Dimensions: Length, width & height of something in space… (As well as Time.)
- Length: The extent of an object from end to end along a line.
- Width: The extent of an object from side to side.
- Height: The vertical extent of an object from bottom to top.
SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS
The Spirit dimension is a realm that provides energy, consciousness, and goes beyond earthly matter. The heavenly dimension offers a perspective that goes beyond earthly limitations and sees reality from an eternal, all-knowing viewpoint.
Spiritual Length
… represents God’s eternal nature.
There is no beginning or end with God; He stretches infinitely in both directions. Length points to God’s everlasting love that knows no bounds. The depth and profundity of one’s connection to higher spiritual dimensions is characterized by expanded awareness, wisdom, and the direct realization of one’s identity as the deathless Self. The longer one’s spirit grows, the closer one comes to the goal of perfect self-realization and unity with the Divine.
Spiritual Width
… signifies God’s all-encompassing presence.
God is wider than we can comprehend, surrounding us on all sides. Width symbolizes God’s omnipresence, indicating that he is present everywhere at once. The evolution of consciousness goes from a narrow identification with form to the expansive, inclusive awareness of nondual truth and unbounded presence beyond all limitations.
Spiritual Height
…reminds us of God’s lofty nature, high above all creation.
Height points to God’s holiness and the great heights we can rise to in Christ. The height of spirit soars above all earthly things. Height refers to exaltation, supremacy, and transcendence.
Perspective Determines Belief
Perspective: The lens through which we view the world and our place within it.
When it comes to Calvinism and Arminianism, there are two main dimensions of perspective as defined above:
The Divine Dimension Heavenly Dimension (Bird’s-eye/The Big Picture):
(Ethereal/ Heavenly)
This is God’s perspective from outside of time and space. From this heavenly viewpoint, God sees all of history and human choices from start to finish. Salvation looks like a divinely determined election since God chooses who will be saved. This perspective prioritizes God’s sovereignty over all things.
The Earthly Dimension (Human Perspective, Not Bird’s-eye View):
(Human/ Worldly)
From our limited earthly perspective, we believe humans have the freedom to make choices and respond to grace offered for salvation. This perspective emphasizes the importance of human decision-making over God’s Sovereign Destiny.
God’s wisdom is perfect, but human wisdom is limited: We must acknowledge that “God’s ways are higher than our ways” (Isaiah 55:9).
LENGTH
The length of God refers to his eternal and everlasting nature. Scripture speaks of God’s eternity in passages like Psalm 90:2: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
LENGTH: CALVINIST PERSPECTIVE
God’s length – his duration without beginning or end – points to his transcendence of time and space. He is the Eternal One, unbounded by linear progression or dimensions.
So the “length” of God – points to eternity, immutability, independence, perfection & self-sufficiency. God’s “long” duration signifies his spanless and unconditioned being, utterly free from the constraints of space and time that bind all creatures; God’s length reflects the infinite “brevity” of his changeless and complete eternity. He “is” – without succession, progress or persistence of being.
St. Augustine spoke of God’s eternity as an “eternal present” where past, present and future exist simultaneously. This “length” without succession reflects God’s timeless and immutable nature. For Augustine, creation “emerges” from God’s eternal Now into linear time.
LENGTH: ARMINIAN PERSPECTIVE
Arminians argue that God’s predestination is “conditional;” it depends on whether individuals choose to have faith and persevere in that faith. Length then results from a synergistic partnership between divine grace and human volition, with individuals playing an active role in determining the extent of their own Length,
WHY ARMIAN PERSPECTIVE IS FLAWED
Misunderstanding God’s sovereignty: Human choices do not influence God’s plans. He is the ultimate authority, ordaining all things according to His will without adaptation. God is self-sufficient and doesn’t depend on creation for fulfillment. God’s independence is weakened if human actions influence Him. However, the Eternal One is completely self-existent and independent, not dependent on anything.
WIDTH
The comprehensiveness, vastness and all-encompassing nature of God…
WIDTH CALVINIST PERSPECTIVE
The width of God points to truths about his omnipresence and omniscience – his infinity and immensity that encompasses all things. Everywhere we turn, we exist within the breadth of his being and knowledge. This divine width both secures and upholds creation, enabling God to be fully present in each person yet embracing all as one. The width of God is the infinite spatiality of the spiritual realm, revealing a perfect balance of uniqueness and unity in the divine Nature.
WIDTH ARMINIAN PERSPECTIVE
God’s width encompasses His omnipresence, omniscience, and omni benevolence. This showcases the perfect balance between His sovereignty and love for human freedom. He is fully present with each person in a unique way while also embracing everyone equally. His infinite knowledge includes all possibilities, respecting the choices of free beings. God’s omnipresence sustains human freedom and guides all for the greater good. It allows room for choice within His governance. This breadth of God’s being fosters a diverse and loving communion. From an Arminian perspective, God’s width exemplifies the harmony between divine unity and human diversity through His all-encompassing grace.
WHY I BELIEVE THE ARMINIAN VIEW OF WIDTH IS FLAWED
The Arminian perspective on the breadth of God’s attributes may be deemed insufficient in fully capturing the essence of qualities such as His absolute sovereignty, independence, and impeccable omniscience.
God’s will doesn’t bend to human choices. He exercises total control, including over “free will.” Contrary to the idea God’s foreknowledge depends on creatures, Scripture says God works all for His counsel. The notion God needs creation distorts His self-sufficiency.
Seeking to grasp divine mysteries, Calvinism strives to align with God as revealed – infinitely wise, sovereign over all, yet loving His creation according to eternal purposes formed within His perfect being.
HEIGHT
Referring to God’s altitude and elevation…
‘HEIGHT’ CALVINIST PERSPECTIVE
God’s lofty place expresses His complete sovereignty ruling all with uncontested authority and might. The higher God is “lifted up,” the more His glory fills His church – arousing our worship as beings made for honoring the matchless Creator. The height of God magnifies the majesty and worth of His holy Name.
HEIGHT ARMINIAN PERSPECTIVE
Height points to the potential within all humans to rise up spiritually through Christ. The focus is on God’s planned desire of grace to all humanity and our sole responsibility to accept it through faith. Salvation depends on our response to God’s wide offer and our exertion to climb the heights possible in Christ.
WHY THE ARMINIAN PERSPECTIVE OF HEIGHT IS FLAWED:
While Arminian theology highlights significant truths about God’s nearness and compassion, it ultimately falls short of doing full justice to the heavenly height and absolute sovereignty of the Most High as Scripture reveals.
That God somehow “adapts” to human choice or exists for creaturely communion diminishes His qualitative difference from and independence of creation. It implies the Exalted One needs or benefits from what is below, blurring the Creator-creature distinction.
The notion free human decisions lie outside God’s eternal decree and perfect foresight fails to honor God’s complete rule from on high – that His plans are sovereignly fulfilled according to the counsel of His will.
Though Arminianism rightly seeks to preserve human responsibility, it does so by lowering God from His rightful throne, reducing His attributes of wisdom, might, and glory.
A truly biblical view of the height of God must above all magnify the transcendent majesty and worth of His majestic Name, invoking our worshipful submission as beings made to glorify our great Creator above all else!
TIME
Time, as we perceive it, is a linear concept on Earth, but there is a deeper truth of an eternal now where all moments converge. This aligns with theories of multiple dimensions and suggests that our spirit is connected to a timeless divine essence. As consciousness expands, we aim to reach a perfect union with God’s timeless now. In this sacred realm, all possibilities coexist harmoniously, and through Christ, we can experience a taste of eternity.
GOD’S TIMELESSNESS DISPROVES FREE-WILL
The concept of timelessness and higher dimensions suggests that free will is an illusion. From a transcendent viewpoint, all events, including choices, are already fixed. Temporality exists only within creation, and the perception of free will is contingent upon a wider perspective. If higher dimensions exist, human freedom can only be relative and apparent, not ultimately real.
God exists beyond the spatial dimensions He created, transcending all dimensions from His exalted state.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the measuring line over it? Job 38:5
Calvinists assert that Scripture depicts God as sovereignly electing individuals for salvation “according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). From this perspective, human choice is subordinate to God’s choice. He chooses whom He wills based on His eternal purposes in Christ (2 Timothy 1:9).
Arminians stress that God “provides the means of salvation, but [humans] must freely choose to receive it”. They argue that if humans lack free will, we become “programmed automatons, not free moral agents” .
SCRIPTURES:
By grace you have been saved through faith; this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will..." Ephesians 1:4-5 "He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” [16] So then, it does not depend on the person who wants it nor the one who runs, but on God who has mercy." Romans 9:15-16
THESE THINGS ARE FOR SURE:
- God is sovereign, and all things work to fulfill His purpose.
- God grants us (on earth) wisdom and insight through His gifts, freely given according to His purpose. (James 1:5).
- We cannot earn these gifts through our own seeking, but instead, we receive them because God in His sovereignty has chosen to bestow them upon us (John 15:16).
- God opens the eyes of the blind, making those who were once dead in sin come alive to truth (2 Corinthians 4:6).
- Our longing for wisdom is itself a sign of His grace, a tender mercy that we in no way deserve (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- Our hope rests not in our own abilities, but solely on God’s free choice to show compassion and give understanding to those He has elected from eternity (Romans 9:11, Ephesians 1:4-5).
- All glory, honor, and praise belong to God, now and forevermore (Romans 11:36).
- All we can do is surrender to His will and purposes, seeking Him with a humble and grateful heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
- For apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
While there may be mysteries that we cannot fully comprehend, we should humbly trust in God’s purpose and provision for His people.
2 responses to “DIMENSIONS Of SPIRIT: Calvinism VS Arminianism”
The flaw with calvanistic view God as the source and motivation of every action makes him a murderer ,rapist and liar. No free will leaves only God’s will . The question of the masses is why has God done so much evil. Why did he kill my child. Calvanism promotes this accusation against The Loving Father.
God is sovereign over all of creation, as Romans 11:36 states, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.”
All things come from God, are sustained by Him, and exist for His purposes. He is the creator and sustainer of everything in the universe, both visible and invisible, as confirmed in Colossians 1:16-17:
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…All things were created through Him and for Him.”
It is important to clarify that God does not possess any negative characteristics, as He is the definition of good.
Instead, He is the all-encompassing Creator who can call evil into the picture to transform dark to light and brokenness into wholeness. He demonstrated this by using Satan to reveal Job’s unwavering faith in the face of immense suffering.
Though God allows , in Jobs case; He ordained, evil to be used, in this world, it is ultimately for the purpose of eradicating it, in the end.
As a loving and perfect Father, He separates and removes anything flawed, except what He has deemed part of His plan and purpose. We, as humans, cannot fully comprehend the true nature of evil and good, as God alone is the ultimate judge of reality and truth. Our understanding of suffering is limited by our materialistic perspective, but God sees beyond time and space. The suffering we experience during our earthly lives is insignificant compared to eternity, where God’s realm exists. Therefore, it is wise to refrain from judging Him based on our limited understanding. He can do all things.
Psalm 115:3 states, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.” This verse highlights that God is sovereign and has the freedom to do as He desires.
Ephesians 1:11 says, “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”
While the existence of evil is beyond full understanding, we know that God has permitted it for a greater divine plan that surpasses human comprehension. His plan extends beyond our limited perspective. As the arbiter of truth, God alone determines what is good and evil. We should seek to conform our view to the spiritual realm rather than relying solely on materialism to define God, who is spirit.
In all things, God remains sovereign. If He did not reign over all, including suffering, He could not be fully trusted with life. But as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, all authority belongs to Him. To God be eternal glory.
More examples of evil being used for God’s purpose include the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt, where God used their oppression to demonstrate His power through the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, ultimately delivering them from bondage and establishing them as His chosen nation. Another example is the exile of the Israelites to Babylon, where God used their exile as a means to judge idolatry and disobedience.
Think about the Plagues of Egypt. In the book of Exodus, God sent ten devastating plagues upon the people of Egypt to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. These plagues included the death of the firstborn children in every Egyptian household, regardless of their innocence or guilt.
Think about Sodom and Gomorrah. In the book of Genesis, God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their wickedness. Although there were presumably innocent individuals living in these cities, God decided to destroy them along with the guilty through the destruction of the cities by fire and brimstone.
Our God is loving, BUT we don’t decide what loving means, He does.