The Eternity of God

(Francis Turretin, highlights)

What Do We Mean by God’s Eternity?

When we say that God is eternal, we mean more than that He lives for a very long time. We mean that God has no beginning, no end, and no succession of moments. He does not move from past to present to future as creatures do. God simply is.

Scripture teaches this plainly:

“From everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
(Psalm 90:2, ESV)

God’s eternity means that His being is without limits of time. Time applies to creatures, not to the Creator.

God Is Without Beginning

All created things begin to exist. Angels began. The world began. Even time itself began when God created the heavens and the earth.

But God never began.

“Before Abraham was, I am.”
(John 8:58)

God does not say, “I was” or “I will be.” He says, “I AM.” This shows that His existence is not measured by time. He did not come into being; He always was.

If God had a beginning, then something else would have caused Him. But since God is the first cause of all things, He Himself cannot be caused. Therefore, He must be eternal.

God Is Without End

Just as God has no beginning, He also has no end.

“Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.”
(Psalm 93:2)

Creatures grow old, weaken, and perish. God does not. He does not decay, diminish, or run out of time. His life cannot end because it does not depend on anything outside Himself.

This gives great comfort: the God who promises salvation will never cease to exist. His covenant faithfulness is as eternal as His being.

God Is Without Succession (No Past or Future in God)

This is where Turretin is especially careful.

God’s eternity is not just endless time. That would still be time. Instead, God exists in one simple, eternal “now.”

For us:

• Yesterday is gone

• Today is passing

• Tomorrow is not yet

For God:

• Nothing is past

• Nothing is future

• All things are present to Him at once

“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
(2 Peter 3:8)

This does not mean God is slow or fast. It means time does not bind Him. He sees all events—past, present, and future—clearly and fully, without waiting for them to happen.

God’s Eternity Does Not Change Him

Because God is eternal, He does not change.

“For I the LORD do not change.”
(Malachi 3:6)

Change requires time. To change, something must move from what it was to what it will be. But God does not move through time. Therefore, His:

• Wisdom never improves

• Power never weakens

• Love never cools

• Promises never fail

God is always fully and perfectly Himself.

God’s Eternal Nature and Our Salvation

God’s eternity strengthens our faith.

• His election is eternal (Ephesians 1:4)

• Christ’s saving work has eternal value (Hebrews 9:12)

• Believers receive eternal life, not temporary hope (John 10:28)

Because God is eternal, our salvation does not rest on changing circumstances, but on an unchanging God.

Common Errors Turretin Guards Against

Turretin carefully avoids two mistakes:

1. Thinking God is merely very old
   This lowers God to the level of creatures.

2. Thinking eternity destroys real action
   God truly acts in history, but He does so without being bound by time.

God’s eternal decree does not cancel human responsibility. Instead, it establishes certainty without removing freedom.

Summary in Plain Words

• God never began.

• God will never end.

• God does not experience time like we do.

• God never changes.

• God’s eternal nature makes His promises unshakable.

The eternal God is not distant or cold—He is the unchanging refuge of His people.

“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
(Deuteronomy 33:27)