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GodÕs Foreknowledge

Romans 8:29

 

As it is spoken of and revealed in Holy Scripture, GodÕs foreknowledge implies four things.

 

Foreordination

GodÕs foreknowledge is his act and decree of foreordination. Peter tells us that we are Òelect according to the foreknowledge of God the FatherÓ (1 Peter 1:2). Babbling, will-worship Arminians jump on that statement and spit it at us with a snarl. – ÒThere, you see, election was GodÕs choice of us based upon his foreknowledge of our faith in him. He chose us because he foreknew we would choose him!Ó Obviously that is not what the Book of God teaches. That blasphemy would make GodÕs choice dependent upon our choice, and would run in the face of all the rest of divine revelation. Let no one trip you up with GodÕs foreknowledge. Election is a matter of GodÕs pure, free, sovereign, eternal grace

in Christ.

 

 

      We are not left to guess and speculate about this. The very same Greek word which is translated ÒforeknowledgeÓ in Romans 8:29 and 1 Peter 1:2 is translated ÒforeordainedÓ in 1 Peter 1:20. There Peter tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ Òverily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.Ó Foreknowledge includes both determination and control. The Lord Jesus Christ, Òas a Lamb without blemish and without spotÉverily was foreordained (foreknown) before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for you.Ó On the Day of Pentecost, Peter said exactly the same thing about the death of our Savior (Acts 2:23). The Son of God was crucified by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God the Father; and we are his people by that same determinate counsel and foreknowledge.

 

Everlasting Love

GodÕs foreknowledge of his elect is his everlasting love for us in Christ. I repeat: GodÕs foreknowledge is of people, not of things. The text reads, Òwhom he did foreknow,Ó not Òwhat he did foreknow.Ó This foreknowledge is GodÕs everlasting love for his elect (Jeremiah 31:3; John 17:23). God knew his elect from eternity as he knew no one else. He knew us in Christ with love and affection, took infinite delight and pleasure in us, and found satisfaction and complacency with us. GodÕs foreknowledge is his special, distinguishing love for his own elect from eternity. On the Day of Judgment, the Lord God will say to all those workers of religious iniquity on his left hand, ÒI never knew youÓ (Matthew 7:23). That does not mean he never knew who they were, where they were, or what they did. It means he never knew them as he knows his own elect. That is to say, ÒI never loved you. I never knew you with that distinguishing knowledge of love with which I know my own.Ó

 

Divine Approval

 

Divine foreknowledge is divine approval. ÒThe Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perishÓ (Psalm 1:6). The Lord God owns and approves of the way of the righteous. And when the Lord Jesus says, ÒI know my sheep,Ó he is saying ÒI own and approve of my sheep as mine; and he did so from eternity (Ephesians 1:6). The Triune Jehovah approved of his elect in Christ from eternity and accepted us in him with everlasting, immutable approval and acceptance.

 

Infallible Security

GodÕs foreknowledge of us is our eternal infallible safety and security in Christ. It is written, Òthe foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are hisÓ (2 Timothy 2:19). Think of it. ― If you are a child of God, if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you were known of God from eternity, loved, chosen, owned, approved of, accepted, and secured in Christ according to his eternal purpose of grace! You are one of those Òwhom he did foreknow!Ó We who believe God, all who have experienced his free, saving grace in Christ, rejoice in and give thanks to God for that blessed foreknowledge which is our election. How I thank God for electing love!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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