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Predestination…Foreknowledge…Fore-Ordained

Whew! So early in the morning too.

I should first provide a small (yet shocking) disclaimer to all my Calvinist friends. To my knowledge I have never read anything by Calvin. I have read through the TULIP document (I don’t know if this was written by Calvin) and agree with it completely. So what Calvin says and what I say may be slightly different but I doubt if we’re too far out of sync.

First off, fore-ordained (ordained in the NASB) is only used two places (Acts 7:53 and Gal 3:19). In both cases it talks about the law being given to men by the angels. The translation is something like intermediaries. They’re very interesting verses but not important in understanding predestination and foreknowledge.

I believe the key is in Romans 8:29-30

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these who He called, He also justified; and these who He justified; He also glorified.”

There is a progression in these verses. First He foreknew, then he predestined, next He called, then He justified, and then He glorified. I believe the verse is saying that God in His omniscience, before there was light, knew which of us whom He would eventually create would follow His Son. Because of God’s great love, and before the foundation of the earth, He predestined that His Son would sacrifice Heaven and Earth to save us future believers. When we were born and at the right time God tapped us on the shoulder and called us. Our faith in Him, which He foreknew we would accept allow Him to justify us. And through this justification He glorified us so that we may be called sons of God and bring glory to Him.

Once we have been glorified we reflect the very essences of God through our good works. God will not allow His glory to be dishonored so if we stray God will chasten us.

That is why the verse I gave yesterday, Isaiah 43:7, is so valuable. God did not create us so that we would love Him. He created us to glorify Him. And in turn He glorifies us. Can you imagine the God of the universe wanting to glorify you and what a significant understanding that is? That is why you, like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, John, Paul, and every other believer is here or was here - to glorify God. That is why He deserves our worship and praise.