God’s Sovereignty in Election

Transcript

GR 356
4/13/1980
God’s Sovereignty in Salvation
John 6 Election 1
Gil Rugh

John chapter 6 in your Bibles, John chapter 6. We've been studying the sixth chapter of John, in our time together and we've completed that chapter. And there is much material in this discourse of Jesus relating to the bread of life that focuses attention on the sovereignty of God and the choice that He has made regarding the salvation of certain ones. So it's our plan to spend a couple of studies together on looking particularly at the subject of the sovereignty of God, as it pertains to the area of salvation. Subject of God's sovereignty is broad and inclusive. And perhaps the most important and foundational doctrine in all the scripture is the sovereignty of God. That which makes everything else fit and work.

Now just one area of the manifestation of that sovereignty is the area that pertains to the salvation of human beings. The area we call the doctrine of election. We want to spend some time looking at this subject. It was clear in chapter 6 that there is a sovereign work of God in selecting some for salvation. Note some of these verses. In John chapter 6 verse 29 "Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."' And we noted this is the work of God, could refer to the fact this is the one thing you can do that is pleasing to God, believe in His Son and also it would have the emphasis and grammatically this is perhaps the stronger. That this is the work that God is doing, its purpose is that you might believe. That last statement "that you believe" is a purpose clause. States the purpose of God's work “that you might believe".

Down in verse 37, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." Note, those that come to Christ are that group that the Father has given to Him. So there is a selective dividing going on. The Father has given some to Christ and all those that He has given to Him will come to Him. Now it becomes clear He hasn't given everyone to Christ because not everyone comes to Christ, but everyone the Father has given to Christ comes to Him. So there has been a selective determination made regarding the salvation and coming to Christ of certain ones.

Verse 39, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." Again that emphasis "all that He has given Me I lose nothing", this group that the Father has given to the Son will come to the Son and this group is secure in the Son. All of those that the Father has given to the Son are guaranteed, the ultimate glorification, the completion of their salvation.

Verse 44, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." It's the work of the Father to draw men to the Son and no one can come to the Son unless he is drawn by the Father. Which again denotes a selectivity going on, evidently not everyone is drawn because not everyone is coming and that's the reason for the explanations that Jesus is giving. Why does not everyone come? Why do so many rebel and reject? All that the Father draws come.

Verse 45, "It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me." Essential, in the coming of a person to Jesus Christ and the person's believing in Christ that they hear and be taught by the Father. Again draws the line not everybody evidently is taught by the Father. Those who are taught by the Father come to Christ but there are those who are not taught by the Father therefore they do not come to Christ.

Skip over to verse 65, we can't redo all of John 6, Verse 65 says,
"And He was saying, ‘For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father." Two groups, those who come and those who don't come, those who have been given by the Father, granted or given the privilege by the Father of coming to Christ, those are the only ones who can come. And again that's given in the context of verse 64, to explain why some do not come, it has not been granted or given them by the Father. So in talking about the Doctrine of Salvation or the subject of men and women coming to Christ, believing in Him, we come into the area of the sovereign work of God in bring men to Christ. And the fact is some are brought to Christ and some are not. Some are drawn by the Father and some are not and that’s the area we want to be focusing on in our study today.

The area sometimes is given the name of Calvinism after the man John Calvin. In distinction from Arminianism after the man named Arminias. And Calvinism is sometimes summarized in five points. Let me just mention these five points to you. We remember it by the flower Tulip. The "T" is total depravity and we’re going to talk about that a little bit later. MU" is unconditional election, elected by God with no condition, we'll talk about that later. ”L” is limited atonement. "I" is irresistible grace and "P" is perseverance of the saints. So we sometimes talk about the five points of Calvinism, as a concise summary, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. Now we'll talk about total depravity and unconditional election in a moment.

Skip to the "I” and "I" stands for irresistible grace. And that simply means that God works in grace in an irresistible way with those He has elected. Everyone that God has chosen He draws to Christ and He draws in an irresistible way. They cannot resist the grace of God in being drawn to Jesus Christ, they are elect. Perseverance of the saints is simply the security of the believer, once you are saved you are always saved, you will persevere to the end, that's inherent in the doctrine of election.

Now I am what is called a four point Calvinist, and this is the position we hold at Indian Hills. And listen to this please, because some think that we are 5 point Calvinists at Indian Hills and some of you are and I trust that you will learn and grow and you will soon be 4 point Calvinists. The point that I do not believe is Biblical is the "L", limited atonement. Limited atonement says that Christ only died for those that God chose. He did not die for the world and every person in the world, He died only for the elect or the chosen. I hold to what is called unlimited atonement, so I guess I'm a Tuip, I have two u's in there and it doesn't sound near as nice. Unconditional election, unlimited atonement, simply meaning that Christ died for the whole world and everyone in it, but that death is not applied to, it is applied only to the elect. So that is a distinction, we won't be going into a lot of detail on that particular subject but you ought to at least be familiar with that summary. These five points, we want to focus on two of the five, total depravity and unconditional election. Now as I mentioned foundational to it all is the subject of the sovereignty of God. I know of no doctrine that is more encouraging and more comforting to the believer than the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. I really believe this is why the Devil has brought such confusion and misunderstanding into this area. It is basic to everything that God is totally in control, there are no chance happenings anywhere at any time in the world. Everything, down to the minutest detail is part of the preplanned, foreordained plan of God. God has determined it to happen. Now that's a great encouragement to me. You now I just can't by chance breathe the wrong air and get cancer and die that just can't happen by chance. It may happen in the plan of God, that that happened to me but it won't be a chance it will be part of the plan of God. One of my children just cannot by mistake run out into the street and get hit by a car. Now it may be in the plan of God, that will happen but I can't sit and say, 'Oh, if it had only been this or that it would have been different.' There is great assurance and comfort in knowing that God is in total control, every little detail, every tragedy, every heartache, is under the control of a sovereign God, who is working out His purposes. That's why we can say “that all things work together for good to those who love God." He is in total control in moving everything toward that end.

There are a number of verses we could turn to, we’re just going to go to the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah, to see something of the stress of the sovereignty of God, the fourteen chapter of Isaiah. This does not mean we’ll understand why He does everything, but I can rest in the assurance He has a purpose in everything that He does and everything that comes into my life. And in Isaiah chapter 14, now here we’re going to see that even the sinful acts of nations and people are included in the sovereignty of God, His plan. Note verse 24 of Isaiah 14, God is talking about the nation Assyria. And He says, ’’The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, 'Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will be.” Now you’ll note there 'I have intended this it will happen, I have planned it, it is sure.’ There is a finality about it in God's plan and program in dealing with the nation Israel and the nation Assyria as it will come into be a punishing agent for Israel. God says, "I have planned it, it is settled it must come to pass”.

Go back to the forty-sixth chapter or Isaiah, Isaiah 46 and verse 8 to pick up the context. "Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me.” What area does He pick out about His uniqueness? That He is sovereignly in control of everything. Note verse 10, "Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done,". Note here He is the one in control of the future. Note much of the Bible is prophetic and every time God gives a prophecy He has settled in concrete an event that will happen, even sinful events. The Old Testament prophesied that Judas would betray Jesus Christ, centuries before there was a Judas, before Jesus walked the earth it was settled in the plan of God that Judas would betray Jesus Christ. It could not be altered. What if Judas changed his mind? What if something went wrong? What if he fell down on the steps leaving the upper room and broke his leg? You say, ’Oh, that’s ridiculous.’ Yes it is. Why is it ridiculous? It couldn't frustrate the plan of God. The plan of God was set and settled and prophecy is just an indication of that plan that God has laid before us, something of His plans for the future and they cannot be changed. Note the middle of verse 10, ’’Saying, ’My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure;” Remember that expression, it's going to come back later in our study. "All My good pleasure”, that is the foundation and basis for the operation of God, His good pleasure, "I will do whatever pleases Me”. "Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it." We’re talking about Babylon here, it's 300 years until you get to the Babylonian Empire as God speaks through Isaiah. But He says, ‘it is settled, I have planned it, I will bring it to pass'. Could something have happened to keep Nebuchadnezzar out of the Middle East? Could he have decided to stay home, who wants to go out to that barren desert and fight anyway? No. What if per chance someone had assassinated Nebuchadnezzar and he had never come to Palestine? You say, 'Well that's impossible.’ Why is it impossible? Because God planned it otherwise and He is in control, totally completely, absolutely.

One other verse that I love back in the book of Job, toward the front of your Bible, just in front of the book of Psalms is the book of Job. And in Job chapter 36. Job 36, note verse 32, "He covers His hands with the lightening, and commands it to strike the mark." Now did you ever watch the lightening, as it seems to go randomly across the sky? But you know what Job says, ’God directs every bolt of lightning for the mark’, there is no random streak of lightening, there are only the streaks of lightening directed in the plan of God to the mark. You say, 'Who really cares, I mean, you mean He's up there and zang this bolt of lightning is going to hit here, this here, this here?’ Yes, very important isn't it? If we were having a thunderstorm right now it would be even more important. Why? It becomes important if that bolt of lightning strikes me, that God have it under control that it just doesn’t happen to hit me as I’m walking down the street. So it's not just an unimportant factor, it could upset the course of events. What if two leaders, dominant elements in the world today would get struck by lightning and die? That becomes very significant doesn’t it? So whatever happens is controlled and directed by God. Many other passages through the Old Testament.

Daniel chapter 4 and 5, Daniel makes the point that He does among men what he chooses. He is sovereignly working out His plan. Now that's the kind of God we're dealing with. Absolutely, totally sovereign in control of everything. Now He is doing everything for one purpose, for Himself. He is totally selfish in all that He does in the good sense. Now the reason it's wrong for me to be selfish is I am taking that which is to be given to God and taking it for myself, I am focusing attention on me. When God says it all ought to be on Him and that's the reason He does everything.

Go back to the book of Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians chapter 1. Another great chapter, the subject of election and predestination is Ephesians chapter 1. We just want to pick out a few phrases for our time right now, we'll come back to this chapter later in our study on the subject. But note in Ephesians chapter 1 why God is working. And in verse 5 He says, "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,". Note the beginning phrase in verse 6, "to the praise of the glory of His grace". Why did He predestine us to be adopted as sons? So that He would be praised, that His glory, the majesty of His person might be praised. That's why He appointed us to His sonship. Look down in verse 12, "to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory". Down to verse 14, "the Spirit is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." God is doing everything, even our salvation is so that God would be praised. God didn’t save me primarily so I could spend eternity in heaven, He saved me primarily so He could be praised. So that the majesty of His person would be honored and exalted as it deserves to be. Now that does not mean that we don't benefit, we are beneficiaries, our salvation is a great benefit, but it's not the ultimate end. Our salvation is part of the means to the ultimate end of the glory of God. God is doing everything for Himself. You can read passages like Philippians chapter 2 verse 11, II Corinthians chapter 4 verse 15, speak to the same issue. So we have a totally sovereign God who is doing all things for one purpose, His own glory. If you're not careful you begin to bridle under this because where the conflict comes is man likes to have a certain degree of sovereignty and I do not like to be told that God is totally in control doing everything for Himself, because what about me? What about my control? What about my importance? And that's where the clash is and the conflict. But the Scripture is clear, God is totally sovereign in absolute control and He's doing everything for Himself, that's His ultimate purpose and goal and that's right. He alone is the one worthy of praise and glory and honor and that fact that I resist that is simply an indication of my sinfulness.

And that brings us to the first point that we want to deal with in some detail. The sinfulness of man, total depravity' total depravity, now I think this is foundational to understand the doctrine of election. If you understand the depravity of man, the doctrine of election is simple. Total depravity it does not mean that everyone does as bad as he could, that everyone is as sinful in his actions as he could be. Obviously most of you haven't even murdered one person yet today. You could be worse. Now some of us keep pushing it and try to prove that we're as worse as we could be, but we could be worse. Total depravity does not mean that we are being as bad as possible. What total depravity means is that perhaps we are as bad off as possible. Total depravity is saying that sin has pervaded and affects and infects every aspect of my person and being. The totality of my being is affected and infected by sin that is total depravity. Now that does not mean that the manifestation of sin is as bad as it could be in every area, but I am infected in every area by sin. Totally depraved in the totality of my being, every aspect of my life and being is affected and infected by sin. That’s what we mean by total depravity. There is nothing good, there is nothing righteous in me. Now we need to be careful, there is a relative good and within certain confines we can do relative good and if we're not careful we soon elevate this to think of it as ultimate good. In the Scripture ultimate good is that which is done for the honor and glory of God that is the only thing which is good in the ultimate sense.

Now Romans chapter 14 says, "Whatever is not of faith is sin." Does the unregenerate, unbelieving person ever do anything on the basis of faith in God relying upon Christ? Obviously not, if he did he wouldn't be an unregenerate man. Therefore he does not act out of faith in God and who God is and what God has done, and what God's purposes for him are. So he cannot do anything good from God's perspective, because that's the only thing that is good in God's perspective. So in ultimate good he does not do good. But in relative good you may be sick and your unsaved neighbor brings you dinner for the evening. That was good that was better than coming in and slicing your throat, obviously we'd say that was good within the confines of sinful activity. He still didn't do it out of basis of faith relationship with Jesus Christ at all, but he did relative good. So the sinner can do relative good, he cannot do ultimate good. We're concerned about ultimate good because that carries us into the realm of salvation.

Now what is man's condition? He is dead in sin, he is totally infected by sin. Romans chapter 3 is usually a passage we look to, not because it's original, because it's simply a series of quotes from the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms. But it brings together in a concise way something of the condition of humanity. You’ll note verse 10, "There is none righteous, not even one;". You note the finality of that, 'there is not even one righteous person', now we're talking about God's perspective again not relative righteousness or good, but ultimate from God's perspective there's not even one righteous. "There is none who understands there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one." And then he goes on to describe something of the character of the unbeliever from God's perspective, Romans 6:23, same idea, we are all sinners. Verse 23 or chapter 3 is the same thing, 'all have sinned'. In chapter 6 verse 23 'the penalty for our sin is death', we are separated from God. Look over in Ephesians chapter 2, he talks about being dead in our sin, note how he describes our condition, "Before we came to believe in Christ, you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." That was our condition, totally absorbed in our sins, obeying the dictates of the flesh and the Devil so we are spoken of as dead, that means we are separated from God, we have no relationship with Him. Now in this condition we are slaves to sin and we see that in Ephesians 2:3 where we were lived in the lusts of the flesh indulging the desires of the flesh, we're by nature children of wrath. Jesus said in John 8, and we'll be looking at this when we get to the Gospel of John chapter 8, the 34th verse, "He that sins is the slave of sin". Now, we've already been told "all have sinned", we all indulge the flesh and the lusts of the flesh. Now everyone who sins is a slave to the flesh, to sin. So we're all slaves to sin. Now that's important because it ties to a concept that is very dear to the heart of us sinners that is the concept of free will. And I do not think that free will as we often think of it is a Biblical idea, concept. Free will, by that I mean that we are free to do what we want to do, we are free in the sense we are responsible, we are free in the sense we do make a choice. But we are not free from the standpoint we are slaves to sin, so we always exercise our freedom to obey our master. We always exercise that will to obey sin, because I’m a slave to sin. That’s why there is none that does good, there is none that seeks after God, everyone is using their will to rebel and obey sin. I think it maybe better to see us as responsible but I always exercise that will of mine, that I am free to exercise but I always exercise it in the negative way, to obey and pursue sin. So we're not free as we often think of it and no one is, even a believer is not free in that sense. We are free when we can function in the context for which we were created, that is freedom. We're going to see this in John chapter 8. You are free when you can function in the relationship for which you were created. That’s why when Jesus Christ sets you free you are free indeed because you were created for a relationship with God and only by faith in Christ can you have that relationship. So when a person believes in Jesus Christ for the first time they are free, they are functioning in the relationship for which they were created. A personal relationship with the personal God who made them, that is freedom. By the ability to do whatever you want to do- you're just fooling yourself. You’re doing what the Devil wants you to do. What the flesh and sin want you to do, you're under their domination and under their control.

So the unregenerate man, by that I mean the unbeliever, the one who has not been born again has no ability to perceive and know the things of God. I Corinthians 2:14 says, "The natural man, the man who has not come into a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ does not understand the things about God, he cannot understand the things about God, it is not a possibility for him, because he is separated from God in his sin." Well now this is important, we are not dealing here with innocent human beings. Now, get this point, it is the most important one I think, the single most important point, wake up and them go back to sleep. We are not dealing with innocent people, we are dealing with people who are sinners by birth and sinners by choice and because of sin we are under condemnation, because the Bible says the penalty for sin is death, physical, spiritual and eternal death. So all have sinned, the penalty for sin is death, we are dealing with justly condemned sinners. Now do we have that in our mind? We’re not dealing with poor innocent people, we are dealing with guilty, vial, condemned rebellious sinners. Now that's key. Now, since we are dealing with humanity and everyone among humanity is sinful "all have sinned, none righteous, none good", "the penalty for sin is death”, including eternity in hell, if we stop at this point and God would say, 'therefore I will send every member of the human race to hell', we would have to say that is fair. If we want God to be fair, that would be fair, right? We'll look later in our study in Hebrews 2, that's what He did with the angel who sinned. Satan and the angels who sinned, God never provided any opportunity for them to be forgiven, He simply sentenced every last one of them to hell with no chance to ever change their mind because He is not obligated to forgive us. He is only obligated to manifest justice and all justice demands is that sinners go to hell. So if we stop at this point we'd have to say it's fair that everyone goes to hell and no one goes to heaven. Now I wouldn't like that, but I'm a sinner, I deserve to go to hell. If God said 'Gil you're going to hell.' I couldn't say 'Wait, it's not fair.' That's just payment for my sins that would be fair. Now what God has done in election is among this fallen group of humanity, sovereignly chose to save some. You say 'Wait a minute, is that fair to save some and not all, wait a minute.' We've already said it's fair if He condemns everyone, right? He's not obligated to save anyone. Now if He sovereignly choses to save some the only issue is, can He do that in a way that is consistent with justice? He can’t just say, 'I'm going to save Gil, go on to heaven Gil.' You say, ‘Wait a minute that’s not justice?’ I’m a sinner deserving of hell, you can’t just forget about the penalty. So He has to in a way consistent with His righteous character save those that He chooses to save.

Now the doctrine of election, everyone believes in election, everyone who believes the Bible, believes in election. The very word ’election’ is used some 30 times in the New Testament. So you have to believe in election. Someone comes up to you and says, ’Do you believe in election?' You have to have to say, 'Yes, I believe the Bible.’ Now you may not believe in election the way I believe election, I may not believe it the way you believe it, but we have to believe it, it's a Biblical doctrine. The word, we use it all the time, we are selecting candidates for President and then we will elect a President. What do we mean? We will select a President, we will choose one. That’s what the word 'election* means, it means to select or choose, to pick out. And the doctrine of election is God picking out or selecting certain ones to experience His salvation and spend eternity in heaven. Now the real issue comes, how does God select these people?

Two basic possibilities, He selects them on the basis of His foreknowledge. Peter says we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. In I Peter 1:1,2, "We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God". Some take this to mean that in the past eternity God looked down the corridor or time and He saw Gil Rugh and He watched me and low and behold I believed in Christ. So He saw that I would believe in Christ and on that basis He chose me for Himself, so the basis of His choice was God looking ahead and seeing what I would do and picking me on that basis. The other view, which is the right one, is the view that God sovereignly selected some for Himself, not on the basis of seeing anything that they would do. Now I don’t want to give the idea that there are not good strong Bible believing Christians on both sides of this issue. And there are good men, I've studied under men that I respect and believe love the Lord and teach the Word who hold a different view than I'm proposing. So I don't make this the watershed of the Christian faith even though in some of my side remarks you may get that idea. I do believe the view that I am presenting to you is the Biblical one, and you'll have to evaluate it in light of what the Word says. Now those who believe that God selected on the basis of just looking ahead- foreknowledge. Knowing before what would happen, have some problems to confront. One, who is in control?

If all God does is sit in the past and look into the future to see what will happen and then make it part of His plan, who's in control? All He is, is a spectator. Knowing ahead of time what will happen, that's different than claiming credit for making the plans as He did in the verse we read in the Old Testament. He claimed credit for having the plan, for determining what would happen, not just for having a future glimpse of what would happen, but for determining what would happen. Am I in control of my salvation or was God? Did God look ahead and see what I would do or did God determine ahead what I would do? In one I am the one who determined, in the other God is the one who determined. And it fits more my human nature to want to be the one who determined. I want to be the master of my own destiny. Now there's another problem, even that view of foreknowledge does not solve the problem that most of those who hold are trying to deal with. And that is even if in eternity past God had looked into the future and on the basis of what He had seen set His plan it is none the less true that God's plan is set. If God looked into the future and saw that I would believe and then selected me on that basis it's still is a settled fact that I am selected. That cannot change. If He looked into the future and saw that Judas was going to betray Jesus Christ and then made that part of His plan, it still was a settled fact when Judas came on the earth that he would betray Jesus Christ. So it- doesn't resolve the issue that most are trying to resolve, that men are free to do whatever they want today and God's up there making adjustments in His plan all the time. No we know the plan is set. Now all we're talking about is how did it get this way. But even if God saw that you would believe and then picked you on that basis, it's none the less true, He’s picked you. And if He saw that you wouldn’t believe and so He didn’t pick you on that basis, it’s still a settled fact that you’re not picked. So in the realm of time it doesn't change does it? It doesn't resolve the issue that men want to resolve, with that view of foreknowledge. But it does create problems.

I think the problem is in the meaning of foreknowledge, we simply say it means to know before hand, therefore, God just knew ahead of time. I mentioned I Peter 1: 1,2, "We are elect according to a foreknowledge of God”. Go to the I Peter chapter 1, just after the book of Hebrews. Now the view that I believe is more consistent is that foreknowledge when used of God does not simply mean to know ahead of time, but to determine or set ahead of time. The reason God can foreknow anything is, He has determined it to happen and when He determined something to happen, He knows it will happen. So the reason for His foreknowledge is, He has laid the plan. It’s just like if I plan lunch for you tomorrow and we're going to so and so’s for lunch tomorrow at 11:30, I know I'm going to lunch tomorrow, I foreknow it because I fore- planned it. I planned it would happen, so I have knowledge ahead of time, that it will happen. Look down in I Peter chapter 1, I read you verses 1 and 2. The last part of verse 1 and first part of verse 2. That word translated "chosen" at the end of verse 1 is the word "elect". And down in verse 20 we're talking about Jesus Christ and His death. And you'll note what verse 19 says, verse 20, "He was foreknown, before the foundation of the world". Jesus Christ as the Lamb who would offer His precious blood for our sin was "foreknown" before the foundation of the world. Now would you want to say that God just looked down in time and saw that men would crucify His Son so he appointed that to happen. So then who was responsible for salvation? God or man? All God did was look ahead to see what man would do. Man was in control, man decided what would happen to His Son. I don't get that idea when I read passages like Isaiah 53 and related ideas in the Old Testament, where I'm told it was the plan of God to send His Son. Or the passages in the New Testament, that God was simply looking ahead to see how men would treat His Son. Obviously it doesn't fit.
There's an answer back in Acts chapter 2 that deals with this issue of the coming of Christ. Acts chapter 2, verse 22, Peter has talked about the fact that Christ was attested by God, with signs, wonders and miracles.
And note verse 23, "This man delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of wicked men." Now, you noted what he says, "this man was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God", they go together it's the predetermined plan which enables God to foreknow. There's a construction here in Greek that is called Granville Sharps Rule of Grammar and basically that rule says that these two words in this construction refer to the same thing, just different shades of the same idea. Predetermined plan is basically the same thing as foreknowledge. You did what God predetermined and knew what would happen, He knew what would happen because He predetermined it to happen. Now that fits doesn't it, that if we put that into I Peter chapter 1 verse 20 that He was predetermined before the foundation of the world to be the Lamb of God. Well that fits Scripture, it was the predetermined plan of God. So we talk about foreknowledge when you talk about God you're talking about the same thing as predetermined or foreordained. He knows ahead because He determines ahead. He planned it ahead, so He naturally knows ahead. So anytime you see foreknowledge when used of God it's only used a few times, I believe 5 times in the New Testament of God, it's saying the same thing as a predetermined plan. Now this use comes out of the Old Testament and then we're going to have to stop at that point.

Go back to the Old Testament in Exodus chapter 2, to see how this word ’knowledge' was used of God. Exodus chapter 2, this use of foreknowledge when used of God, comes out of the Old Testament use of knowledge when it’s used of God. It doesn't mean that God just got some information. Note verse 25 of Exodus chapter 2 "And God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them." Now if you have the edition of the Bible that I am using you have a little 1 in front of "took notice" and over in the margin of your Bible by number 25 you have "literally knew them", the Hebrew word 'to know'. God saw the sons of Israel and God knew them. Do you think God looked down from heaven and said, "Sons of Israel, hey I know them!" That doesn't make any sense of course He knew them, He knows everything, He's omniscient, it's one of the attributes of God! What's it mean? He selected them out, He put His favor upon them to choose them, that's what it means when He knew them. He predetermined to use them and have them for Himself and He didn't do that with any other nation of Europe did He? So when it says "God saw the sons of Israel and knew them", it means He chose them with favor. That fits the context, that's what the word means.

To all the way back to the end of the Old Testament, to the book of Amos. Now Amos you go through the major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and then you get into trouble because you hit all these little books. Daniel, Hosea, Joel and Amos, so just a couple of books after the book of Daniel is the book of Amos. And in Amos chapter 2, chapter 3 verse 2, note "You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth." God speaking to Israel, now some of you have an earlier edition of the New American Standard Bible and they really confused this verse. And in later editions they retranslated it and I read you from the Major Edition of the New American Standard. The King James has it exactly right, "You only have I known", the Hebrew word 'to know'. God says to Israel "You only have I known of all the families of the earth". Now you mean God didn't know about Assyria and God didn't know about Egypt and God didn't know Babylon? Of course He did. We read in Isaiah what He said about those nations but Israel was the only nation that God had put His favor on and chosen for Himself, that He had determined would belong to Him. 'You are the only ones that I have chosen', and that's why this version translates it 'chosen' so that's the idea of the word 'to know'.

One other passage and we have to close, Romans chapter 11, Roman 5 chapter 11, verse 2, Romans 11:2, "God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew." Now, you go back and read the Old Testament, do you get the idea that God had looked down and saw that Abraham would become a believer? And the descendants of Abraham would be a faithful people and they would be a nation that would choose God as their God and therefore on that basis God chose them? That's exactly the reverse of what happened. Here you have Abraham living in a pagan land evidently an idol worshiper as his father was and God arbitrarily reaches down and takes hold of Abraham and selects him out. God has not rejected His people whom He chose, whom He put His favor upon to belong to Him. That fits the Old Testament pattern, so just to know ahead of time doesn't fit at all. Israel didn't choose God, God chose Israel and He takes credit for it repeatedly through the Old Testament. Yet if God had simply looked ahead to see what Israel had done, He couldn't have taken that credit, He would have simply been responding to them, but the indication is, He is in control. Now we have to break off at an awkward place. I hope you'll be able to continue this study with us, to continue how God does operate that it is not fatalism. What is foundational in His choice, when His choice occurred, the purpose of His choice, some of the distinctions and concepts that are presented? But up to this point it's important to see that we have a God who is totally sovereign, who is doing everything in controlling all the details of everything that happens to bring glory to Himself and He is dealing with a humanity that is totally corrupted in sin. And He is working a plan whereby He sovereignly selects out from among this fallen humanity certain ones to believe in Him. That's a great comfort to know God is in control of everything, He is in control of the process of salvation. That perhaps He brought you here this morning because He's drawing you to believe in Jesus Christ. To know that I have been chosen by Him, that He is sovereignly in control of all the details of my life, that's a great comfort and assurance.