All Christians teach that God is eternal. They use the Bible primarily to explain why; but, what if someone needs a logical reason that is not based on the Bible. I wrote this article to show that, not only does the Bible teach that God is eternal; but, the normal logical mind can come to the same conclusion if reasoned.
This is by no means an infallible way to prove the existence of God. The following will merely explain why Christians believe God is eternal, outside of just quoting Bible passages.
Argument for why Christians believe God is Eternal
- Something Eternal (Infinite) Exists
PROOF:- Counting numbers forward or backward has no end.Negative and positive numbers prove there is no beginning or end.
- Flying out to space in a direction has no end. One would continue in the same direction forever.
- Molecules are smaller and there are infinite smaller increments you can go in matter. Matter infinitely goes smaller and smaller.
- An Asymptote is a line that can never touch an axis it just gets closer forever.
- The definition of the word eternal means without beginning or end. That which has no beginning or end is not created.
SC: Because quantities have no beginning or end; therefore, Eternity exists. Eternity is by definition, no beginning or end.
- Because the physical universe has a beginning and an end, existence as we know it is not eternal.
PROOF:- Everything dies, withers away, erodes, and stops living.
- Everything is in a state of Entropy or lack of order or predictability and a gradual decline into disorder.
- Stellar loss of planetary orbits discovered by science, the earth moving away from the sun, and the moon from the earth proves the physical universe had a starting point.
SC: All of the Physical universe has a beginning and end.
- Newton’s laws of motion
PROOF:- First law: If an object experiences no net force, then its velocity is constant: the object is either at rest (if its velocity is zero), or it moves in a straight line with constant speed (if its velocity is nonzero).
- Second law: The acceleration a of a body is parallel and directly proportional to the net force F acting on the body, is in the direction of the net force, and is inversely proportional to the mass m of the body, i.e., F = ma.
- Third law: When a first body exerts a force F1 on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force F2 = -F1 on the first body. This means that F1 and F2 are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
SC: According to Newtons laws, a force was required to start everything into motion. Cause and effect, something had to make/start/force the beginning of existence of non eternal matter.
- The only thing known to reason outside of physical (finite) is eternal (infinite).
PROOF:- Reason shows that things are either eternal or physical and nothing else
- Only whats eternal could have existed to force something into being. There is no other reasonable concept outside of eternal (infinite) or physical (finite).
- Since the physical requires (According to Newtons Law) to be put in motion, something at rest cannot put itself in motion, so only that which is eternal could possibly put the physical (finite) world into motion.
SC: The Eternal existence started the physical existence and motion of what causes life to begin. Christians call the Eternal (infinite) existence God.
- Because the physical world is so complex, God must be more complex in order to create it.
PROOF:- In order for an eternal (infinite) being to create everything, the eternal being would have to be able to think. If the eternal being couldn’t think or reason, then God would not have any idea to create or force things into existence. (We call the reason or mind of God the Father)
- Anything that thinks communicates one way or another that exerts force. (We call God’s communication the Word of God)
- The eternal being would need to have desires, feelings, and wants. If the eternal being had no desire, the eternal being would never want to do anything. (We call the desire or emotions of God, the Spirit of God)
- Everything that makes up what The eternal being is, (The “substance”, “subsistence” or whatever we can call the eternal beings nature”) is Eternal. Therefore, Christians call God eternal. God = Eternal
SC:Therefore God is a complex being who is Reason, Word, and Spirit. All three infinite, Eternal and one entity of nature; which is the basis of the trinity.
This is sufficient to prove why Christians believe God is eternal. Of course the Bible explains this in different ways; however, the form of proof I offered here is the logical reasoning behind the concept of God’s eternal nature.
The Nature of God from the Bible
The nature of God is not a difficult concept.
There is only one, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection. God is a spirit, invisible, immutable, eternal, loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth working all things according to the counsel of his own will and glory. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness of himself and is alone all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he has made. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. In his sight of God, all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him by chance or unforeseen. He is most holy in all his decisions, in all his works, and in all his commands. To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased to require of them.
Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 2 Of God and the Holy Trinity
God is not some mysterious being in outer space looking down at the world wondering why everything is not going his way. He controls and governs all things past, present, and future. Paul said,
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
(Act 17:24-27 NAS)