Here's one of the great passages
from Paul, and part of it we look at this evening. Verse 28,
We know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are called according to purpose. For whom
He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover, Whom He did predestinate,
them He also called. Whom He called, them He also
justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Now we'll eventually settle on
the first part of verse 29, our subject for knowledge. for whom
he did foreknow." Most of you are aware that the 8th chapter
of Romans begins with, "...there is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. And he basically proves that
by one argument after another throughout the chapter. Someone
has said that the Roman Epistle is a virtual body of divinity,
a grand article of the faith of God's elect, that justification
is presented under four major heads here in this particular
book covering eleven chapters. The theme of the book is laid
out. Chapter 1, verse 16 and 17, the revelation of the righteousness
of God in and through the Lord Jesus Christ and that great salvation. Now, I said that the theme of
the book is a justifying righteousness, justified by the righteousness
of God. And Paul covers several aspects
of justification in this book. I'll run through some very quickly.
Number one, the necessity, which is the universality of sin and
corruption of the human family. This includes Jew and Gentile. and is covered chapter 1, verse
18, down through chapter 3 and verse 20. That is a wonderful
description, secondly, of the righteousness of God in chapter
3, verse 21 through verse 31. Thirdly, there is the prototype
of justification by imputed righteousness, and that is the prime example
of Abraham taken up in chapter 4. In chapter 5, you have justification
in our federal head. In chapter 6, we are dead to
the dominion of sin by the body, the death of our blessed Lord.
In chapter 7, we are dead to the law in and through our blessed
Savior. That carries us up to chapter
8 and the opening, therefore, Therefore, there is now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ. And as I said, chapter 8 contains
several arguments to support that declaration that there is
no condemnation to those that are in Christ. We'll run through
them real quickly. Number one, verse one through
four, they are delivered from the law in Christ. I'm talking
about Romans chapter eight now, verses one through four, they
are delivered from the law. In verse 5 through verse 11 in
the second place, they have the sanctifying work, they have the
indwelling and the influence of the Holy Spirit of God within
them as proof of their justification. Thirdly, in verses 12 through
verse 17, they are the children of God, they have the Holy Spirit
of God as evidence of their election and of their salvation. Then
fourthly, in verses 18 through 28, they present that present
afflictions are not inconsistent with divine sonship. That one
has great trouble or misery or suffers is not a proof that they
are not the children of God. And then in verse 28 through
35, They are called according to the eternal purpose of God,
and this is a fixed and eternal purpose. Sixthly, in verse 31
through verse 34, God has given Christ to die for His elect. He therefore will give and provide
all things necessary to their final happiness and salvation. And then seventhly, verse 35
through verse 39 of the chapter, the immutable love of God is
fixed upon them so that nothing, nothing at all, nothing in the
world, nothing that might be named can separate them from
the love of God. Now we want to focus in this
evening in that fifth point in verse 28 through verse 30, they
are called in accordance with God's purpose. And all things
are working together for good to them that love God, to them
that are called according to His purpose. That is, it is a
fixed and a settled purpose. Now, this is a very rich vein
of truth that we meet with in God's blessed Word. Much here
that might be mined for our profit. For in these three verses we
are exposed to such great and wonderful truths as effectual
calling, there's the purpose of God that is mentioned and
set forth, and then there is the foreknowledge of God, there
is foreordination, and so on down the line. Now in verse 28
we jump in and pursue our text and our subject. But let's do
so by being careful And notice the connecting words in our text
that cause it to flow with smooth continuity. Verse 28, and verse
29, for. Verse 30, moreover. And we know with absolute certainty
that God is working all things together for good for or because
whom he did for know. Moreover, them He called." So
He's connecting all things together. Now, there are three things for
us to note here in verse 28. Number one, the person's assured. And they are assured under a
two-fold designation. A, their style. Them that love
God. And B, they are the called. And C, they are called according
to the purpose of God. Now, of course, in the experience,
the calling actually goes before our loving of God. We don't love
God until we're called, until we're regenerate, called, and
converted. He refers to them, notice very
carefully, not only are they the call, but they are called
according to the purpose of God. And we'll add, this calling is
an effectual call. It is not a trial. It is not
something God tries or offered. It is an effectual call and is
in accordance with God's purpose. Now this note, for other places
where this purpose is specially mentioned and shines out in the
Scripture, you are familiar with them. Ephesians 1, verse 11. Romans 9, verse 11. 2 Timothy
1, verse 9. The purpose of God is spoken
of in those places. But having mentioned God's purpose,
It leads Paul to expound upon and explain what all is involved
in being called according to his purpose. And in verse 29
and 30, it gives several details of such purpose. That is, one
commentator wrote, quote, determinate efficacy characterized the call
because it is given in accordance with the eternal purpose, unquote. And see the connection. Them
who are thee called according to purpose. And see the connection
there, right on down the line. Whom He did foreknow. Whom He
did this and that and the other. So let's consider at length,
or at some length, our text here. Whom He did foreknow. Now you're well aware that the
full extent of the Arminian view of foreknowledge and of foreknow
is simplistic. That God looked down, He's all
wise, and He knows what will happen, and He knows what one
will do and what another won't do. And so, because he saw certain
ones would accept his son and believe the gospel, he therefore
elected them or appointed them unto salvation. Now, he knew
what would come to pass, and so that's what he planned, or
that's what he purposed. Now, they take refuge in it by
saying, it is God's foresight of faith that those who exercise
their free will and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that election,
they say, is based upon His foresight of faith in those who will believe. Now, there is one text that they
might pull out as one of their favorites, and that would be
1 Peter 1. And verse 2, where it said, elect according to the
foreknowledge of God. It is explained by them as saying,
God elected such, or those, that he foresaw would believe. He
knew who would believe because he is omniscient and able to
see beforehand who would believe, who would accept his son, and
such like. And these he elected. That's
the Arminian view of foreknowledge, predestination, and election. Now this also requires them to
be consistent, if they would, on the contrary part. And that would be that God only
reprobated those that he foresaw and foreknew, would not believe,
would not accept Christ and the gospel. Such a view destroys
an election based upon grace as it is in Romans 11 and verse
5. For one based upon the act and
the actions of men, and as commentators have declared, a salvation based
upon foreseen works is no different than one based upon actual works,
we might argue back. Now, of course, God knows who
will and who will not believe because He is omniscient. There is nothing that He does
not know. There is nothing to be known
that God does not and has not always known. There is nothing
new for God to learn. But election is not for foreseen
fate, for faith is a fruit of election and not vice versa,
in that such as are ordained to eternal life believe. Notice the order, Acts 13 and
verse 48. And faith is the open manifestation
of election, for there is in Titus the faith of God's elect. Thus God did not choose whom
he chose based upon their foresight of him that they would believe
and that they would accept Christ or believe upon him. For if he
foresaw that they would believe on their own by their free will,
what need was there to choose them to that and set them out
unto eternal life? If it is surely known by God
that they, by an act of their free will, would choose Christ
as their Savior, what need to choose them and foreordain them? They are believing must be and
would be the result of divine grace. Acts 18 and verse 27. And so grace is not gained by
believing, nor foreseen faith is not the ground of election. The good, sovereign pleasure
of God is. Now, as proof of this, let's
consider the case in the death of our Lord and foreknowledge
as connected to the death of Christ. In Acts chapter 2, verse
22 and verse 23, it says this, who was delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God." Now, let that sink in like
water soaking upon a thirsty ground. Delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. That is, to the death of
the cross. He was delivered up by the determinate
counsel for knowledge of God to the death of the cross. Now
question to those Arminians and their view of foreknowledge.
Was this only because God looked ahead and saw that the Jews and
the Romans would conspire to crucify and put the Lord unto
death? In other words, did God simply
look ahead to see that men would crucify His beloved Son, and
based upon that eternal, omniscient foresight, did He ordain Christ,
therefore, to the death of the cross? No, He was, according
to 1 Peter 1 and verse 20, for ordained before the foundation
of the world. And listen to Revelation 13 and
verse 8. The Lamb of God slain from the
foundation of the world. It was the purpose of God formed
before time, before creation. and completely and absolutely
independent of anything outside of His own will, of His own pleasure,
or of His own counsel. But back to the text in Romans
8, looking at the words, whom He did foreknow. First of all,
let us acknowledge something that A. W. Pink strongly emphasized
in one of his writings, and that is, it is not what he did foreknow. Look at that now, and let's hang
to every word. It is not what he did foreknow,
referring to act or unto action. As I said, A.W. Pink, in an article
on Divine Foreknowledge, wrote the same, quote, The fact is
that foreknowledge is never used in Scripture in connection with
events or action. Instead, it always has reference
unto persons, unquote. In other words, it is person,
not their action that are foreknown or the objects of God's divine
foreknowledge. In that, They and not their actions
are the objects of the foreknowledge of God. So look, whom he did
foreknow. And the word whom makes a distinction
here. Whom he did foreknow. Noticing
for now that word whom. Compare Romans 11 and verse 2. God has not cast away His people
whom He foreknew. for other comparisons in which
the word whom makes a very valid distinction, Hebrews 12 and verse
6. Whom the Lord loveth. Now that's a distinction. Romans
9 and verse 18. Whom he will he hath mercy and
whom he will he harden. And also take notice that the
word whom answers to the word them in verse 28 and verse 30. And there are, that is, the whom
to them, one and the same. Them, in verse 28, who are called
according unto purpose. Now watch how the word whom here
in this scripture runs through the passages as it is used here
a total of four times in the verses that we read and let's
if we may notice each and every one of them. First of all, verse
29, whom he did foreknow. Second, notice in verse 30, whom
he did predestinate. Thirdly, notice also in verse
30, whom he also called. Fourthly, notice in verse 30,
whom he justified. Them whom. But notice something
else emphasized by the word whom, which I guess we would call a
relative pronoun, or in some cases a demonstrative pronoun. Running through the text again
and seeing the four-fold use of the word whom as tracing out
the purpose of God to which they have been called. The whom and
the them. are connected together. Verse
29, whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, conformed
to the image of His Son. Verse 30, moreover, but are whom
He did predestinate, them He also called. Same one. Notice verse 30 again. Whom He
called, them He also justified. Same one. Notice again. Whom
He justified, them He also glorified. One and the same people throughout
all of the text. So, we take our stand here against
the Arminian insistence. that God elects and foreordains
only based upon those that He sees behaving in such a way as
believing and repenting. That is, seeing this and knowing
this is the cause of His electing some and marking them out unto
salvation and not his raw, base, absolute sovereignty. In doing
so, we point out something that is significant about Paul's multiple
use of the word whom, which as William G.T. Shedd, a commentator,
noted in that the Arminian view would require some qualifying
phrase. Now let's think about that. The
Arminian view of this would require some sort of qualifying phrase. But as Shedd wrote, the fact
that it stands isolated and without any qualifier is significant,
unquote. Nothing is given to qualify for
knowledge. It is not said whom he knew foreknow
would repent or believe or accept Christ or appropriate Christ's
death unto them or accept Christ or make a saving decision whatever
it might be, whom he foreknew would become Christian, whom
he foreknew would put their faith in him, that is, in Christ. This is significant in that there
is not one qualifying statement in all of this text that we have
read. Now, such as the proposed by
John Wesley, foreknown are sure to fulfill the condition of salvation,
namely, faith. And that, you know, is how they
look at foreknowledge. But note the text and the spin
put upon it now by Universalism. They presumptuously add the qualifying
phrase, whom he did foreknow would believe, have faith, and
such like, or cooperate in the divine call or come when they
were called by God, accept the offer of God's salvation, etc.,
etc. Paul has written simply this,
whom he did foreknow. And if the apostle had in his
mind any sort or degree of condition to be fulfilled or some qualifying
action that must be taken, it would be a very, very simple
matter for Paul to have named at least one or some qualifiers
in the text. As it is, the words whom he foreknow,
makes the necessary distinction that's all we need here. Just
as is done in whom the Lord loveth, that is, as many as, those that
he chastened, those whom he loved, those he will pardon, those he
will have mercy upon. I thought John Murray made a
good point on verse 29. Whom is the object of the verb
foreknow, and there is no qualifying addition made to it anywhere. It behooves us now to consider
more in depth the meaning of the term foreknow, or foreknowledge,
as used in the Scripture. Those he foreknow. Now, the idea
that God's foreknowledge is His ability to look down the corridors
of time or of human history falls far short of the true and the
scriptural meaning. If He could not do this, look
down and know all, He would not be God in the first place. Now, compare again Romans 11
and 2. God has not cast away His people
whom He foreknew. Now, this cannot mean which He
knew about. It cannot mean which He had knowledge
of or that He knew it would exist or be a people. are a nation. Romans 11.2 is a follow-up to
the question in verse 1. Has God cast off, has He put
away the people of Him? Paul's answer, God forbid. Verse 2, God did not, has not,
put away His people which He foreknew. So that the first part
of verse 2 of Romans 11 is a supplement to the issue in verse 1 of chapter
11, and not to shift our focus off of Romans chapter 8, verse
28 through 30. But the point is, God will not
cast away those whom he foreknew. Though He cast off many that
He knew about, and even said to them, I never knew you." We'll
look at that maybe in a moment. Consider that in Matthew 7 and
verse 23. The words of our Lord. Depart
from Me, I never knew you." Now think about that just for a moment.
I never knew you. He will say to some in that day
who say to Him, Lord, Lord, look, we did many mighty works. We
preached in Your name. We did this and that and the
other. will I profess unto them, Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity." In these words, I never knew you. This cannot mean he
never knew about them or he never knew their action, for he clearly
describes their religiosity. Contrast Galatians 4 and verse
9. Ye are known of God, or by God. 2 Timothy 2.19 The foundation
of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knows them
that are it. Now, in the case of the Lord's
Christ, In Acts 2, 22 and 23, Peter joins determinate counsel. That is, the fixed, settled will
and pleasure of God. For God's express counsel guided
all that was done to the Lord Jesus in His death. That's stated
in Acts 4, 27, 28. They did whatsoever the hand of counsel of God determined
before to be done. Jesus went as it was determined,
Luke chapter 22 and 22, according to the thing that had been determined. And foreknowledge, that God's
foreknowledge of Christ's death operated in conjunction with
the determinate will and counsel of God. Even so, divine foreknowledge,
God's favor, God's choice, God's love of His people, whom He knew
from eternity. Whom He knew from eternity with
distinguishing affection and with delight. Peter ties it to
election. 1 Peter 1, verse 2. elect according
to the foreknowledge of God, which Gil therefore equates with
election and sovereign grace, the goodwill, the pleasure of
the Almighty God, and according to the foreknowledge of God includes
affection, delight, approbation, love. That is a good meaning,
a definition of the word foreknowledge. Thus whom he did foreknow or
choose are elect. He also did predestinate. Look at that order in Ephesians
1, 4 and 5. Chosen in Christ before the world,
foreordained to the adoption of children. Even so, in Romans
8 and 29, whom He did foreknow, and since, as we pointed out,
it's without any qualifier, whom such as all that he foreknew,
those that, cannot mean his knowledge of what men will do, for in this
sense he knows all. This cannot therefore be Paul's
meaning in Romans 8 and 29, for such as are objects of the foreknowledge
of God are foreordained to eternal life. and salvation. And if the bare knowledge of
the actions of men were all that was meant here, then as Gil wrote,
all would be predestinated to be conformed to the image of
His Son. Furthermore, all would be called
justified and glorified since their actions are foreknown by
God every one of them. Foreknowledge means that God
has chosen, that God has set his love upon those chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world, these he regarded,
these he knew, with a particular interest, delight, and affection
that he placed upon them, whom he knew from eternity, and that
with a particular love, an everlasting love. from which nothing can
separate, carries out the purpose of God and is set forth here
in these links in Romans 8, 28 through verse 30. Whom he did
foreknow. He went and predestinated and
he called and brought down the line so that foreknowledge therefore
is more than knowing ahead of time what will happen or what
won't happen. or what one will do or not do. Foreknowledge, therefore, is
God setting and fixing His divine love in election upon a people
whom He foreknew and then whom He ordained to eternal and everlasting
bliss. So, again, the Armenian is so
wrong on the doctrine of foreknowledge when he looks at it in that light,
trying to escape sovereignty and unconditional election and
such like.