I said don't care but thats not true. My question is God is God, why can't he exsist both in and out of time? I think God is beyond our understanding. Just like God can reside both in and out of us. And can be in all places at all times. We can't do this or undertand it but God is all powerful.

Obviously

Gen 1:1 KJVR
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

If's not true, I won't be a follower in the first place, lol

I read somewhere recently that Albert Einstein once said that time exists only to keep everything from happening at once.

God subjectively created time when He separated day from night, morning from evening (see Gen 1:5). However, God is not subject to time. Time exists only in the human realm. "Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day." (1 Pet 3:8)

SLE

Well said brother Ed. Gen 1:5 clarifies this nicely with 1 Pet 3:8 as you quoted.

This is an excellent article on GOD being infinite (and eternal)

What does it mean that God is infinite?

Meriam Webster Dictionary

Omnipresence
- present in all places at all times

Eternal
- valid or existing at all times : timeless <eternal verities>

Infinite
1: extending indefinitely : endless <infinite space>
2: immeasurably or inconceivably great or extensive : inexhaustible <infinite patience>
3: subject to no limitation or external determination
4 a: extending beyond, lying beyond, or being greater than any preassigned finite value however large <infinite number of positive numbers> b: extending to infinity

The theory of relativity, basically states that time is relative to light. Time passes slower the closer you get to the speed of light, the possibility is that if one could reach the speed of light time would cease. Now this is theory, so don't shout me down, I'm just repeating it.

So in trying to apply this to the topic, God is light, so God is not relative to time but rather time is relative to God, which means God is eternal.

I am not a science major, and I am sure there are many others here on this forum alone far more educated and intelligent than myself. Feel free to correct my understanding of the theory of relativity.


Colossians 1:9-17
9*For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10*that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11*strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12*giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13*who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14*in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15*who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16*for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17*and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Originally Posted by louis

[*]If God exists outside of time, He is able to see the entire continuum, past present and future, as if looking at a road from high enough up with perfect eyesight - you'd be able to see where it originates and where it ends and everything in between, and touch down on any part of it.

The truth will always bear witness to the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.

In this example you have given, I see it bearing witness to the Truth. Father looks at His Son, who happens to be the road (path) that leads from death to life. He sees His Son who is the Beginning and the End.

If God is outside of time and can see the entire continuum, past present and future then all our choices and actions are foregone conclusions to God. In other words, He knows exactley what choice your going to make tomarrow because from His "perspective" you will have already made it. This presents some problems for "free will." Do we really have the ability to choose or is it an illusion? From God's perspective, are we not just stuck on the train tracks of life with no real ability to deviate from the tracks? Or worse, Does God really have the ability to bring something forth different than what was already "seen" by Him millions of times? How much better to actually live, react, and relate in the present.


I guess the biggest problem for me is explaining how God can be personal or how He can have a relationship with man if He already knows everything aboslutely. I mean it would have to be like an actor performing a play in a theatre. He would be there saying/doing all the right things at the right times, but never really experiencing true emotions. It would be like forever knowing the punchline before the joke even began, and having to listen to it over and over. The movie Ground Hog's Day comes to mind. How long did it take before Bill Murray had experienced everything, knew everything about everybody, and was so bored with it all that he started trying to kill himself everyway possible.

To make it concise, explain to me how free will works in reguards to God's absolute knowledge of the future?

ok, I try my best

If i stick a Bowl of ice cream, A bowl of broken glass, and a Bowl of rocks in front of a young kid, which one are is he gonna take? Hes gonna take the ice cream. We know what he is going to choose before he chooses. even though we know his choice, we still give him a choice. We have to rely on God in Life to tell us which one is the Ice cream, Which on is the rocks, and which on is the broken glass.

I too would choose the ice cream but I think there is a flaw in your theory. You assume he is going to take the ice cream because of your knowledge of what is the most valuable and it would therefore seem the obvious best choice. Just like God desires for us to do what is right because it is of highest value. Reality is that we often choose something less than best. In Genesis we see Adam and Eve choose an apple over intimacy with God, in Exodus we see the children of Israel choose a golden calf over the presence of the living God. Man even tortured and crucified the Son of God who had done nothing wrong.

In Isaiah, God wonders why people didn't take the ice cream (make the right choice) as expected.
Isaiah 5:1Let me sing now for my well-beloved
A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard.
My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
2He dug it all around, removed its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine
And He built a tower in the middle of it
And also hewed out a wine vat in it;
Then He expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only worthless ones.
3"And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge between Me and My vineyard.”
4"What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?


In Genesis, why is He "striving with man?" Was it not all going as "foreseen?"
Genesis6:3 Then the LORD said, " My Spirit shall not strive with man forever,”

And why would God be sorry he had created man, and allow himself to suffer grief if He knew this was going to be the out come.
Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

It can even be seen where God is curious about how devoted we are to Him and tests man so he can experiencially know.
Genesis 22:12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Ultimately, just because you "know" somebody will choose something doesn't mean they will. It is not a reality until the choice is actually made. The future is full of possibilities, the present is reality, and the past is nothing more than memories. It is because of this very fact that we have a hope and faith of Salvation. Mercy and forgiveness stand on the hope that we won't get what is expected.

Originally Posted by jiggyfly

The theory of relativity, basically states that time is relative to light. Time passes slower the closer you get to the speed of light, the possibility is that if one could reach the speed of light time would cease. Now this is theory, so don't shout me down, I'm just repeating it.

Not trying to shut you down, just presenting an update. Einstein's theory has problems. His equation has the speed of light being the constant. i.e. - time is relative to light. However light is not a constant. The speed of light can be altered. It is Time that is the constant. No matter how fast you go, it still ticks away at the same pace.

You can search google and find that light has been slowed down to 38 mph, and has been pushed to speeds of 300 times over the normal speed of light.

Another thought. If Einstein's theory was true then the converse should be true as well. Time would pass faster the further you moved from the speed of light.