FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD
(Unedited)
Revised
By Nick Bibile
Many believe that God looked into the future and saw who would believe in Christ, and those who believed God predestined and elected them. This kind of teaching contradicts scripture and the nature of God. We need to see this from the perspective of God and not the perspective of man. The difficulty arises when we try to analyze things from our limited minds. We are creatures of time. But God is eternal, he lives forever. He is not bound to time. God does not have past, present and future. He is the great "I am".
Romans 8:28-30
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according go His purpose. 29) For whom He fore knew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30) and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
'For' indicates that verses 29-30 are the foundation for verse 28. They give reasons why we can
KNOW all things will work together for those who are called according to God's purpose.
In these few verses, we see the great doctrines of election and predestination and effectual calling and justification and glorification
The Greek word for foreknowledge is proginosko. The medical word prognosis is connected to this word. Prognosis is a prediction concerning the future course of decease, based on diagnosis. This word does not appear in the Old Testament but appears seven times in the New Testament, and it relates to God’s foreknowledge. What do you mean by foreknowledge?
The meaning
The word foreknowledge does not appear in the Old Testament, but when the word, "know" is used in connection with God, it means to "choose" or "set favor upon" or "acknowledge” It is those whom he chose or set his favor upon. Here are some texts to show this meaning of "knowing."
"I know you by name" (Exodus 33:17) "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." (Jeremiah 1:5) "You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day I knew you." (Deut. 9:24)
Romans 11: 2, Gen.18:17-19, Hosea 13:4-5, 1 Cor. 8:3, 2 Tim. 2:16-19
Whom he fore knew he also predestined,” means that God appointment the destiny of
his people, based on his prior election, and this election is not based on any foreseen faith that we could produce. The plan of redemption was never conceived to include the saving power of human self-determination.
The Arminians add human faith into the doctrine of foreknowledge in order to fit the pattern of their theological system. As a result, foreseen faith is blended into foreknowledge. Faith cannot be the cause of foreknowledge as foreknowledge is before predestination, and faith is the effect of predestination.
Acts 13:48 say, "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Also foreknowledge is not based on good works, as Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." As you see these are the effects of predestination.
Foreknowledge in Scripture Refers to the Persons and not to their Actions
The Word foreknowledge appears only a few times in the New Testament, and it is never used in connection with action of the person but to the person. God did not elect you because he foresaw of your repenting and believing. It is true that God knew that some would repent and believe on him, but that is not what the scripture is referring to God’s foreknowledge. God knew the persons who will be saved. He is not looking to the actions of the people in salvation. Let us look some scripture on foreknowledge and it will be very clear to you that the word foreknowledge refers to the persons and not to their works.
Acts 2:23
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Paul is not speaking of God’s foreknowledge of the action of crucifixion, but the person crucified: "HIM (Christ) being delivered…"
Romans 8:29
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Whom he foreknew referring to persons and not referring to their actions on what they did)
Romans 11:2
"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? How he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying," (foreknew are the people and not refering to their actions on what they did)
1 Peter 1:2
1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world,
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and
sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he
has given us.
Who are elected according to the foreknowledge of the Father? The previous verse tells us, strangers scattered.
Again, it is referring to persons and not to their foreseen acts.
Peter tells us that his readers are "God's elect, strangers in the world." That word translated with he
phrase "strangers in the world" is the Greek word parepidemos. It means, "one who comes from a
foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives." Aliens, sojourners.
People who are from somewhere else and only living in the strange land for a short while. Peter's
readers are aliens, because they are true residents of heaven. How do we know that? Because Peter calls them (literally in the Greek) "elect aliens." God has chosen them before the foundations of the world to be his. Therefore, their real home is heaven. Always has been, always will be.
God Foreknew the Persons Because He Elected them
.
God did not elect us because he fore knew, but the truth is he fore knew because he elected us. First God chooses, that is, he unconditionally sets his favor on whom he will, then destines them for their glorious role in eternity
Let us see very briefly the context of Romans chapter 8
No condemnation for the Christian. (Verse 1)
Christ is in us, and controlled by the Spirit of God. (5-11)
We are in the Family of God through adoption. (15-17)
Sharing in Christ's sufferings. (17-27)
The Christian is already chosen and elected by God; we are in the family of God, led by the Spirit of God, Christ in us and suffer in Christ. Before the foundation of the world God knew that, his Son will die for his people on the cross. It is not an after thought of God to send his Son into the World, as he is the author of life, meaning he is the one who wrote the book, he is the architect and the planner, the designer. Our life is already written in the book.
In fact, Charles Spurgeon (that great preacher and theologian from the 1800's) has said:
Whatever may be said about the doctrine of election, it is written in the Word
of God as with and iron pen, and there is no getting rid of it. To me, it is one of
the sweetest and most blessed truths in the whole of revelation, and those who
are afraid of it are so because they do not understand it. If they could but know
that Lord had chosen them, it would make their hearts dance for joy.
He predestined us so that we would be conformed to the likeness of his Son. (29) He is the firstborn and we are his brothers. (John 12:23-24) Those he called, he justified. God declared the believing sinner righteous on behalf of the righteousness of Jesus. Glorification is the ultimate and the final blessing for the saved.
http://www.sounddoctrine.net/Nick/foreknowledge.htm
