God's Foreknowledge Of Our Sin     

Isaiah 48:8

 

     Election could not have been based upon some foreknown goodness in the elect because there is no goodness in any unregenerate person to be foreknown! However, the Word of God does declare that God foreknew something about his elect. He foreknew our sin! He says, "I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb."

     The accusations of this text are levelled not against Babylon whom God was resolved to destroy, but against Israel whom he was resolved to save. He knew that the people he had chosen, sanctified for himself, and redeemed would be a sinful people from the womb and that even after his grace had done so much for them, they would continue to be a very treacherous people. But the text must not be left there, as if it had no bearing upon us.

     This is God's word to you and me! God knew all that we would be and do. Yet, he purposed to save us, and he never swerved from his purpose. He never ceased to be gracious toward us. The teaching of this text is that MAN'S SIN DOES NOT IN ANY WAY PREVENT, DETER, OR HINDER GOD'S PURPOSE OF GRACE. He will be gracious to whom he will be gracious. Where sin abounds, grace superabounds.

     We must acknowledge the truthfulness of the charge made against us by our God. We have dealt very treacherously with him. We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ. Yet, we live, act, and think as though we belonged to ourselves! We professed faith in and allegiance to Christ as our Lord in baptism, but we have not lived up to our profession. Still, our God is gracious!

     How we ought to adore his grace! "He saw us ruined by the fall, yet loved us not withstanding all!" When election's eye first pitched upon us, when Christ came to redeem us, when the Spirit called us, the Lord God knew all about us. When he adopted us into his family he knew what treacherous sinners we would be! Our sin did not prevent his grace. And it is impossible to imagine that our sin will ever cause him to withdraw his grace!

 

 

Don Fortner