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GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE
The Bible teaches that God knows everything. He always has known
everything. Acts 15:18 says, “Known unto God are all his works from the
beginning of the world.” His knowledge includes all things down to the most
minute detail. The Bible also speaks of God's foreknowledge. But God's
foreknowledge is another thing entirely.
Foreknowledge is not God's knowing things ahead of time. Nor is it that
He looks down through time and foresees what is going to happen. The verse above
proves that it is not necessary for God to 'look ahead' and learn what is going
to happen. God does not need to learn! For example, He does not need to look
ahead to learn who will believe and who will not.
God's foreknowledge is always spoken of in the Bible as having to do with
people. For example, Paul wrote that God had not cast away the people of Israel:
his words are, “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew,”
(Romans 11:2). Immediately following a favorite Bible verses is one which is
much misunderstood, much ignored and much hated by some. This verse proves that
God foreknew certain individuals – the ones He loves. Here are those two verses:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. 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,” (Romans 8:28-29). Everyone loves the
first verse because it gives them comfort when trouble and distress come. The
question is, do we love the second also?
Notice that second verse says, “For whom he did foreknow...” The word
“whom” requires us to believe that foreknowledge has to do with individuals
because the context
speaks of “them
that love God,” also described as “them who are the called.” The Bible also
teaches that there are individuals whom God has “called.” But that is another
subject and space forbids going into that here.
So we understand from the Bible that while God knows everything He only
“foreknew” certain individuals: those whom He “called” - called to salvation.
These “he also did predestinate” to be like Jesus. These are great and humbling
truths. That is one reason that sinners do not like them. They do not like being
humbled. They do not like being forced to fall upon their faces before a God who
not only knows all things, but who is also in control of all things including
their everlasting destiny.
But those who have been regenerated - “born again” or as the King James
margin says, “born from above” - Ah! They have a different view of God's
foreknowledge. They, knowing their great sinfulness, are humbly thankful that
God foreknew them and predestinated them to be like the Lord Jesus. Why? They
have no hope in themselves. This, too, is a work of God in those whom He
foreknew.
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