Existence precedes essence: the Philosophy 101 slogan of existentialists.
Protests from traditional philosophers: No, essence precedes existence.
Creationists say both and neither.
Essence precedes existence: God decreed what or who everything is before it is. Justification confers a status/essence, and is a pledge of what we will become.
Yet, existence precedes essence: We are becoming what we are .
We are what we are in God; our “essence” is in Him, and in Him we exist and move and have being.
And He is Alpha and Omega.
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