Metaphysics is another primary aspect of a world-view which deals with the nature of reality, also known as an ultimate reality. This branch of philosophy attempts to answer the question of “What is real?”, or what does reality consist of. Is reality an object that is shared among all things, is it completely spiritual, material, or a combination? When asking the question of what is real, it can be in the context of truth, human beings, freewill, the nature of God, the universe, or the relationships between these, to name a few. However, at it’s core, it is generally referred to as Ontology, or the study of being as being. Ontology asks, “What is there?”
Reality is a kind of truth, and truth is that which is, fact, and knowable. All things that have been, are now, and will be, both seen and unseen, are created by God from nothing. The heavens and the Earth were not eternal, are not self-sufficient, nor is there any co-existence between them and God. There is purpose in the universe and all that exists within it. All of creation is God ordained and God allows us to see how it works through science and philosophy. There is a dualism that makes up a human being, a soul and a physical body and very likely a triism, body, mind, and soul which gives us an identity. Miracles are possible and are caused outside of space and time, and are acts of God intervening in His creation. However, science alone does not have the tools necessary to prove or disprove the spiritual unseen world.
In simplest terms, reality is truth, and truth is that which is. That which is, is what exists, and our existence along with our thoughts are things that all men share allowing us to rationalize our existence. Our reality is knowable because we make use of the first principle along with solid reasoning to know what claims about reality are true. This first principle, known as the law of non-contradiction, is both unavoidable and self-evident. We understand that the universe was made from nothing as stated in Hebrews 11:3 and by Him in John 1:1-3. Additional supporting Scripture can be found in Genesis 1:1, Jeremiah 10:12, Isaiah 45:12, Job 38:4-6, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17, Isaiah 44:24, Genesis 1:3-2:3, and Psalm 33:6. This is why the first Words in Scripture start with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Time, space, and matter did not exist before the beginning of the world.
The word science comes from the Latin term scire which means to know. There is an implied order of knowledge that is required to infer proper conclusions. The discipline of science is grounded on first principles and the reasoning of philosophy. Science allows for us to investigate the physical world and reason for the reality in which we live, but again, science is not capable of answering philosophical questions in a way that logic does for mathematics.
The purpose of the universe is declared in Psalms 19:1 and John Piper expands on it’s purpose as planned from eternity as the revelation for his glory and that as the ultimate reason for the universe:
This glory would be supremely displayed in God’s grace. This grace would be supremely glorified in Jesus. And the apex of that glorification in Jesus would be reached when He was slain to save a people who would spend eternity magnifying the greatness of that grace.
In other words the universe was created for the glorification of God’s grace at Calvary, echoing through eternity in the Christ-exalting joys of the redeemed.
Piper, John. “Why God Created the Universe – For Good Friday” Desiring God, April 2011, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-god-created-the-universe-for-good-friday (Accessed: 2018-06-10)
Biblical Studies 