Hubby and I were chatting with someone this past weekend about life, and the person we were chatting with asked the honest, heart-felt question: “Are we in a simulation??”
I found that to be a fascinating question. Having watched my fair share of Sci-Fi movies, the natural response which arose in my mind was: “If we are in a simulation, outside of reality, then obviously a power greater than us, and outside the simulation, built the simulation.”
I am a Christian … therefore I believe that God is the power greater than us, outside of time and space.
God existed before this world was ever created. God will continue to exist long after this world is gone. God created this world. God created everything about this world. God created me and you (all of us) … and placed us in this world he created.
Therefore, if we want to think of it as a “simulation” … yes, absolutely we are in a “simulation.” God created the “simulation” of this world. God created everything about this “simulation.” God created the “simulation” of time and space in which we live.
Yet God is outside the “simulation” of time and space.
God is over and above this “simulation” of the world we live in.
And God chose to place each one of us in this “simulation” of time and space, at this exact place in human history.
Each person is given a brief chance inside the “simulation” of time and space.
“The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; … for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” – Psalm 90:10
God exists outside of the “simulation.” God exists in what is true reality.
We can’t see God right now … because we are in the “simulation.” (so to speak) But once our time in the “simulation” comes to an end we will enter the true reality where God exists as well as thousands upon thousands of angels and heavenly beings.
In the true reality where God exists there are two realms: Heaven and Hell.
It is God’s desire for everyone in the “simulation” to live with him forever in Heaven. But God will not force this upon people. God gives people the opportunity to choose for themselves.
While we have our brief moment in the “simulation” (“70 or 80 years” as Moses stated in Psalm 90:10) we have the choice to accept God’s free gift of salvation, repent of our sin, and live with him forever in the true reality, in the realm of Heaven.
Or we also have the choice to reject God’s free gift of salvation, refuse to repent of our sin, and reject his offer to live with him in Heaven. If we make this choice, then when our time in the “simulation” comes to an end we will enter the true reality and continue to exist forever in the realm of Hell.
The choice is ours.
How do we know we are in a “simulation”??
Because God tells us in the book he wrote for us – the Bible. The Bible tells us (in the very first chapters) all about how God created the “simulation” of this world that we live in. Genesis, chapters 1 & 2 tells us very clearly exactly how God made this “simulation” that we live in.
Genesis chapter 3 explains to us why this “simulation” has so many problems in it. Sin. The very first people God placed in the “simulation” chose to rebel against God and reject God. This brought sin into the “simulation.” Now everything which was once perfect is broken and doesn’t function as it should.
God is outside of the “simulation.” The angels and heavenly beings are outside the “simulation.” But every now and then the angels enter into the “simulation.” As we read the Bible, we see example after example of heavenly angels entering into the “simulation” at different times in history. (see Genesis 18 & 19; see also Daniel 9:20-23, and Daniel 10; see also Revelation chapters 6, 7, 8)
Not only that, God himself [Jesus Christ] entered into the “simulation.” Is that not mind-blowing?!?
“Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God … made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself …” – Philippians 2:5-8
God exists outside of the “simulation” … and one day the “simulation” will come to an end. Every person who has ever lived in the “simulation” will stand in the true reality before God who created the “simulation.”
Every person will give an account before God of how they spent their time in the “simulation.” Did they use their time wisely in the “simulation”?
Did they obey what God instructed them to do during their time in the “simulation”? Or did they choose to live their own way, doing whatever they wanted and whatever pleased them during their time in the “simulation”?
“It is appointed for people to die once, and after that to face judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10
Every person will come before Jesus Christ for the final determination of where they spend forever in the true reality – either in the realm of Heaven with God … or in the realm of Hell separated from God.
“When the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’ …
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ …
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” – Matthew 25:31-46
So back to the discussion hubby and I were having with someone this past weekend … and the honest, heart-felt question of: “Are we in a simulation??”
If you want to think about it as a “simulation” … yes, absolutely! Absolutely we are living in a “simulation” of time and space in this beautiful world God created.
While we have our brief moment in this “simulation,” we have been given the choice to either accept God’s free gift of salvation … or reject God’s free gift of salvation. We have been given the choice to either obey God with our life … or rebel against God with our life. The choice is ours.
Eventually the “simulation” will come to a final end. And each one of us will spend forever in the true reality outside of this “simulation” of time and space on this beautiful world. We will spend forever in the true reality where God exists.
