06 Salvation's Foundation in God's Sovereign Omniscience
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Introduction and Review
Introduction and Review
All of God’s attributes operate in symphony with one another and all are rooted in His infinite, personal character.
God is omnipresent.
God is omnipresent.
Omnipresence. God is infinite. He is everywhere at all times. He is everywhere present in all time (past, present, future).
God is omnipotent.
God is omnipotent.
Omnipotence. God can do anything, and He freely chose to create free, moral creatures.
So salvation is founded in God’s free, sovereign will.
God is omnibenevolent.
God is omnibenevolent.
Omnibenevolence. God loves everyone, but He never forces people to love Him (align with Him).
Salvation’s foundation in God’s infinite love.
God is omniscient.
God is omniscient.
Omniscience. God knows everything, and He never learns anything new.
Salvation’s foundation is in God’s sovereign omniscience.
God has a plan (because He is all-knowing).
God’s plan is the best plan (because He is all-wise).
God will complete His plan (because He is all-sovereign).
As we consider God’s omniscience, we come to God’s foreknowledge.
And perhaps the most controversial topic around salvation is the doctrine of election (or predestination).
What is Biblical election?
What is Biblical election?
In Scripture, there is overlap between the words: choose, chosen, elect, election, etc.
This is also often popularly called predestination.
The idea of “calling” is related (but that would better fit under a discussion of irresistible grace).
The Hebrew word for elect (בָּחִיר, bahir) is translated into the King James OT as elect, chosen ones, chosen, choose.
Calvinism and unconditional election
Calvinism and unconditional election
In Calvinism, election means that “God is the One who has predestined us to either eternal life or eternal destruction.”
Calvinism holds to unconditional, individual election. By unconditional, they mean not even the faith of the believer.
Wayne Grudem defined election this way.
“Election is an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.” ~Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 670
Verses used to support this understanding:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 - Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 - To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 - That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”
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. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
“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. 30 - Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Other verses include Acts 2:23; 13:48; 1 Peter 2:8; etc.
The Bible teaches predestination. No one who believes the Bible denies that fact.
There is no disagreement about the fact that God predestinates.
The disagreement arises over how God predestinates.
And I disagree with how John Calvin defined it.
“By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or death.” ~John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.21.5
What John Calvin is talking about is that God has unconditionally elected some people to be destroyed…
Strong Calvinism and unconditional election to destruction
Strong Calvinism and unconditional election to destruction
Reprobation is popularly called double predestination.
Edwin Palmer defined reprobation as…
“God’s eternal, sovereign, unconditional, immutable, wise, holy, and mysterious decree whereby, in electing some to eternal life, He passes others by, and then justly condemns them for their own sin—all to His own glory.” ~Edwin Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism, 95.
Instead, …
“How can the gospel call be given out as a well-meant offer to all if some have already been chosen by God for damnation and thus have no chance at all, whatsoever, of being accepted by God?” ~Roger Olson, Getting the Gospel Right, 111.
It was this idea of reprobation that caused the response to William Carey.
“When God pleases to convert the heathen He will do it without your help or mine!”
The heathen are reprobate, so there is no sense in use wasting time trying to evangelize them.
Unfortunately, Calvinism proponents respond to this by saying: “Who are we to question God?”
For instance:
“It is not within the creature’s jurisdiction to call [God] into question.” ~Steele and Thomas, The Five Points of Calvinism, 31.
Even John Calvin wrote that...
Those who reject the fact that God has destined the “reprobate” to wrath “that through them God’s glory may be revealed” as “foolish men [who] contend with God.” ~John Calvin, Institutes, 3.22.11; 3.23.2
So I want to point out is that …
while it is true that we should not call God into question (e.g. Job), …
this is not a defense for Calvinism.
Scripture highlights several Biblical elections
Scripture highlights several Biblical elections
Angel election | 1 Tim 5:21
Angel election | 1 Tim 5:21
21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Leader election | 2 Sam 21:6; Ps 106:23
Leader election | 2 Sam 21:6; Ps 106:23
Select, chosen leaders of Israel were called elect.
King Saul was chosen/elected by God.
6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lord did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
Moses was chosen/elected by God.
23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Messianic election | Isa 42:1-4; 1 Pet 2:6
Messianic election | Isa 42:1-4; 1 Pet 2:6
There is the election of the Messiah as the Savior of the world.
No other person or groups of people were capable of fulfilling this election.
Only Jesus fulfilled this role.
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, And the smoking flax shall he not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, Till he have set judgment in the earth: And the isles shall wait for his law.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Also, e.g. Isaiah 49:7-10; Luke 23:35
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, And let the people be assembled: Who among them can declare this, And shew us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: Or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, And my servant whom I have chosen: That ye may know and believe me, And understand that I am he: Before me there was no God formed, Neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord; And beside me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, When there was no strange god among you: Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
Witnesses is plural. Servant I have chosen is singular. I have chosen is the same word as elect in 42:1. Is Paul in Romans 9:10-11 rooted here?
Individual election of believers | Eph 1:4; 1 Thess 1:4; etc.
Individual election of believers | Eph 1:4; 1 Thess 1:4; etc.
Those who are elect in the body of Christ.
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
There several aspect for election of those in the body of Christ.
We are elect in the Son.
The corporate election of Israel led to the elect Messiah of God offering the people redemption.
Thus, the individual election of the believer can flow from the Messianic Election of Jesus Christ as their redeemer.
Ultimately, all of what we enjoy as believers is because we are in Christ.
Jesus is the Son of God. In Christ, I can be a son of God.
Jesus is the heir of all things. In Christ, I am a joint-heir.
Jesus lives. In Christ, I can live also.
And Jesus is elect. In Christ, I am elect.
Some have proposed the election in the body of Christ is a corporate election (as a means to argue against Calvinism’s unconditional individual election. But election into the body of Christ must involve individual election. For instance, corporate election can be lost by individuals in that body. The very clear example of this is the nation of Israel; as a corporate group, they were elected by God to be a blessing to all nations and people; but certain individual (or even generations of) Jews threw off that election individually. In Hosea 8:13-14, God was basically saying, “I’m sending you back to Egypt as slaves. You’ve lost the future connection you once had opportunity to enjoy.” A similar thing happened in Jeremiah’s day (Jer 42:13-21; 44:7-14). But also consider Romans 9:6-8; 11:7 in light of the potential to removed from corporate election.
And while election certainly has corporate, in-Christ elements, there is also an individual element to election as well. More on that in a moment.
Some view individual election as a linear decision of God.
God looked down the chasm of time and knew in advance what you would do, and since He saw that you would believe, He elected you (e.g. Acts 4:27-28).
But God is outside of time. Everything in Romans 8:28-30 is a simultaneous activity of God that was concurrent with the simple knowledge of God as the Eternal Now.
National election of Israel | Isa 44:1-2; 45:4; Rom 9
National election of Israel | Isa 44:1-2; 45:4; Rom 9
There is the election of Israel as the covenant nation of God.
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; And Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; And thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
God elected Israel to be the nation through which He would bless the world with redemption.
All other nations were excluded from this election.
In other words, through no other nation on earth would God bring salvation to the world.
This helps us understand what Paul is talking about in Romans 9.
Paul is referring to the national election of the nation of Israel.
?Read Romans 9:1-11?
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
But the reason that a Covenant theologian doesn’t view Romans 9:1-11 as about national Israel is because they believe that the church has replaced Israel.
In that view: The promises that God gave to Abraham and to Israel have been transferred to the church through Christ.
And if that’s the view, then our discussion is no longer soteriological; it has now become hermeneutical.
If the church has replaced Israel, then this does not explain this final election…
A future election out of the seed of Israel | Isa 65:9, 22-23; Rom 11
A future election out of the seed of Israel | Isa 65:9, 22-23; Rom 11
Personal note: what I’m about to say against Calvinism doesn’t apply to post-millennial or amillennial Covenant theologians. My argument here is based upon the belief that before the millennial reign, Christ returns with His saints to rule and reign (the dead in Christ). But again, if one disagrees with this, our discussion now become hermeneutical rather than soteriological.
9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, And out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: And mine elect shall inherit it, And my servants shall dwell there.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; They shall not plant, and another eat: For as the days of a tree are the days of my people, And mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, Nor bring forth for trouble; For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, And their offspring with them.
(c.f. Isa 65:15)
At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy…
This election was yet future.
This election involved a seed from the people of Israel (so while it was rooted in the election of Israel as the people of God, it was in addition to that).
This prophetic election occurs during a period of vibrant peace for the people of Israel living in Judah.
This yet future election from among the people of Israel involved physical descendents (“offspring”).
Conclusion: There is a future community of living elect in Jerusalem from among ethnic Israelites who produce offspring.
Some of what we believe about election is determined by whether or not we believe that the church has replaced Israel.
I want to suggest to you that Isa 65:22-23 makes no sense if the church has replaced Israel.
One. A person can only be made a part of the body of Christ by a spiritual birth, not by a physical birth (John 3:1-8).
Two. All of the dead in Christ who rise and return with Christ at His second coming will not produce physical descendents in resurrected bodies.
25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
This is clearly a living remnant of the Jews.
Jesus was clear that people in resurrected bodies would not marry nor be given in marriage.
Conclusion: Therefore, Isaiah could not be referring to the spiritual descendents of Christ.
So the election in Isaiah 65 would make no sense unless Israel remains, at least in some way, distinct from the church into a future period of vibrant peace for Jerusalem.
Not everything God planned for the election of Israel for all ages was fulfilled by Jesus, even if it is all provided by Jesus. So Jesus is the source of every prophetic fulfillment in Scripture, but Jesus is not the object of every prophetic fulfillment in Scripture.
This helps us understand what Paul is talking about in Romans 11.
Paul is contrasting the election of national Israel and the election of those in Christ.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
Covenant theologians come to Isa 65 and Rom 11 already believing that…
the church has replaced Israel…
and there is no prophetic future for a national Israel.
And this presupposition prevents them from seeing that two types of election can exist side by side in God’s economy. (In fact, all six of the elections I mentioned exist side by side (at some point in time, even though not right now.)
Transition.
There is so much that I cannot explain about election.
I believe that God is 100% sovereign and in control.
I believe that God sovereignly decided to create morally-free creatures.
How can God be sovereign and man be morally free at the same time?
I can’t explain that. I’m not sure that anyone can.
But here is what the Bible does say about Biblical election.
Three Bible truths about election
Three Bible truths about election
1. Biblical election always rests in God’s love.
1. Biblical election always rests in God’s love.
(Deut 4:37-39; 7:6-9; Rom 8:33-35; 11:32, 28; Eph 1:4; 1 Thess 1:4)
We’ve already covered God’s omnibenevolence.
Everything I am about to say presupposes you believe that God is omnibenevolent.
Love is not love that either overtly or covertly forces an unwilling participant.
“If God freely loves all His creatures and cannot force His love upon them, then there is one condition for receiving this love: the willingness to be loved.” ~Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology, 3:188.
But like the host on Reading Rainbow would say, “Don’t take my word for it.” …
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
37 And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; 38 To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day. 39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
I love how that verse demonstrated God’s love operating in concert with His sovereignty.
6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
These verses are about the national election of Israel.
The corporate election of national Israel was rooted in God’s love.
The individual election of believers is also rooted in God’s love.
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Whatever else you might say that election rests in,
you must admit that the Bible declares that
election rests in God’s love.
Election is based on God’s love for the world working in symphony with His sovereignty over the world.
Calvinism would disagree. They would say election is based on God’s sovereignty and for His glory. And while I would concur that God is working all things for His glory, I deny that they only attribute of God that is moving the world toward God’s glory is His sovereignty. His love/goodness is clearly, and necessarily involved.
It magnifies God’s glorious love that …
He knew every person who would reject His love, …
yet He still freely and genuinely offered His love to the world.
The most loving thing a person can do is to love someone who does not deserve it.
Even more loving is to love someone who you know will never return that love.
But this is not how election by humans occurs.
We elect someone because of some good quality we see in them (most of the time).
Whether that be a political candidate or a team member when we pick teams on the playground.
But is God’s love only for the elect?
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
If “all” at the end of the verse means “some” (as a Calvinist would propose) then are only some (instead of “all”) in unbelief?
Or course not.
So Calvinism’s view that God only loves some (the elect) doesn’t stand up in this verse.
Calvinism exalts God’s sovereign glory over God’s sovereign love.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t exalt God’s sovereign glory. We should.
I am just saying that we should exalt God’s sovereign love to the same degree that we exalt His glory.
God’s love is a necessary attribute.
So God will always pursue His sovereign glory consistent with His sovereign love.
Roger Olsen poignantly highlighted this inconsistency in Calvinism. In a Calvinistic framework…
“Apparently, God can (or must) limit his love, but he can’t limit his self-glorification. I would put it the other way around and say that in light of Christ’s self-emptying (Phil. 2), God can limit his glory (power, majesty, sovereignty) but not his love (because God is love; see 1 John 4!).” ~Roger Olson, Getting the Gospel Right, 114.
Calvinism believes that any view other than unconditional election leads to a weakening of God’s sovereign grace. But denying the unconditional election of individuals does not weaken God’s grace. This exalts the magnitude of God’s merciful love.
2. Biblical election does not undo human free will; it operates through it.
2. Biblical election does not undo human free will; it operates through it.
God does not force events or decisions to happen against our free will; rather He predetermines that they will occur through our free will.
God does not have to make these events occur; he can see them occur—from His eternal vantage point. (Note: This does not mean that God passively sees these events occur. Even the future preexists in God as the Cause of all things that have occurred, are occurring, or will occur.)
Scripture indicates that there is some role that believers play in election.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
At least the way Peter uses “election” in this verse places it in the hands of faith.
More than that, this word “election” in Greek is the exact same word (in every respect) that Paul uses in Rom 9:11, 11:5, 28; 1 Thess 1:4.
At a minimum, this verse undermines Calvinism’s proposal that election is unconditional.
The situation is usually thought of by Calvinism that there are only two options.
Either salvation is by unconditional election or salvation is by works.
Instead…
People are free to accept God.
People are free to accept God.
In Titus 1:1, it is justifiable that Paul is saying that a believer is incorporated into the elect through faith.
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
There are no conditions for God giving the gift of salvation,
but there is one condition for receiving salvation—it must be received by faith.
Calvinism believes that a person trusts Christ because they have been predestined.
But the Bible teaches that a person has been predestined because they freely believed.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Romans 4:16 – “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,”
According to Norman Geisler, a Calvinist really believes that multiple conditions must be met in order for a person to receive eternal life. They must be predestined or selected by God. They must come to the point in their life where the irresistible grace of God comes upon them. They must respond in faith after the Holy Spirit has regenerated their heart.
If election is as Calvinism proposes that it is (monergistic, regenerative, pre-faith), then why would a professing believer be told to work for it? Instead, Calvinism connects 2 Peter 1:10 to the Perseverance of the Saints (they don’t define assurance of salvation in the same way I do).
And what about 2 Timothy 2:10?
10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
If they are elect in the Calvinistic sense, then why must this be something that is obtained?
People are free to reject God.
People are free to reject God.
God’s purpose works together with human responsibility.
1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
He is here talking about Judas and the coming betrayal.
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; He that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; He that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; He that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delighteth in their abominations. 4 I also will choose their delusions, And will bring their fears upon them; Because when I called, none did answer; When I spake, they did not hear: But they did evil before mine eyes, And chose that in which I delighted not.
God is calling even the ones who will reject Him.
But they didn’t choose God, so God chose their end.
If people are free to reject God, does this undermine His authority?
A Calvinist would charge me with undermining the Sovereignty of God when I state that God, in accordance with His sovereign will, permits beings to rebel against His will. People like me would usually call this God’s permissive will.
Yet a Calvinist must follow the same logic for the creation of evil:
“God wills sin and unbelief unwillingly; he takes no delight in them.” ~Edwin Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism, 107
Yet, when I declare that God permits sin and rebellion in the life of an individual; He takes no delight in it, somehow I am undermining God’s sovereignty?
But even verses like Numbers 14:20-21, where God said that the whole earth will be filled with His glory implies that it was not right at that moment filled with His glory. There is not a verse in Scripture that states that God IS glory. But the Bible does state that God IS holy. And God IS love. Certainly God is glorious. And God should be glorified. In fact, God WILL BE glorified in the whole earth. The end of all of this is God’s glory. But God has willingly limited His glory even in creating. For in creating free people, God knew that there would be people who would curse His glorious name. It would seem to me that a Calvinist believes that God is glorified in the death of the wicked as an exultation of His justice. But that’s not what the Bible said:
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
God has no pleasure—God receives no glory, God does not rejoice in—the death of the rebellious.
But God, in His sovereignty, has permitted people to rebel against what He knows is best for their eternal future.
3. Biblical election is according to God’s foreknowledge.
3. Biblical election is according to God’s foreknowledge.
Remind that foreknowledge is experiential knowing.
God does not have chronological or sequential thoughts.
Illus: Car crash. A person standing on top of a building foreseeing a collision between two cars that cannot see each other around the corner does not cause the crash.
Truth. Likewise, God, who can by His omniscience foresee what we will freely do, does not cause us to do it.
God knows every one of our thoughts.
5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
God does not wait for human events to occur before He can react to them.
He can fully see the entire train of free, human events before Him at all times.
Illus: Viewing train from a cave.
If you were in a cave and looked out to see a train pass by, you would only be able to see one car pass by at a time.
But if you were on top of the mountain, you would be able to see the entire train at once.
Truth. Likewise, God can see past, present, and future all in His eternal present.
Although it is mysterious how the Biblical truths of man’s free-will and total sovereignty of God coexist, these two great truths are not contradictory to each other.
Illus: Parental foresight. I can foresee Caden running across the room, bat in hand, about to accidentally clobber Alayna as we notice the pillow lying in his path.
Truth. Our parental foreknowledge of what was about to take place did not remove or influence Caden’s free choice in the matter.
Election is not the same as foreknowledge.
Election is not the same as foreknowledge.
Paul wrote that election is based in God’s foreknowledge.
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
God’s election/predestination is based on His foreknowledge of a person’s free choices.
And no one is predestined to eternal life against their free-will.
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.
In Romans 8:29-30, Calvinists try to make the word foreknow to mean fore-chose.
Election is not based on or dependent on foreknowledge (again because God does not have chronological or sequential thoughts), it is in accord with it.
Illus: Recorded ball game.
If you were to watch a recording of a televised game, it is already determined; nothing can be changed.
It will turn out exactly the same, score and all, no matter how many times you watch it.
When the game was played, each and every person played according to his or her own free will. No one was forced to do anything.
Truth. So one event can be both determined and free.
God has connected His desire to forgive sinners with His omniscience.
God has connected His desire to forgive sinners with His omniscience.
In us, omniscience would be a reason not to forgive sinners.
If we knew that they would one day betray us, we would never forgive them.
In Calvinism, God’s omniscience is a reason He doesn’t offer salvation to everyone.
But Scripture connects God’s desire to forgive sinners to His omniscience.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
We often think of God’s covenants as a way for God to keep people out.
But God looks at His covenants as a means to get people in.
He wants to include you in His everlasting covenant (55:3).
He even described His Messianic covenant with David as “sure mercies” (55:3).
Why does this matter?
You are personally responsible for your decisions to follow God.
God is sovereign and working all things according to His predetermined plan.
Every person deserves an opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation.