Its your concept that God's Foreknowledge is "fortunetelling".
Dear Behold and Mailmandan,
You're applying man's reasoning to the word "foreknowledge". You need to let scripture define it for you (1Cor 2:13).
God's foreknowledge is defined in Isa 46:10-11. It says that God knows "
the end from the beginning" (foreknowledge) because of this reason: "
I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it".
Nowhere does scripture ever say that God can look into the future to see how things "turn out". Scripture
always says that God causes all things to turn out just as He has "willed" and purposed.
God leaves nothing up to chance or to man's "will".
When God says that He has
chosen the Elect from the foundation of the world, He means exactly that.
The Elect did not choose Christ nor did they ever do anything to cause their election. Their election was decided before they were ever born.
Eph 1:4 According as he hath CHOSEN US in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 15 Having PREDESTINATED US unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 16 To the praise of the glory of his grace (His mercy and compassion), wherein he hath MADE US (by the work of Christ) accepted in the beloved.
2Thes 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth...
God
causes the Elect to believe and have faith in Christ. He does this by the spiritual work that Christ does within them. God does not look into the future to see who accepts Christ and then claim that He chose those people for salvation in the first place. This belief is ridiculous beyond reason. How can anyone claim that they are a Christian and then blaspheme the name of God in such a manner?
Paul was asked about the fairness of God choosing only certain people (the Elect) for salvation in this age. Here is what Paul said:
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to ELECTION might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved (the Elect), but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD (who showed mercy and compassion upon them).
Salvation comes to a person
solely because it is God who has chosen to show His mercy & compassion to them. The belief that says man's supposed free will ability is why a person chooses Christ is a lie from Satan. This false belief comes from Satan's false gospel.
God's Word says that a person can ONLY make a decision for Christ
AFTER Christ causes it to happen by giving the person the Spirit. If Christ does not give a person this free gift
beforehand, they would never accept Him as their Lord.
1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
1Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Prov 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
For Christ to save one of His Elect, He will come to them TWO times.
The
Spirit of Faith (the Early Rain) is what Christ gives to a person when He comes to them the
first time. This small measure of the Spirit is what
causes them to have "faith" and to accept Jesus as their Lord. These believers (babes) are "many" in number.
The
Spirit of Truth (the Latter Rain) is what Christ gives to a person when Christ comes to them a
second time, This strong measure of the Spirit is what causes the person's spiritual blindness to be healed so that the Holy Spirit can guide them into all truth. They are "few" in number and have been chosen from the foundation of the world out of the "many" who were only called to be saints.
These verses apply:
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Job 37:6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain (Early Rain), and to the great rain (Latter Rain) of his strength.
Deu 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain (Early Rain) upon the tender herb (a person who is called to be a saint/the many), and as the showers (Latter Rain) upon the grass (a person who is also chosen/the few):
The Spirit of Faith is what the Apostles received when they walked with Christ and accepted Jesus as their Lord. The Spirit of Truth is what the Apostles received on the Day of Pentecost when they were converted. This is when they were guided into all truth.
Likewise... the Spirit of Faith is what Paul received on the Damascus Road. The Spirit of Truth is what Paul received three days later when he was converted. Only
AFTER Paul received the baptism of the Spirit of Truth did the scales fall off Paul's eyes so the Spirit could guide him into all truth.
The salvation event which Paul experienced is what this verse below is teaching:
1Sam 12:17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? (day of salvation for the Elect) I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder (voice of God) and Rain (the Latter Rain); that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.
When a fallen away Elect believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit, they will
see that they have been under Satan's deceptions all along. This happens only because the Spirit of Truth has healed their spiritual blindness so that they can finally "see" the true Christ.
Having one's spiritual blindness healed upon receiving the Spirit of Truth is what Christ is teaching in the verse below:
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation (perceive and see that your wickedness is great), spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Back to 1Sam 12:17; notice the verse says "I will call unto the Lord". When Christ is ready to give one of His fallen away Elect the Spirit of Truth (Latter Rain), He will cause them to pray for that gift.
This is exactly what Christ is saying in the scripture below:
Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son (one of the Elect) shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
For the sons (the Elect) who call out to the Lord, God will surely bless them and freely give them the Spirit of Truth. This is how Christ builds His true church.
Joe
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@mailmandan