Predestination

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

(Romans 8:28-30) KJV

We need to tie together the scientific and Biblical rationalization of Matty’s Paradigm with the message of peace and comfort that the Bible has for those who love the Lord.

Let’s look at this idea of predestination. This passage is a great thing to remember whenever we suffer trials and experience what might be called life’s little set backs. We know, because the Bible makes it clear to us, that the unexpected downturns on life’s road are intended to help us build Christian character. Even so, it is easy to feel small, lost and forgotten about. It is easy to focus on the difficulty we face in this present moment rather than viewing the situation from the broader perspective.

So what’s this broader perspective? We find the same sentiment of Romans 8:28 placed in the broad context of creation here:

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

(2 Timothy 1:8-9) KJV

Whatever we may be facing in life we need to be mindful that God saved and called us according to his own grace and purpose which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began. Before the world began? What does that mean? What are we really talking about here? Well, we can get very specific about the timing here, by looking at how this same sentiment is phrased here:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

(Ephesians 1:4) KJV

The foundation of the world is not merely poetic language. In Matty’s Paradigm the foundation of the world is a specific physical thing: the original created instance of gravity around which the earth formed, which was the creative act of the second day. What these passages appear to be telling us is that our souls, our individual personalities, were all created in Christ Jesus before any other creative acts took place. Before God said “let there be light,” we all existed as nascent personalities. It would appear that God had been creating for some time before the narrative in the book of Genesis begins. God’s desire for companionship was so great that he created all of our souls before there was a way to physically manifest them. When God the Father and God the Holy Spirit conceived God the Son and begot water, that’s first mentioned in Genesis 1:2, was the conversation along the lines of:

• God the Father: Look, now we can make bodies for all of the souls we’ve been carrying. We will finally be able to have fellowship with all of the people whom we have created.
• Holy Spirit: You know what will happen if we do, right?
• Jesus Christ: It’s OK, I will pay the price.
• Holy Spirit: It’s going to be messy, and we’re not going to be able save them all.
• God the Father: Then we just stay here alone in space for ever.
• Jesus Christ: No, let’s create them. I’ll go down to them. We’ll save as many as want to be saved.
• Holy Spirit: This is going to hurt…
• Jesus Christ: It’s just temporary.
• Holy Spirit: I hope that you remember that when you’re dying on a cross.
• Jesus Christ: It’s why I’m going to the cross.
• God the father: Let there be light.

If we consider that we have been known of God since before the creation of the world, and the world was created specifically for us to purify us so that we can be united with God in the new heaven and new earth, surely we can endure whatever trials we face. Let’s face it, some of the things that get us all worked up are merely inconveniences, they’re not even trials. How many Christians in the USA have ever actually suffered persecution? That’s not to say that it isn’t coming. Just think that God has already known everyone of us for over 6,000 years and he’s patiently waiting until all things have come to pass so that we can be together forever.

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