The Christian believes the Bible is the written word of God. There are many who question the authority of the Bible and whether it is truly the word of God. We will also assume God inspired men to write these words on scrolls or parchments and these writings were kept safely for hundreds of years. These works were placed into one great work we now know as and call the Bible. This is the work containing the instructions for Christian belief and living.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. ~ John 1:1-2
There are many questions about the beginning and the origin of God that have been asked through time. Questions such as:
- When was the beginning? How long ago are we talking about?
- Did God have a beginning?
- Did God always exist?
- Who made God?
These are fair questions. Our minds lead us to question things we do not really understand or things that do not appear to fall within what we consider normal. In order to understand the answers to these and similar questions, it is helpful to recognize that the matter on which we live and the matter we are made up of will decay. The human being and all that is around us is subject to decay. As such, our thinking has been influenced by the reality that the physical things are temporary. We look around us and everything decays and dies. All living things are subject to decay and death. Decay and dying can also be witnessed in the non-living world. For example, concrete, when exposed to the elements, is subject to decay. And, though some steel can take up to 500 years to break down, it will eventually break down.
Our typical and limited human thinking is based on the belief that there is always a beginning and an end. As difficult as it is, I ask you to set aside our thoughts that all things have a beginning and an end, as that concept does not apply to God.
(Pause, and take a moment to reflect on this.)
God does not have a beginning or an end. He always was, always is, and will always be. God is not subject to our time. With God, “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by” (Psalm 90:4). When the Christian speaks about God as being “eternal” or “everlasting”, we are referring to God as not having a beginning or an end. God has lived forever and will continue to live forever. There is not a beginning, nor an end, for God.
In the book of John 1:1 and 2, it talks about two beings existing in the beginning. But when you think about the beginning, however far back that may be, the question comes, “Well, what existed before that point of time we call the beginning?” Again, our human limitations cannot think in terms of a time frame that is prior to the beginning.
Psalms 90:2 talks about God existing “from everlasting to everlasting” and compares God’s existence to the frail and short-lived existence of man. It talks about man being returned to the dust. I have found it easier to accept my human limitation and view the limitlessness of the existence of God as one of those things that is beyond my understanding at this time.
(Pause, and take a moment to reflect on this.)
I also view this as a WOW moment. Wow, how awesome is our God that He has always existed? Wow, how awesome it is to have lived all that time and what wisdom must He have gained along the way (assuming, as some do, that God learns)? As human beings, we look at our grandparents and for those who are fortunate enough, great grandparents, and admire the great wisdom they have accumulated over the 70, 80, 90, or even 100 years they have been alive.
We honor such a life full of wisdom and experiences. How much more can we honor the life of God who has always lived? Wow, how much can I learn from this individual? How many pitfalls can I avoid if I tap into such a vast pool of knowledge? After all, He has seen, observed and interacted with man from the beginning of man’s existence on this earth—WOW.
This article is an excerpt from Kenneth C. Barker’s book, The simplicity of the Gospel.
