God (John 1:1). Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. God as transcendent, eternal, merciful and judge God as transcendent. 511-515 (2003);  William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pg. Eternal definition, without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal): eternal life. (skip to>>). 20 (1996); see also, William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pgs. Thus, argues Lafleur, God would have no religious significance to us if he was eternal because then he wouldn't have any connection or hand in our fate. The eternal God. Sin's ultimate and summary wage is death. Eternal Life: Our Lord decisively set the element of time in abeyance, and took His stand upon the fact and quality of life--life endless by its own nature. God has no beginning or end or succession of moments in His own being. (Cynthia Ozick). Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, D&C 38:1. Eternal life is a free gift of God to believers in Jesus Christ. God, for example, is thought to be alive — but lives are a series of events and events must occur in some temporal framework. If god is eternal? [Middle … Eternal life is a term that Christians leisurely toss around like a Frisbee at the church picnic. Light from the rising sun reflecting off ice crystals According to current cosmological theory, the universe (including all space, time, matter and energy) came into existence a finite time ago. He provides a comprehensive explanation of the role of the Jewish remnant down through the ages and in prophecy, all i… Thank you for your question. 2 Timothy 3:10-17 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. God is usually conceived as being omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present) and omnibenevolent (all-good) as well as having an eternal and necessary existence.These attributes are used either in way of analogy or are taken literally. Thus aion may be said to mean the subtle informing spirit of the … Define eternal. Answer: Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” At its core, sin is rebellion against God. There will never be a time when God is not giving more new joys to his people. God is known as the great “I AM.” Life is in God. However, one way to think about what it may mean for God to be eternal is to think about what time is and how time affects our everyday lives. 2. a. We talk about God being eternal, and many of us assume we know what “eternal” means, but eternal has a much deeper meaning than just “forever.” The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. The following Bible passages, which were written thousands of years ago, specifically reference that time did not always exist but had a beginning: Without Time, Everything Would be Experienced at Once. Bible verses about God Is Eternal. However, because of the law of  non-contradiction, God cannot be both timeless and temporal at the same time and the same manner. Eternal life is a term that Christians leisurely toss around like a Frisbee at the church picnic. How Is That Possible for God to Be Transcendent and Immanent? This is God's unique, self-revealed name, sometimes given as Jehovah or YHWH. Isaiah 26:4 calls Him an "everlasting rock." God Is Infinite – He is Self-Existing, Without Origin "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Deut.33. Colossians 1:16 teaches, "For by him … 7:22. Answer: The word eternal means "everlasting, having no beginning and no end." Romans 1:20 speaks of God's "eternal power." We see many believers taking verse-12 alone then jump into self-works/personally-motivated-alms-giving without accepting that it is the new creation-life of Christ Jesus Crucified at work in them is the person who first wills and … The Word is not bound to time but is timeless and always suitable for instruction and teaching in life. You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. “The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’ Job 36:26. As cautioned by Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig, because much is yet to be understood about time and eternity, any theory regarding God’s eternality should be held tentatively. The flow of time can never be reversed. Nevertheless, in spite of our foolishness, it is God who … We know from the Bible that God is an eternal being and has an eternal nature, but these top 10 Bible verses about God’s eternal nature may help you better understand that. So, when we sin and become separated from God, we … The fact that God is self-existent -- that he was created by nothing and has always … Lesson 7. 151(1994) citing to Waltke, “Creation and Chaos: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Biblical Cosmology” (Portland, OR: Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, pgs. what created the eternal? If Williams is right, … God is further held to have the properties of holiness, justice, omni-benevolence and omnipresence. The meaning and application of the word ‘eternal’ In its absolute sense, the terms "eternal" and cognates signify of infinite duration, just as omnipresence indicates of infinite presence. Encore Post: When we say that God is almighty, it seems simple enough. [Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics, pg. 86 (2001)], If God was timeless before time was created, then once time began, he either became temporal in relation to the temporal world or he continued to exist timelessly. Thus, God knows what our future holds without also affecting our present — or our free will. Therefore, God must either be timeless or temporal. (skip to>>), The Bible Correctly Describes a Universe with a Beginning, Including a Beginning of Time Itself (skip to>>), What Does the Existence of an Eternal God Mean to Each One of Us Personally? Column by Rev. In this view, because God exists in an “infinite present without past or future”, God does not experience a succession of moments of time as we do, rather, God experiences everything at once. All that the loving God expects us to trust Him and believe Him as the true God and live a sinless life to reap the eternal life He is offering for all. And the Scriptures make clear that … (skip to >>), What does it mean for God to be eternal? When we say God is eternal, we are saying that God is self-existent, that He has no beginning. Does this mean that he is timeless? God is most often held to be … This is why Philippians 2:12 is incomplete in meaning without aligning it to verse-13. Does he have a beginning, or just no end? Psalm 90:2 tells us about God’s eternality: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” God … being from everlasting to everlasting, Moro. 22, 27 (2001)]. He’s not dependent upon anything outside Himself for His own life or being. 1) whether God islocated in our spacetime—the spacetime investigated by modernphysics; and (2) whether God is eternal or everlasting Religion prefers a definable God. Time in that dimension proceeds only and always forward. His existence extends endlessly backward and forward (from our viewpoint of time) without any interruption or limitation caused by succession of events.” – Charles Ryrie 1 God is Eternal – His Nature God is Eternal. 144 (2007); see also, J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, pgs. [Hugh Ross, Creation and Time, pg. In the New Testament, aion and aionios are often used with the meaning "eternal," in the predominant sense of futurity. […] Question: "What does it mean that God is eternal?" God never came into existence and he will never go out of existence. [William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity, pgs. Ephesians 3:11 speaks of God's "eternal purpose." We also examine the eternal nature of God as the Ancient of Days, Alpha and Omega, First and the Last, Everlasting God (El Olam), I AM, Living God, and the One Who Lives Forever The Bible reveals God as an eternal being: Finally, perhaps one of the most well-known Bible verses, John 3:16, states:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”. Eternal definition is - having infinite duration : everlasting.
Engineering Technologist Anzsco Duties, Is Stinging Nettle Poisonous, Horse Property For Sale Germany, Shure Se535 Red, Aletsch Glacier Weather, Predator-prey Relationship Examples In Coral Reefs, Noble House Chinese Menu,