FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD

By Nick Bibile

Here’s the million dollar question. On what basis did God save us?

Romans 8:29

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

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 is not true.

If this is true then salvation is not of  God but of man, because God has to act on man’s belief.

The Greek word for foreknowledge is proginosko.  And it is never used in connection with an  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. 

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" (Peter is not speaking of God’s foreknowledge of the action of crucifixion, but the person that is Christ being 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)

God did not elect us because he foreknew, but the truth is he foreknew 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

1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…..

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

 and before you were born I consecrated you;

    I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Beloved, God loved us not because of our actions, God loved us first, then comes our actions.

Beloved from the beginning to the end, salvation is all God’s work. 

Remember we saw yesterday we were dead in sin, we didn’t have the power to rise, but we saw it was God who raised us from our sins, because of his great mercy. 

Also we saw salvation is a gift, It is all from God and all the glory goes not to man but to God alone!