God's Foreknowledge & our salvation/calling/election/predest
Dec 23, 2022 7:29:06 GMT -8
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Post by synergy on Dec 23, 2022 7:29:06 GMT -8
In Rom 8:29, God foreknew (from His perspective, προέγνω) or foreknows (from our perspective) that believers (Paul's audience) are predestined to be conformed to the Image of Christ. A critical factor to note is that one is known (γνωσθέντες) by God only after one comes out of his former ways (Gal 4:9). That does not detract from God's omniscience. It means that we are now relationally known by God now that we are His adopted sons through Christ. A side note of this is that this clearly shows that Rom 8:28-30 is about the guaranteed future of the believer ONLY, not about lost people being elected to glorification.
It's very interesting that all variations of the term foreknow have to do with a close relationship with God. Whether it's Christ, sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, or His elect Israel, it is always those who are in a relationship with Him through Christ.
Acts 2:23 this One given to you by the before-determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by lawless hands, crucifying Him, you put Him to death;
Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.
Rom 11:2 God did not thrust out His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture said in Elijah, how he pleaded with God against Israel, saying,
1Pet 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1Pet 1:20 indeed having been foreknown before the foundation of the world, but revealed in the last times for you,
It also shines a light on the person who was manifesting many "works" through Christ's name and yet he was told that Christ never knew him. But doesn't God have omniscience? Yes, but for God to know someone he must be "in Christ" for him to be known or foreknown by God.
Matt 7:23 And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!
Another fascinating note is that Christ knows His sheep. That means those sheep are already in a deep relationship with Him, they are already "in Christ" because they already believe "in Christ". In other words, they are not an arbitrary set of elected individuals independent of whether or not they believe"in Christ". They are believers positioned already "in Christ".
One verse I need to reconcile with all this is Jer 1:5 but Jer 1:5 is not using the same Koine Greek word that Gal 4:9 is using. Gal 4:9 uses γνωσθέντες (derivative of γινώσκω) and Rom 8:29 uses προέγνω (derivative of προγινώσκω). Notice the relationship there. Instead, Jer 1:5 uses ἐπίσταμαί. What I've unearthed so far is that ἐπίσταμαί is used more in terms of a superior/superintendent knowing his subject as opposed to the deep relationship of γινώσκω or προγινώσκω. ἐπίσταμαί is unidirectional as opposed to a bidirectional relationship which is what γινώσκω is about. ἐπίσταμαί is therefore more of a vocational election rather than to be salvifically known by God through Christ.
The bottom line, and what Calvinists fail to realize, is that it's through and in Christ that we are known, foreknown, predestined, chosen by God "in Him" before the foundation of the world, and elected unto salvation. Fundamentally, Calvinism and Christology are enemies at each other's throats. Calvinists will give Christ lip service but when push comes to shove concerning our predestination, our election, God's foreknowing of us, Christ is just an afterthought for Calvinists.
Therefore, Jer 1:5 is talking about God's vocational election of Jeremiah towards Prophethood and not about God salvifically knowing Jeremiah in a γνωσθέντες or a προέγνω way.
