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Foreknown of God

FOR those God FOREKNEW…. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:28-30

All Believers
All believers are ‘the called’ of God. They are His children.. redeemed by His blood: and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28-30 And how we claim this verse and apply it – especially when things go wrong! And rightly so, for this is one of God’s very precious promises to His own children.

The Called of God
But who are ‘the called?’  And how are they called and why are they ‘the called’ of God? How difficult to understand that there are some that are not called! Is God unfair? Not at all – for all His plans emanate from His sovereign, uncreated, eternal essence. Those that God FOREKNEW He also predestined to be the image of His Son and those He predestined, He also called. Romans 8:28

Foreknown by God
‘The called’ are those predestined to be conformed into the image of the Lord Jesus. ‘The called’ are also predestined for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. ‘The called’ are predestined according to the purpose of God’s will… but before we were predestined we were foreknown by God. In life, we must be conceived before we are born. In God’s economy, we must be foreknown before we become ‘the called’. So who are ‘the called’ – and how are they called and why are they ‘the called’ of God?

Divine Decree
Well, God in His Sovereignty, planned in eternity past to save fallen humanity. God’s plan was a divine decree which had to comply with ALL His holy attributes. The essence of God is displayed in His character – which God can never deny. All that God planned had to comply with His righteousness; goodness; truth; justice. Also, all that God purposed had to abide by the wider universal laws that He instituted.

Holy Character
His divine decisions could not violate His own eternal essence or His holy character, and His divine decrees could not contravene all He purposed for mans’ sovereign will… for in His divine decrees God was to attribute to man volition – his own free-will.

Glorious Plan
In His love, He designed a glorious plan that was suitable for the good of mankind. In His omnipotence and power, God contrived a wonderful plan that could not fail. In His eternity, He planned that man would share eternal life on the basis of His grace. In His mercy, not one person was to be excluded from the offer of His great salvation. In His omnipresence, there was to be no place in the universe His plan would not touch. In His justice, it would be totally compatible with all His attributes and His creation. In His veracity, His plan couldn’t fail for He never violates His own truthfulness.

Universal Laws
Every aspect of the essence of His character must conform to His own perfect plan. Every feature of His plan must adhere to the universal laws that He Himself instituted.  But one of the eternal attributes of God is His omniscience – for God is all-knowing. In Acts 15:8 we read ‘God is the One who will do these things that have always been known!’ ‘Known from eternity are the works of God. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Known from eternity are the wonderful works of God.’ Acts 15:18

Aspects of Omniscience
God is all-knowing, and He knows everything, everywhere, every-time – forever. He knows the number of hairs on our head. He knows the thoughts of our hearts and the choices we will make before we do. He cannot learn for He knows everything. He cannot be surprised for He is omniscient. FOREKNOWLEDGE is one aspect of God’s eternal omniscience. FORESIGHT is knowing ahead of time and is an aspect of omniscience.

Free Gift of Grace
God alone knows the end from the beginning for He alone is omniscient. Omniscience is beyond our understanding but omniscience is an attribute of God. And God foreknows EVERYONE that will accept His plan of salvation. God foreknows EVERYONE that will reject His plan of salvation. God foreknows the free-will choices that every man will ever make, and God will never coerce or override man’s volition regarding his choices. Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace to whosoever will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. So who are ‘the called’ – and how are they called and why are they ‘the called’ of God? And is God unfair to those that are not called?

Man’s Choice
Well, all believers are ‘the called’ of God. All believers are His children and are redeemed by His blood, and all that are not called, made a deliberate choice to reject God’s plan of salvation. All believers are ‘the called’ of God, but before they were called they were predestined to be made into the image of God’s Son. And before they were predestined God FORENEW everything about them. God foresaw who would accept His free gift of salvation and who would reject it.

Firstborn Among Many
In His omniscience, God foresaw those that would believe in the Lord Jesus. In His foresight, He knew ahead of time who would believe. He FOREKNEW. And those God FOREKNEW, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be – the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called, those He called, He also justified, those He justified, He also glorified. AMEN.

 

Bible References

28 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.

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.

And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Job 37-38

37 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.

Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.

He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.

After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.

God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.

Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.

Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.

10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:

12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.

14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?

17 How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?

18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.

21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.

24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?

36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Psalm 65

Psalm 104

 

65 Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:

Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.

10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.

11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.

12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

 

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