Sanctified by His Word: Foreknowledge

FOREKNOWS
FOREKNOWLEDGE

Foreknowledge describes God’s knowledge of future events, including future free human choices. In His omniscience God knows what the future holds both for individuals and for nations. He knows and sees everything in advance and His will is carried out in accord with His plans and purposes. Foreknowledge does not just describe the truth that God knew something would happen before it happened (although it is true that He did) but that He also gave prior consent to the happening. A common misconception is to conclude that God knew beforehand who would believe on His Son and then predestined those individuals for salvation.

Thomas Constable commenting on God's foreknowledge in 1Peter 1:2 (see notes) writes that

God’s foreknowledge has an element of determinism in it because whatever really happens that God knows beforehand exists or takes place because of His sovereign will. Therefore when Peter wrote that God chose according to His foreknowledge he did not mean that God chose the elect because He knew beforehand they would believe the gospel (the Arminian position). God chose them because He determined beforehand that they would believe the gospel (the Calvinist position; cf Ro 8:29, 30-see notes Ro 8:29; 30; Ep 1:3,4, 5, 6 -notes Ep 1:3; 1:4; 1:5; 1:6; 1Th 1:4-note; 1Pe 5:13-note).

Warren Wiersbe says that

Foreknowledge does not suggest that God merely knew ahead of time that we would believe, and therefore He chose us. This would raise the question, “Who or what made us decide for Christ?” and would take our salvation completely out of God’s hands. In the Bible, to foreknow means “to set one’s love on a person or persons in a personal way.” Commenting on Judas' betrayal of our Lord, Wiersbe writes that "before He chose His 12 Apostles, Jesus spent a whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12, 13, 14, 15, 16), so we must believe that it was the Father’s will that Judas be among them (John 8:29). But the selection of Judas did not seal his fate; rather, it gave him opportunity to watch the Lord Jesus closely, believe, and be saved. God in His sovereignty had determined that His Son would be betrayed by a friend, but divine foreknowledge does not destroy human responsibility or accountability. Judas made each decision freely and would be judged accordingly, even though he still fulfilled the decree of God (Acts 2:23)." (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos comments on Luke 22:14)

Paul writes about foreknowledge in Romans 8:29

For (anytime you see "for" ask what it's there for? Here Paul is explaining how it is that God can work all things out for good for those who love Him) whom He foreknew (proginoskofrom pro = before + ginosko = know = to know about something before it happens, cf related Greek word prognosis - word study), He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren". (See Commentary)

The truth is that the salvation of every believer is known and determined in the mind of God before its realization in time. This is "heavy" theology and I believe cannot be fully comprehended by finite men. Instead of complaining that God is not fair (as some who think too much on this attribute do) we should bow to the incredible truth that in eternity past, before Adam and Eve even sinned, God planned the redemption of undeserving sinners through Jesus Christ. Stated another way, the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden did not take God by surprise. He knew it would happen and He also knew and had planed what He would do in view of it and that His only Son would carry out His plan. The ultimate cause of Jesus’ death was God’s plan and foreknowledge.

1Peter 1:20 (see notes) teaches that Christ, the Lamb, was

was foreknown before (proginosko) the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you"

Christ was foreknown because God had planned and determined in His eternal counsel to provide His Son as a sacrifice for His people. The point is God's foreknowledge means more than that God knew ahead of time that Christ would come and die. God’s foreknowledge is the cause for His Son’s sacrifice–because He planned and decreed it.

In other words...

In His omniscience God knows what the future holds both for individuals and for nations. He knows and sees everything in advance and his will is carried out in accord with his plans and purposes...Foreknowledge is closely connected to election and predestination and to God's Sovereign rule of His universe. (Foreknowledge in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. See also Elect, Election; God; Predestination)

John Piper warns of...

An increasingly popular movement afoot today is called "open theism," which denies that God has exhaustive, definite foreknowledge of the. entire future. (Desiring God) (See Piper's online book Beyond the Bounds - in which he confronts the unsound doctrine of Open Theism)

This modern school of so-called "scholars" ("open theists") believe among other things that God’s foreknowledge is limited, because of the limitations He has placed upon Himself in giving man free will. How incredible that finite men would dare describe any limitation to the infinite, omniscient, sovereign God. This website takes the conservative, classic approach as summed up nicely by Easton's dictionary which says that foreknowledge is

one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to Him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite.

Job alludes to God's foreknowledge declaring

Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with Thee, and his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass." (Job 14:5, cf Ps. 139:16 - Spurgeon's commentary)

God’s foreknowledge is much more than foresight. God does not know future events and human actions because He foresees them but He knows them because He wills them to happen. As Job states, not only is our life short but even our days and months are determined by God, with time limits beyond which no one can go. God knows and has determined the life span of every person every born! The fact that God knows and controls (sovereignty) our life span should not lead to despair but to the contrary should lead to assurance and hope, that our times are in His hands (Eccl 3:1, 2, 11a).

Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary explains that

God’s foreknowledge is much more than foresight. God does not know future events and human actions because He foresees them; He knows them because He wills them to happen. Thus God’s foreknowledge is an act of His will. (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

John Macarthur comments on foreknowledge that

A common explanation of election is that the elect are chosen because God knew beforehand what they would do. That defines foreknowledge as foresight. I've heard it explained that God looked down through the eons of history, saw by virtue of His omniscience what you and I would do, and then chose or didn't choose us based on whether we did or didn't believe. That at first sounds like a good explanation--but it's not the truth. There are several reasons for wanting to believe that God's foreknowledge means foresight. Our fallen nature desperately want some responsibility for our salvation. Likewise our fallen perspective makes God's sovereign choice appear unfair. But because our minds are polluted by sin, we are in no position to exalt our pride and call ourselves virtuous, or pull down the justice of God and call Him unfair." (Read Dr Macarthur's interesting explanation of why many men want to believe that foreknowledge is simply foresight. Scroll down to the section entitled "Man's Decline") (Bolding added)

NAVE'S TOPIC: For the greatest benefit from the following Scriptures, read the text, not passively but instead consciously and actively "interrogating" the text (interrogate with the 5W'S & H), making a list in your life journal of what the Spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9-note) teaches you (1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, 16:13) about God and about man. Obey any instructions or commands you encounter, as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and to "cultivate faithfulness" (NAS, Ps 37:3-see note). Then offer prayers and praise to your Father for graciously teaching you these profitable, eternal truths (cp 2Ti 3:16, 17-notes).