Questions about Creation

[fish90]

Hello,

I remember reading a great bible quote from the OT or Hebrew Scriptures. The paraphrase went something like God knows you before you are even born. How does God know this when my very existence is not even apparent?

Also, why would he create anything?

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

Any answers?

God Bless

 

[Luke65]

Hello,

I remember reading a great bible quote from the OT or Hebrew Scriptures. The paraphrase went something like God knows you before you are even born.

Hi, that’s Jeremiah 1:5

How does God know this when my very existence is not even apparent?

Because God exists outside of time. He created time - time is a creature. Imagine it like a movie. You exist outside of the movie. You can watch the whole thing and memorize every word of it. You can watch any part of it and know what is going to happen. You know all the characters before you watch it again. The main difference is that the “characters” in God’s creation write their own life stories, although God can and does intervene in order that His plan be accomplished.

Also, why would he create anything?

Why do you create anything? Even the most uncreative person creates something! We’re made in the image of God, so obviously creativity is part of God’s nature. And what He wanted to create was rational creatures, made in His image, to share His love with forever. But His perfect love meant that He must allow us to freely choose to accept Him, or not.

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

Only human beings and angels are rational creatures, so only we can comprehend God, albeit within limits. Angels had one free will choice to serve God or not. The purpose of the angels is to serve human beings - the good angels to help lead us to God, and the bad angels to try to lead us away from God, so that God can test us to see if we are worthy of His Kingdom. And then all of the elect, Saints and Angels, will live together with God for all eternity, sharing in His love and beauty. Hope to see you there!

 

[DOShea]

Hello,

I remember reading a great bible quote from the OT or Hebrew Scriptures. The paraphrase went something like God knows you before you are even born. How does God know this when my very existence is not even apparent?

Maybe this verse?

Pro 8:22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.

There are two reasons why God can do this. One, He created you, and two, He is infinite. Without all the lofty explanations, it simply means God exists outside of the limits of time and space that we exist in. When God willed our creation, individually, it was part of His plan from the beginning, where beginning is a term we need in order to understand it in our time-based reference. But there really is no “beginning” for God. Not to be flippant or frivolous about God’s divine plan, but just for ease of understanding you could consider it the crowning achievement of multi-tasking. Willing into creation all of history at once, and everyone in it, knowing every detail simultaneously.

Also, why would he create anything?

We can’t know His reasons beyond what hints He gives us. We know we are made in His image, we are the only creature in His earthly creation with the capacity for eternal life, and we are called to obey and worship Him. He never told us why.

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

Any answers?

God Bless

I’m not sure where you get the idea that you can reject God and enter heaven.

 

[Kasey1]

Maybe this verse?

Pro 8:22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.

There are two reasons why God can do this. One, He created you, and two, He is infinite. Without all the lofty explanations, it simply means God exists outside of the limits of time and space that we exist in. When God willed our creation, individually, it was part of His plan from the beginning, where beginning is a term we need in order to understand it in our time-based reference. But there really is no “beginning” for God. Not to be flippant or frivolous about God’s divine plan, but just for ease of understanding you could consider it the crowning achievement of multi-tasking. Willing into creation all of history at once, and everyone in it, knowing every detail simultaneously.

We can’t know His reasons beyond what hints He gives us. We know we are made in His image, we are the only creature in His earthly creation with the capacity for eternal life, and we are called to obey and worship Him. He never told us why.

I’m not sure where you get the idea that you can reject God and enter heaven.

maybe there are some differences in it

 

[fish90]

Maybe this verse?

I’m not sure where you get the idea that you can reject God and enter heaven.

My apologies, I wished to ask why are human beings so special with having chances to come back to God. The Evil One and his angels had only one choice to follow God. They chose not to and ended up eternally separated from entering heaven.

Does this clarify?

So are creatures created just because God willed?

God Bless

 

[ricmat]

Hello,

I remember reading a great bible quote from the OT or Hebrew Scriptures. The paraphrase went something like God knows you before you are even born. How does God know this when my very existence is not even apparent?

Psalm 139.

Also, why would he create anything?

God is love. The Trinity is love “in motion”, with the Father eternally loving the Son, which creates a 3rd person in the Holy Spirit. In general, love seeks to expand, so God created us in order to have more persons to share his love with. And, oh yes, the universe was created specifically for the purpose of giving us, his children, a place to live.

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

Only humans are created in the image and likeness of God. Only humans have intellect, free-will, and the capacity for love (or “not love”).

To reject God, one must have the capacity for free will. Humans are the only created beings (other than angels) who can be in heaven, and we get there by exercising our love for God - using our free will to accept God rather than reject him. Other created beings, who are not made in the image of God have no knowledge of right and wrong, have no knowledge of God, and therefore cannot reject or accept God.

 

[ricmat]

My apologies, I wished to ask why are human beings so special with having chances to come back to God. The Evil One and his angels had only one choice to follow God. They chose not to and ended up eternally separated from entering heaven.

Does this clarify?

So are creatures created just because God willed?

God Bless

Because we exist in material bodies, and we exist in time, we can change. Specifically, we can change our souls, our desires, our wills. Time, in fact, is defined primarily by change.

The angels exist in heaven (or hell) outside of time. Their wills are fixed either for or against God. There is no change outside of time.

IMHO.

 

[Charles_Darwin]

Because God exists outside of time. He created time - time is a creature. Imagine it like a movie. You exist outside of the movie. You can watch the whole thing and memorize every word of it. You can watch any part of it and know what is going to happen. You know all the characters before you watch it again. The main difference is that the “characters” in God’s creation write their own life stories, although God can and does intervene in order that His plan be accomplished.

If god is outside time how can he watch the movie?

 

[ricmat]

If god is outside time how can he watch the movie?

That’s like asking “How can God watch the movie if he is not in the movie?” How do you watch a movie without being in the movie?

 

[liquidpele]

That’s like asking “How can God watch the movie if he is not in the movie?” How do you watch a movie without being in the movie?

If he’s not in the movie, how is he relevant to those in the movie?

 

[ricmat]

If he’s not in the movie, how is he relevant to those in the movie?

We’re going way off track here. And perhaps we’re trying to take an analogy way beyond it’s initial purpose. But to continue…

The producer of the movie orchestrates the locations, set, costumes, music, etc. He is obviously connected to the movie, although he is not in the movie. To continue with this analogy, the producer for this movie would create the actors, put them on the set, put some initial guidelines for the script in place - and some rules for them continuing to create the ongoing script on the fly, and then yell “action, cameras!” (or whatever it is that they yell). And perhaps he yells “cut” occasionally in order to tell the actors that they’re not going down the right path.

Of course, this is an analogy and no analogy is perfect, although sometimes they help

 

[Betterave]

If he’s not in the movie, how is he relevant to those in the movie?

Good question/point. The meaning of the incarnation is that God does take a role in the movie. Not that that conflicts with the rest of the analogy, which, again, is just an analogy.

As for the impossibility of angelic repentance, angels are composed of form and being, i.e., they are pure created intelligences. This means they do not participate in making themselves other than by the perfect exercise of their wills - all or nothing. Human beings are composed of matter and form (body and soul), where matter is a principle of potentiality. As opposed to the pure intelligence of the angels which is always fully actualized, man’s intelligence begins as a blank slate and it is man himself in his concrete historical conditions who cooperates in making himself, i.e., in forming his own intellect and will and making his way towards truth and love (ultimately God). Thus man’s potentiality can be actualized in different ways and is actualized only in a historical process. Thus he can move both towards God and away from God in his historical existence (unlike angels).

God bless.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Hello,

I remember reading a great bible quote from the OT or Hebrew Scriptures. The paraphrase went something like God knows you before you are even born. How does God know this when my very existence is not even apparent?

Also, why would he create anything?

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

Any answers?

God Bless

Didn’t anyone catch this?

I bolded it because no one caught this.

Define reject, then we can continue I guess.

 

[Betterave]

Didn’t anyone catch this?

I bolded it because no one caught this.

Define reject, then we can continue I guess.

I’m pretty sure fish just means can sin mortally, but still repent and be saved (in contrast to angels, i.e., pure spirits).

 

[StrawberryJam]

I’m pretty sure fish just means can sin mortally, but still repent and be saved (in contrast to angels, i.e., pure spirits).

Here is what I am going on:​

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

---

Rejection of God, is Rejection of God. If one repents, there is no Rejection of God anymore.

 

[Betterave]

Here is what I am going on:​

Finally, why are human beings the only creature that can reject God but still enter heaven?

---

Rejection of God, is Rejection of God. If one repents, there is no Rejection of God anymore.

No past rejection of God even?