Foreknowledge of God

by Elder Vernon Johnson, Pastor Denton PBC, Denton, Texas

   In studying the covenant of redemption recorded for us in Rom. 8:28-30 we are told of a people that God foreknew. This is a special and limited aspect of the foreknowledge of God. In future essays we will study at length this special aspect of God's foreknowledge. In this essay we want to consider a broad view of God's foreknowledge.

  David in writing about the depth of the knowledge of God declared in Ps. 139:6 "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." Who can know or understand the depth or width or height of the knowledge of God. We as creatures cannot attain unto it. Peter declared of Jesus in John 21:17, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest I love thee." His disciples said unto him in John 16:30, "Now are we sure that thou knowest all things..." Since God knows all things, then he knows all things past, present, and future. The depth of his knowledge boggle our finite minds. David said, "Thou knowest my down sittings and mine uprisings, thou understandest my thought afar off." Thus we are assured that God knows all about us in the very details of our lives. He knows when we sit down and when we rise up. He even knows our thoughts before we even think them!

  The statement of God's knowledge in Heb. 4:12, 13 causes us to fear and marvel all at the same time: "...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." The scriptures say that even the thought of foolishness is sin and since God discerns our thoughts and since he knows all about us and nothing can be hidden from him and since all our sins are brought to judgment before God therefore we are made to fear. However, God's foreknowledge is a comfort because when Christ died for our sins, he died for all of our sins. It is God's foreknowledge that enables him to know all of our sins, even before we were born, and laden them upon Jesus to redeem us from our sins.

  Next, the foreknowledge of God assures us concerning the security of the physical universe in which we live: Heb. 1:3 reads in part, "...and upholding all things by the word of his power...". God's foreknowledge of all things works hand in hand with his upholding all things by the word of his power. God is never "surprised" or "blind sided" by anything. The harmonic interactions of all the heavenly bodies is testimony of God's power and foreknowledge and assures that we won't be "wiped out" by a passing comet, for instance.

  In addition, God's foreknowledge assures us of God's providential blessings and watch care in our lives. Since God knows all things, he knows all our circumstances of life and all about our environment. Matt. 10:29, 30 declare this principle: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And on of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." He knows the things we need even before or if we ask him. His foreknowledge assures us that what we ask, he is able to provide. Furthermore, when we are faced with trials or difficulties that seem beyond our ability to handle the fact that God's knowledge far exceeds ours and that his power is unlimited is a great comfort to us.

  Also God's foreknowledge is an assurance to us of our salvation and that God's promises will be fulfilled. The following verses testify these principles:

  A. Acts 15:18 - "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

  B. I Cor. 2:7 - "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory."

  C. Isa. 46:10 - "Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."

  D. Acts 2:23, 24 - "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."

  E. Acts 4:27, 28 - "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed , both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." Yes, God knows all of his works and they all will be performed as God purposed. All of his promises are yea and amen. He has saved his people from their sins and their eternal destiny is secured and we are preserved in Christ Jesus. There will be no surprises, slip ups or failures because God knew all things before they ever come to pass. He will do all his pleasure.

  The covenant of redemption reads in Rom. 8:28-30, "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. 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."

  Heretofore we have considered God's foreknowledge of all things. Now let us look at a limited specific aspect of God's foreknowledge, i.e., "whom he did foreknow." The scriptures tell us that God knows all things, therefore he knows all things past, present, and future. Thus he knows about all people who ever have or ever will live on the face of the earth. However, the "foreknow" in the covenant of redemption is not speaking about God knowing about all people, but is speaking about a very specific portion of those who have or will live on the earth.

  We read what Jesus said in Matt. 7:21-23, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." The Lord told these who were claiming to prophesy in his name, cast out devils, in his name, and to do many wonderful works in his name that he never knew them. This certainly isn't to say that he never had knowledge of them or that he never knew about what they had claimed to have done. But it is teaching us that he never appointed them to do the works they were claiming they had done. Thus the Lord said, "I never knew you."

  The Lord knows about all people and all things, though he has not appointed all people and everything that comes to pass. As pertaining to things the scriptures say that "God is not the author of confusion." Certainly he knows about confusion and sin, but he is not the cause of confusion and sin.

  Our understanding of how God foreknew a people is illustrated for us in Jere. 1:5 when the Lord said unto Jeremiah, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." As we have pointed out before God knows about all people but he has only appointed some. God knew Jeremiah before he ever formed him in the belly. God knew him in a special way in that God had appointed him to be a "prophet unto the nations." This appointment took place before Jeremiah had any existence except in the mind and purpose of God. Those that God foreknew in the covenant of redemption are those that God appointed before the world began to be his! Eph. 1:4 reads, "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." Thus God made choice of a people before the world began to be his.

  We close these comments with a quote from I Peter 1:1, 2, "Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 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."