Divine Foreknowledge
Acts
If you would understand
the meaning of the word "foreknowledge" as it relates to God, you
must consult the Bible, not a dictionary. The meaning of the word is determined
by the Holy Spirit's usage of it. Here are four things the Bible teaches about
God's foreknowledge.
1. IN THE BIBLE THE WORDS "KNOW", "KNOWLEDGE",
AND "FOREKNOWLEDGE" MEAN MUCH MORE THAN "AWARENESS OF",
WHEN THEY REFER TO GOD. Though the word "foreknowledge" is not used
in the Old Testament, the word know is often used to describe God's gracious
favor of and affection for his people (Ex. 33:17; Deut.
2. GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE IS NEVER RELATED TO EVENTS, THINGS, OR
ACTS, BUT ALWAYS TO PEOPLE. God the father foreknew Christ as our Surety and
Substitute (Acts
3. THE BASIS OF GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE IS HIS OWN ETERNAL DECREE.
God's foreknowledge is not the cause of his decree, but just the reverse. His
decree is the cause of his foreknowledge. God's foreknowledge of Christ as our
Substitute was the result of his determinate counsel that Christ be our
Substitute (Acts
4. DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE IS A SOURCE OF GREAT COMFORT AND CHEER TO
GOD'S PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. If foreknowledge were nothing but what God foreknew
we would do or be by our own free-will, what comfort could we find in it? Thank
God, it is not so. But when we understand, according to the scriptures, that
God's foreknowledge is his immutable love and approval of us in Christ, our
hearts rejoice (II Tim.
Don Fortner