Next message is on a topic that is misunderstood in the religious world. And you have to, when you're talking to someone about this topic, you actually, like all of, and I recommend this about any kind of doctor that you're talking to with someone, always ask them first, always qualify what they believe. that topic to be, because a lot of times, and it's unfortunate, but a lot of times, what people say they believe about a topic is completely foreign to the scripture. Completely foreign.

Open your Bibles, if you would, to Romans chapter eight, verses 29 and 30. The name of the message is Divine Foreknowledge. Now, a few weeks ago, Vicki and I were talking about this very subject of God's foreknowledge, the foreknowledge of his people. So this message came about after our looking at the word foreknow in Romans chapter 8, verse 29, and then the word foreknow In 1 Peter 1, 2, we talked about it, and then we looked it up on e-sort on the phone, which is wonderful. And so this message came about as a result of that. It's amazing how things can come about, and then you either hear about them, or someone else will start talking to you about them, and you're just amazed that, oh, I just talked with someone about that very thing.

Romans chapter eight, verses 29 to 30, we see here, the scripture's declaring about God for knowing his people. And notice all this is in the past tense. It's all in the past tense. And God, the Holy Spirit, having Paul pen these words, The scripture says, for whom he did foreknow, so whom God did foreknow, he also did predestinate. And look at this, people say, I don't believe in predestination. You don't believe in being conformed to the image of Christ? I think every believer wants to be conformed to the image of Christ, don't they? See what I mean, how you have to qualify these words? Because one person's view of predestination might not be a biblical view of predestination.

Look at this. God predestinated his people to be conformed to the image of his Son, that's the Lord Jesus Christ, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. He's the head and we're the body. Moreover, whom he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. Them he also called with an effectual call, an invincible call, an irresistible call by the Holy Spirit of God. And whom he called, them he also justified. Well, they're given faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They've been justified at Calvary's cross, right? And look at this, he justified, in whom he justified them, he also glorified. So all of God's elect, a people of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation shall be glorified. And Christ will not lose one of them for whom he shed his blood for. And notice this, it's all past tense.

Now God's foreknowledge is much more than just a prior knowledge of what people will or will not do. And God does know from eternity all people because he is an all-knowing God. He knows all things and he has chosen some to be vessels of honor and some to be vessels of dishonor. And he did this in eternity. He did it in eternity. So we had nothing to do with this. So it's a lie that God looked down through time and saw who would choose him. That's so foreign to scripture, it's not funny. If God did look down through time, all he saw was a mass of humanity dead in trespasses and sin, and there's no way anyone can save themselves. But that's not what he did.

Think of this. Is there anything hidden from God? I mean, anything. From eternity, he knows all. Even now he knows all. And off into eternity, he knows all. He dwells in eternity. He's outside of time and space. And yet he knows everything that will occur in time. To every single person in this world. Because he's God. Isn't that amazing? If he didn't know that, he wouldn't be God. But he's God, beloved. And nothing's hidden from God. Nothing takes Him by surprise. You know how we get something in the mail, we're like, oh my. Or something comes up in our life, we're like, oh my, didn't even see it. Nothing happens to God that way. There's no surprises to God. None.

And think of this, God has never learned anything. He knows everything. He knows everything. He knows because he's an all-knowing God, the one true living God. And his all-knowing power must never be confused with his foreknowledge. Because Him being an all-knowing God is an attribute of Him. And foreknowledge is an act of God. They're different.

Look at Romans 8, 29, and we see that God's foreknowledge brought forth in this verse is of persons. It's a persons, not things. Even though God knows everything that's going to happen. In this verse, it's specifically talking about persons. And Paul doesn't say what he did foreknow, he says whom he did foreknow. It's personal. It shows God's electing, discriminating grace, showing to sinners of his choosing.

my and God's foreknowledge of his elect is is a result of his everlasting love and Jeremiah it says the Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee So look at this. For whom he did foreknow. It's particular. And isn't that particular? For whom he did know. It doesn't say everyone. Even though he knows everyone. But these are speaking of his elect. God knows his elect from eternity. He knows He knows his elect as no one else knows them. And Jeremiah says, the Lord at the period of old unto me saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

Well, that's bought forth in the moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called. Being bought with loving kindness. Have I drawn thee? And God's foreknowledge of his people is his special distinguishing love for his own, for his elect, for maternity. He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world because it pleased him to do so. And then he sent his son to save us from our sins, to enter into this world. The word of God himself became flesh and dwelt among us. And scripture says he came to save his people from their sins.

Well, note there, for whom he did foreknow. That's speaking of his people. My. God's foreknowledge implies His eternal election, His choosing, and ownership. He owns us, beloved. Someone says, well, we're not to own people. I praise God, He owns me. Do you? I praise God that I'm a doulos for God, that I'm a servant of God. I'm purchased with His blood. He purchased me. He created me, and then He purchased me with His blood. Wonder of wonders. God saves sinners such as I and such as you. And we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

Now, the word for foreknowledge in 1 Peter 1.2 means this, to know beforehand. to know beforehand. Prior acknowledgement. It also says favorable recognition or consideration beforehand. It's used to denote the foreordained fellowship of God with the objects of his saving power. And people say, well, I don't believe God chooses people. Well, the verses tell us that. whether you believe it or not. And I look at this and I don't think, oh, I'm pretty special. No, I think the Lord did this for me. He saved my soul. He's loved me with an everlasting love. This is amazing.

Now, when the scripture speaks of God's foreknowledge of anything, or God's knowledge of anything or anyone in a special, distinctly gracious way, the implication is that God's ownership is there in God's approval. Listen to this in Psalm 1, verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. He knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Then in John 10, 14, Christ himself, God in the flesh, says, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and I'm knowing of mine. And then later on in that chapter, chapter 10, he says, I lay down my life for the sheep. His people. who he came to save from all their sins. And as we saw in the last message, who he came to completely cleanse.

So those whom God foreknew, he owned as his people before the world began. We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now, God's foreknowledge certainly involves his foreordination of his elect unto salvation and eternal life. Of course it does, because it's in Christ. It includes both determination and control. In fact, the word translated foreknowledge in 1 Peter 1-2 is translated foreordained. And the same word is used in Acts 2.23, speaking of God's foreknowing the death of Christ. He foreordained the death of Christ. Acts 2.23, Him, that's Christ, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge, foreordained of God, ye have taken him by wicked hands, have crucified and slain. Isn't that amazing?

This word foreknowledge in 1 Peter 1 20, it relates to his purpose of grace. God's foreknowledge is his determination from eternity to save his elect. It's not God knowing what we would be or what we would do. It's his determination to save his people from eternity. Listen to this in Acts 15, 18. This is brought forth because everything God does, he's known from eternity. Known unto God, Acts 15, 18. Known unto God are all his works, that includes our salvation. From the beginning of the world. Where were we in the beginning of the world? We were in God's mind, but we weren't even alive.

So rejoice, beloved of God, as God's foreknowledge is the infallible security of his elect. We have perfect security in Christ. Listen to this. 2 Timothy 2.19, Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, heaven the seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his. That's pretty plain, isn't it? And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Let us battle sin. Let us depart from sin. And we do every day, don't we? We fight it. We have a civil war within us.

Marvel then, we who are the redeemed of the Lord, if you are a child of God by faith in Christ, you were known of God from eternity. You were known to God for eternity. One of those whom he did foreknow, you're one of them. And God Almighty, God Almighty, the one true living God, in amazing love and infinite grace, you can't measure it, determined to save you before the world was. Before the world was nothing. before it was even set and made. He determined to save us. Why? Because He loves us with an everlasting love. Oh, and He owns us by creation and by purchase. And beloved, He foreordained us and secured us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And all we can say is praise the name of Jesus. Amen and amen.