I have been pondering about the existence of time and how it functions lately and was wondering if someone could explain to me the reformed perspective on several things because right now it's not making much sense.
1) Were we created before the world? For instance maybe our spirits were created and just not yet placed in our bodies. I'm struggling with how we were elected if we had not existed yet.
2) Are there different timelines? not in the sense of different alternate versions of earth, but in the sense that there are different "Times" or timelines. For instance, It's always said God is outside of time, but frankly it's not making sense to me because if God is outside of time then how could he make a decision, such as election, or perform an action, such as the Son taking on flesh. When I think about it, there must have been a period of time when Jesus was not in the eternal realm (Right? or is that blasphemy?). So I'm wondering if there exists separate dimensions of time. For instance maybe we exist in Time A and God exists in Time B. i know this is very unorthodox and blasphemy because it essentially make God bound by Time, and therefore Time god. I am not advocating for this view, but am struggling with seeing another way for God to be outside of Time yet still making decisions and actions. I could understand (more like accept, not fully understand with my finite brain) if decisions were never not made, like they were always decided. But, I can't get over the period in which the Son was on earth and not in Heaven. it begs the view that God does exist in a cause and effect realm where time exists (but just maybe not how our time exists for instance it could have a different rate or not be running parallel to ours).
Thanks for your help
1) Were we created before the world? For instance maybe our spirits were created and just not yet placed in our bodies. I'm struggling with how we were elected if we had not existed yet.
2) Are there different timelines? not in the sense of different alternate versions of earth, but in the sense that there are different "Times" or timelines. For instance, It's always said God is outside of time, but frankly it's not making sense to me because if God is outside of time then how could he make a decision, such as election, or perform an action, such as the Son taking on flesh. When I think about it, there must have been a period of time when Jesus was not in the eternal realm (Right? or is that blasphemy?). So I'm wondering if there exists separate dimensions of time. For instance maybe we exist in Time A and God exists in Time B. i know this is very unorthodox and blasphemy because it essentially make God bound by Time, and therefore Time god. I am not advocating for this view, but am struggling with seeing another way for God to be outside of Time yet still making decisions and actions. I could understand (more like accept, not fully understand with my finite brain) if decisions were never not made, like they were always decided. But, I can't get over the period in which the Son was on earth and not in Heaven. it begs the view that God does exist in a cause and effect realm where time exists (but just maybe not how our time exists for instance it could have a different rate or not be running parallel to ours).
Thanks for your help