Page 74 - The Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2009

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“TO THE…ELECT, ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER,
IN SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT, FOR OBEDIENCE AND SPRINKLING
OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.” 1 Pet. 1:1-2

Election, or predestination, is a biblical doctrine. The question is whether it functions by the sovereignty of
God, as Calvinism states, or by the foreknowledge of God. The above Scripture says precisely that it is
by God’s foreknowledge. God the Father has foreknowledge according to Peter. Calvinism says He does
not. Peter says the elect are chosen by God’s foreknowledge but Calvinism denies that position. What
does Calvinism do with the above plain statement? It dismisses it by stating that God only “knew” us
personally before the world began, that this verse only describes a personal intimate “knowing” of us, but
“knowing” is not the word that is used, it is “foreknowledge”. Isn’t this reasoning in conflict with the all
inclusive concept of Calvinism we have previously considered? Here it is again:

““EEVVEERRYY AACCTTIIOONN AANNDD MMOOTTIIOONN OOFF EEVVEERRYY CCRREEAATTUURREE IISS GGOOVVEERRNNEEDD BBYY TTHHEE HHIIDDDDEENN CCOOUUNNSSEELL OOFF GGOODD,,
SSOO TTHHAATT NNOOTTHHIINNGG CCAANN CCOOMMEE TTOO PPAASSSS,, BBUUTT WWAASS OORRDDAAIINNEEDD OOFF HHIIMM..
AALLLL TTHHIINNGGSS CCOOMMEE TTOO PPAASSSS BBYY HHIISS OORRDDIINNAATTIIOONN AANNDD DDEECCRREEEE””
((CCoonnffeessssioionnssooffCCaalvlvininisistticicFFaaitithh,,RReevv..RR..SShhaaww,, qquuootteeddffrroommppgg..1199ooffaabboovveemmeennttioionneeddbbooookk))

The truth is that God is not ordaining and controlling my deeds and actions but rather He foreknows what I
will think, what I will do and what I will become before it happens! David states that God foreknew
precisely all about him, even what he was thinking:

“O LORD, YOU HAVE SEARCHED ME AND KNOWN ME, YOU KNOW MY SITTING DOWN AND MY
RISING UP; YOU UNDERSTAND MY THOUGHT AFAR OFF. YOU COMPREHEND MY PATH AND MY
LYING DOWN, YOU ARE ACQUAINTED WITH ALL MY WAYS. FOR THERE IS NOT A WORD ON MY

TONGUE, BUT BEHOLD, O LORD, YOU KNOW IT ALTOGETHER…SUCH KNOWLEDGE IS TOO
WONDERFUL FOR ME; IT IS HIGH, I CANNOT ATTAIN IT. Psalm 139:1-6

Foreknowledge is indeed too high of a knowledge for finite man to grasp, the finite trying to comprehend
the infinite; but that is exactly the kind of mind-boggling ability that makes God to be God! It is by such
foreknowledge that God is able to righteously decide to “save some and condemn others”. Saints, which
position do you think makes God a Righteous Judge? Did He, after creating Adam in His image, then by
His sovereignty make Adam to fall in sin or did He by His foreknowledge know in advance, before He
created Adam, that he would sin? When He made Lucifer, did He by His sovereign will create him as the
highest created being in heaven and then ordain him to fall, or did He by His foreknowledge already know
that Lucifer would be lifted up by pride and seek to overthrow heaven itself? If it was ordained by God’s
sovereignty, then why is God putting all the blame directly on Lucifer for his own actions?:

“YOU WERE THE ANOINTED CHERUB…I ESTABLISHED YOU…YOU WERE PERFECT IN YOUR WAYS
FROM THE DAY YOU WERE CREATED, TILL INIQUITY WAS FOUND IN YOU…YOU BECAME FILLED
WITH VIOLENCE WITHIN, AND YOU SINNED; THEREFORE I CAST YOU AS A PROFANE THING OUT
OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD; AND I DESTROYED YOU…YOUR HEART WAS LIFTED UP BECAUSE OF
YOUR BEAUTY ; YOU CORRUPTED YOUR WISDOM FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SPLENDOR; I CAST YOU
TO THE GROUND… YOU DEFILED YOUR SANCTUARIES BY THE MULTITUDE OF YOUR INIQUITIES,

BY THE INIQUITY OF YOUR TRADING…YOU HAVE BECOME A HORROR…” Ezk. 28:14-18
“HOW YOU ARE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O LUCIFER…FOR YOU SAID IN YOUR HEART: I WILL
ASCEND INTO HEAVEN, I WILL EXALT MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD; I WILL SIT ON THE
MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION,…I WILL ASCEND…I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH” YET YOU
SHALL BE BROUGHT DOWN TO SHEOL, TO THE LOWEST DEPTHS OF THE PIT…” Isa. 14:12-14

The Righteous Judge knew exactly what Lucifer was plotting in his mind, just as he knew what David
thought or spoke, and just as He knows what each one of us thinks because God has foreknowledge of
what is in the heart of man (see Jn. 2:23-24 ), He can righteously prejudge every person! Such Divine
foreknowledge is the key to any and all judgments that the righteous Judge has made from “before the
foundations of the world”. Jesus was “the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20, Rev.
13:8, Heb. 9:26), and “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…and predestined us to
adoption as sons…” (Eph.1:4-5). What is the basis, the righteous basis, upon which God has predestined
some to eternal life and some to eternal damnation (like Lucifer)? It is His foreknowledge. Peter said so
(1 Pet. 1:1-2) and Paul confirms it as well:

“ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD,
TO THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. FOR WHOM HE FOREKNEW,
HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON…WHOM HE PREDESTINED,

THESE HE ALSO CALLED, WHOM HE CALLED, THESE HE JUSTIFIED…” Rom. 8:28-30