why did god do it?

Originally posted by stellspalfie
what did god do with his time before he created everything? what made god do it? what does god get out of it? what will god do when its all over? if you create some thing can you do what you want with it? if you create something are you the boss of it? does god have emotions? if so are his emotions similar to humans? does god ever wonder where he/she came from?

could somebody help me with these questions.

I tend to give replies

what did god do with his time before he created everything?

My opinion is that we limited human beings probably have a perception about time in which things do not make sense unless we ask such questions.


In the Bible we are told that God "purposed in Himself" (Eph. 1:9) .

We are told He "chose is in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4).

Since this is a activity in God "before the foundation of the world" it strongly implies that FIRST God had this desire. And then based upon this desire He then created the universe or laid "the foundation of the world".

We are told those thus saved were designated before the creation for "sonship".

We are told these ones are to be "holy and without blemish before Him in love" (1:4)

We are told that God predestinated some human beings to be His sons with His own eternal life:

"predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."

So before creation there was a good pleasure in God, a purposing in God, a plan for sons of God, a designating within God that some humans would be God's inheritance. And that mutually they would also inherit God.

"In whom also we were designated as an inheritance, having been predistinated according to the One who works all things acccording to the counsl of His will." (v.11)

We are also told that God prepared certain good works for the sons of God to walk in and walk according to, becoming His MASTERPIECE or POEMA [Greek].

"For we are His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand in order that we would walk in them."

My opinion is that these "good works" probably are infinite in number and extent from the earth into all the universe and for eternity.

But it appears that based on these things, these plans, this purpose, this kind of counsel of God's will, that He then went on to create the universe for the sake of His plan:

" ... for You have created all things, and because of Your will they were, and were created." ( Rev. 4:11)

what made god do it?

I believe that because we are made in the image of God, our need for enjoyment somehow reflects the need in God for enjoyment. As the greatest LIFE God has the greatest desire for enjoyment.

The Bible concludes with a "marriage" of an corporate and collective entity with Christ. The indication should be that our desire to come together with a counterpart and a "other" to match us for romance is somehow God's way to communicate His own desire.

He sought a corporate, collective humanity as His counterpart and "wife".

Individually they are sons of God. Collectively together they are a Bride and a Wife of God.

I believe first God has this desire, makes this plan, and based upon this desire and plan then created the universe.

what does god get out of it?

A counterpart, sons, children who share His life and nature. He obtains a living house as a corporate "dwelling place of God in spirit". He obtains a house of God - a collective entity within whom He lives and is manifested to what other creatures in the universe He desires to display Himself.

He obtains a collective Spouse - a Bride of sorts and a Wife of sorts. These are symbols that God has chosen to portray to us His desire. Revelation 21 and 22 as the climax of the Bible is a place where you may see all these things.

Sons, a house, a temple, a living temple and habitation of God, a Bride and Wife along with complete universe in which righteousness dwells.

"But according to His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13)

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea is no more." (Rev. 21:1) [meaning death is no more ]

"And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (v.2)

That is a "city" as a corporate and collective "bride" coming out of the source of God Himself. This is God mingled with and united with man to produce a corporate expression of His divine glory - sons of God who collectively as a "city" a kind of romantic counterpart to God Almighty for eternity.

what will god do when its all over?

I don't know if I can think of it really being "over" in that sense.
Eternal life is not "over".
And for all intents and purposes we can hardly detect a limit to the universe.

Perhaps we should think of Isaiah's prophecy in a literal way as a kingdom extending with no end -

"To the increase of [His] government and of [His] peace there is no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in justice and righteousness from now to eternity ..." (See Isah 9:6,7)

if you create some thing can you do what you want with it?

It seems that God is God. Yet we seem to have a will to decide for or against Him being God.

if you create something are you the boss of it?

I think that God is the ultimate Governor. I think He created being who have a free will to decide for or against all that He is.

does god have emotions?

I believe I would have to say yes. For God is love and love is an emotion.
I don't think that means God is nothing BUT emotion. He has other attributes.

if so are his emotions similar to humans? does god ever wonder where he/she came from?

Since we are created in the image of God ( Gen. 1:26,27 ) what we are casts some light on what God is.

God finally manifests Himself in Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

"The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us" (John 1:14)

could somebody help me with these questions.

I think God wants us to know Him. I think He wants us not simply to know ABOUT Him but to KNOW HIM. I met God when I opened my heart and prayed that the Lord Jesus Christ would forgive me and become Lord of my life.

That is when I really began to know God .... not just know some information (right or wrong) ABOUT God. He loves us and want so join Himself to us and bring us into an intimate enjoyment of Himself in Christ.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
what did god do with his time before he created everything? what made god do it? what does god get out of it? what will god do when its all over? if you create some thing can you do what you want with it? if you create something are you the boss of it? does god have emotions? if so are his emotions similar to humans? does god ever wonder where he/she came from?

could somebody help me with these questions.

Isn't the 'eternal' god supposed to exist outside of time? Maybe the creation of time was the first step in his great experiment? That would obviate the concept of 'before' and 'after', wouldn't it?

If he's unique and it's all his creation, who's to say he can't do what he wants with it? He made all the rules didn't he?

It's difficult to imagine that the motivation to create a universe containing intelligent beings could arise without any sort of emotional prompt even if it's just curiosity.

Not saying I believe any of this stuff, but it's interesting to consider.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Isn't the 'eternal' god supposed to exist outside of time? Maybe the creation of time was the first step in his great experiment? That would obviate the concept of 'before' and 'after', wouldn't it?

It would also obviate the concepts of 'first step' and 'create'.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
what did god do with his time before he created everything? what made god do it? what does god get out of it? what will god do when its all over? if you create some thing can you do what you want with it? if you create something are you the boss of it? does god have emotions? if so are his emotions similar to humans? does god ever wonder where he/she came from?

could somebody help me with these questions.

Everything about God is eternal.

The material creation is eternal...... meaning that God didn't suddenly think oh I shall create earth.

The earth that you are standing on has been coming and going for eternity............just like the circus comes to town every year since you were a child and is still coming to town and your 48 yrs old.

This earth and this universe is not the first earth or universe to exist..........but is the zillionth universe to exist and it will keep going on like this for eternity.

You have been born and died millions of times before and now you find yourself here questioning why.

However the planet we are on will go through cycles of partial annihilation and re-creation until the whole cosmos is wound up and finished altogether..........but then it will all become manifest again and be re-created as before.

Just like in society there is a place called jail...............well in the spiritual world there is a place called the material creation - for the living beings who want to be just like God and be independent from God.

God cannot make a living being independent from him - unless he brings the soul to a illusionary place called the material creation to pretend that he is the controller and is independent from God.

Every living being is totally dependant on God for everything and this can never change........but God gives any living being the opportunity to play at being independent in this material creation to full-fill his desire - but can only do it by offering a life in this illusionary temporary material creation.

It is up to every living being to live the true spiritual life presented in the Vedic teachings - and return back home to Godhead in the spiritual world.........and never return to this temporary world of birth, disease, old age and death.

Read my post called "Everything is perfect"

Originally posted by twhitehead
It would also obviate the concepts of 'first step' and 'create'.

How so?

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Isn't the 'eternal' god supposed to exist outside of time? Maybe the creation of time was the first step in his great experiment? That would obviate the concept of 'before' and 'after', wouldn't it?

If he's unique and it's all his creation, who's to say he can't do what he wants with it? He made all the rules didn't he?

It's difficult to imag ty.

Not saying I believe any of this stuff, but it's interesting to consider.

You may be challenging our human ability to think!

There are timeless things we talk about, like the number 5 (not its representation). Such timeless objects are thought of as unchanging over time; as they are independent of it.

Just to illustrate that this topic has chops, I refer you to:

http://www.jstor.org/pss/40021075

and

http://books.google.com/[WORD TOO LONG]

... which I am unable to cut and paste from.

Edit: The latter is "God, TIme, and Eternity" by William Lane Craig.

Found by google search on timeless objects god

Originally posted by JS357
You may be challenging our human ability to think!

There are timeless things we talk about, like the number 5 (not its representation). Such timeless objects are thought of as unchanging over time; as they are independent of it.

Just to illustrate that this topic has chops, I refer you to:

http://www.jstor.org/pss/40021075

and

http://books.goog ...[text shortened]... , TIme, and Eternity" by William Lane Craig.

Found by google search on timeless objects god

On the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, there is a very long and complex article by Gregory E. Ganssle. The title is God and Time. He has given enough differing views of all modern philosophers incl. Craig who have explored this topic. But be warned.You may sleep off the first few paragraphs or end up with a headache or conclude that philosophers are word smiths who may not know much about anything.