Romans 111

The FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD

April 13, 2003

Brian Kocourek

 

Last week we examined Romans 13: 1 which spoke of the Foreknowledge and foreordination of God in respects to his plan and His setting forth an order to be followed.  The Apostle Paul said in ROMANS 13:1,Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

 

This morning I would like to address this thought further by looking at the foreknowledge. Most people have been turned away from the true Gospel unto another Gospel and thus have no true understanding of a sovereign God who has a Sovereign plan, a Sovereign Purpose and a Sovereign Choice. A furthermore, most people, even among the ministers in this Message have not a clue to the true understanding of FORE-KNOWLEDGE and neither are they aware of how this word is used throughout the Scriptures because the main idea of the Foreknowledge of God as taught in the majority of pulpits today has been vastly twisted by the denominational filters which are even among those who claim to be followers of Malachi Four.  Therefore, many perverse ideas have been propagated by the ministry concerning this doctrine.

 

After the first church age had fallen into error and had drifted away from their first love, God sent another Messenger to bring forth correction, and a call to come back to Righteousness which is Right-wise-ness.  God sent Irenaeaus, who wrote several books against the heresies which had crept into the church, and in them we can find him say these words. said, IRENAEAUS AGAINST THE HERESIES. “Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than the truth itself. One far superior to me has well said, in reference to this point, "A clever imitation in glass casts contempt, as it were, on that precious jewel the emerald (which is most highly esteemed by some), unless it come under the eye of one able to test and expose the counterfeit”. Or, again, “what inexperienced person can with ease detect the presence of brass when it has been mixed up with silver?" Lest, therefore, through my neglect, some should be carried off, even as sheep are by wolves, while they perceive not the true character of these men,-because they outwardly are covered with sheep's clothing (against whom the Lord has enjoined(5) us to be on our guard), and because their language resembles ours, while their sentiments are very different,--I have deemed it my duty (after reading some of the Commentaries, as they call them, of the disciples of Valentinus, and after making myself acquainted with their tenets through personal intercourse with some of them) to unfold to thee, my friend, these portentous and profound mysteries, which do not fall within the range of every intellect, because all have not sufficiently purged their brains. I do this, in order that thou, obtaining an acquaintance with these things, mayest in turn explain them to all those with whom thou art connected, and exhort them to avoid such an abyss of madness and of blasphemy against Christ. I intend, then, to the best of my ability, with brevity and clearness to set forth the opinions of those who are now promulgating heresy.

 

And may I take this moment to also say that heresy is no stranger to the people who follow the Message of William Branham either. For we are warned in the Scripture that men will creep in unawares and bring in alongside of them Destructive heresies.  We find the warnings of Jesus, Paul and Peter that men will come right into our midst as grievous wolves entering into and not sparing the flock.

 

Jesus said in MATTHEW 7:15    Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 

And we have a vindicated prophet in this hour that taught us the fruit is the teaching of the season. ANOINTED ONES AT END TIME  65-0725M 59    Notice. But it's what they produce that tells you the difference. "By their fruit," Jesus said, "you shall know them." Man does not gather grapes off of a thistle even though the thistle be right in the grapevine. That could be possible, but the fruit will tell it. What is the fruit? The Word for the season; that's what it is, their teaching. The teaching of what? The teaching of the seasons, what time it is; man's doctrine, denominational doctrine, or God's Word for the season.

 

Now, therefore if the fruit is the teaching of the season, what they teach for the season, then we can know every man whether His Fruit is Gods Fruit or his own fruit by comparing what he has to say to what has already been declared by the Word of God for the age that we live in. Then how does their teaching which the word teaching means doctrine, so we must ask, what are they teaching for doctrine? And how doers it compare to what has come by Thus Saith the Lord” 

 

Remember, Irenaeaus already told us that “their language would resemble ours, while their sentiments are very different,” and Jesus told us they would put on as though they are sheep, while all the while they are ravening wolves. And the Apostle Paul also warned us in the book of Acts, saying...

 

ACTS 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.  So we see that some will come in among us from the outside while others will already be in our midst but will rise up to take over as well. And we also see the Apostle Peter warn us the same.

 

II PETER 2:1  But as there were false prophets among the people, so shall there be false teachers among you, who will be of such a character as they will privately bring in alongside of True Doctrine destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign Lord that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (The NIV says, In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up..) And so we see that we have been properly warned, and therefore should be on our guard.

 

Brother Branham said in the sermon, A DECEIVED CHURCH BY THE WORLD  59-0628M   83    But as Israel was bound by their kings, that they could not follow their real King, and their real King, when He came, they didn't recognize Him, so is it today, O Lord, the King of glory has appeared in the form of the Holy Ghost, and, Lord, they don't know it. They don't recognize it. They're so organized so tight, that they do not understand it, because it's not in their organization. Lord, this is a work of the devil that's done this to the people.

 

Paul told us there would come a time when they would not be able to endure doctrine any longer.  II TIMOTHY 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (teachers listening closely to what the people are talking about so they can teach them the same things. And if they will not endure doctrine what do they go for?) 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. The word fable here is a Greek word, muthos {moo'-thos}and it means  something made up, a fable; an invention, a falsehood. And so we see it today when we have people teaching falsehoods about the Godhead, the Presence, Melchisedec, Alpha and Omega, and even Predestination and Election.

 

From the Sermon UNCERTAIN SOUND 62-0714 Brother Branham said,   E-71 Intellectual, they don't want somebody to really stand up and pull the Scripture out and show it. They want somebody that's trained to bypass It. They don't want to know that. Oh, they just can't stand that.

 

And so they come in with stories, and inventions, and HOSEA 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: [therefore] will I change their glory into shame. 8  They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. (Now notice what the Lord tells Hosea about the people in verse) 9, And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

 

People don’t want doctrine today. They want experience sermons dealing with psychology and practical matters, focusing on the family rather than focusing on God. But how will you ever know God if you are not taught of Him. I am not so interested in how to perfect this flesh, because I know that no matter how many sermons I hear that talk about perfecting this behavior or that behavior, unless I am born again, it is all in vain anyway. Psychology is fleeting and temporary. Oh, it might make you feel good for the moment, but the only thing that will change your behavior is to be born again. Then you have another Spirit, guiding your control tower. But people are afraid of that kind of preaching, because they have not been successful when it comes to the overcoming power of the Spirit, and I will tell you why. Because they have been taught contrary to the Scriptures concerning the new birth.

 

And so too they have been taught contrary to the Truth concerning the Foreknowledge of God. In order to understand the Foreknowledge of God or the foreordination or God, we must look tot he Scriptures without any denominational filter over our eyes. We must be willing in our heart to read God’s Word the way He wrote it, instead of the way we were taught to interpret it.

 

When God's Word speaks of His Eternal purpose and plan, it shows how He elects certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son. However, most ministers are blinded by their Bible training, which in reality is anti-Bible training, and they will thus argue that election is based upon the foreknowledge of God, and this "foreknowledge" is interpreted by them to mean that God foresaw certain ones would be more yielding than others, and that they would respond more eagerly to the call of God, and that because God knew they would believe, He accordingly, predestinates them unto salvation. But this kind of thinking is not only fundamentally wrong, but disastrous concerning their relationship with a Sovereign God. This kind of thinking takes away from the sovereignty of God, replacing it with the sovereignty of man, and his ability to make a right decision without Divine intervention.  To believe in the absolute power of free moral agency is to do away with the Sovereignty of God and the sovereign nature of His purpose and plan. This view of the foreknowledge of God is completely contrary from what Scripture actually teaches. Saying God foresaw that certain ones would believe in Christ, and therefore He predestinated them unto salvation, is the very opposite of what scripture teaches. Scripture establishes that God, in His Sovereignty, singled out certain ones to be recipients of His unmerited grace.  Now, God does not force man to do anything. You do it on your own free will. He can warn you, throw a barricade across your path, but you walk your own self with your own decision in His Presence to make Him your Savior. But Satan has perverted God's plan to his own plan.  But just because He gave you free will does not mean that he looks down the road at what you choose and then sets His Whole plan of redemption based on your choice.

 

Brother Branham said in the sermon, “HEAR YE HIM 56-1215  E-43 And it's the works of God by grace, through foreknowledge that ordains you to Eternal Life and puts your name on the Lamb's Book of Life at the beginning. "And no man can come except My Father draws him. All that comes to me I'll give him Everlasting Life, raise him up the last day. Those who he has foreknew, he has called: those who he has called, he has justified: those who he has justified, he hath (past tense) already glorified," in glory. What you scared about? God calls you, your heart loves Him. "As the hart panteth for the water brook, so my soul thirsts after thee, O God." There it is. 44 Well, say, "Brother Branham, that makes it kinda loose then. As long as I believe I'm a Christian, I can do anything I want to." I always do what I want to, always. And if I want to do wrong, I know God's not in there. See? You can't get bitter and sweet water from the same fountain. That's right. You love the Lord, you'll do right. Yes, sir. If you love Him, you don't have to worry, if you love Him, just do what you want to. It'll always crying to do something for Him, crying, you love Him day and night. If something had happened, you'd happened be trapped into something, the bitter tears would run down your cheeks all night. You couldn't have no rest for the soles of your feet till you come back to the ark again. See? As long as you're a Christian...

 

Acts 13:48 tells us, All that are ordained to eternal life believe. It does not say all who believe are ordained to eternal life, because that would put the emphasis on the act of believing, and not the act of election first and believing as the result of election. In ROMANS 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;) Notice, it is Him that dos the calling, and it is Him that does the electing.  12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, 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, (Now this word willeth speask fo desire which speaks of choice, but notice he says, it is NOT him that chooses, or desires, ) nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

 

The Scripture teaches that Grace is unmerited and if so, then there is nothing you or any one can do to deserve it. EPHESIANS 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. That takes your actions and your decision making ability out of the picture all together. It tells me that God determined to do something, He Chooses, and then gives us a free gift of Grace to receive what He has given to us freely, by His own Design, purpose and plan.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus said, JOHN 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. God determines to bestow upon you the gift of faith, and thus the ability to make a right decision.  Jesus said to Peter, Blessed art thou Simon for Flesh and Blood has not revealed this to you but my Father that is in heaven, and upon this rock (revelation) I will build my church and the gates of hell shall never prevail.

 

False theology makes God's foreknowledge of our believing the cause of His whereas, God's election is the cause, and our believing is only the effect.  We love Him BECAUSE he first Loved us... But to think that our free moral agency has anything to do with it, you would have to read that scripture as, “He loved us because we first loved Him”, which is shear folly to believe so.

 

In our studies perhaps a decade ago, on the “Ginosko” of God, which is the Knowledge of God, we found that the words "know" and "foreknow" signify much more than mere cognition, but rather they show affection for the object in view.  Mary said, “ How can I be with child having known no man?” Therefore if the Word Know speaks of not only a cognitive understanding but also shows affection for the one known, then we can see why all Scriptures speaking of the foreknowledge of God speak of the person rather than the action which is known or affectionately referred to.

 

You do not have affection for actions, but rather affections are designed for persons.  Therefore in the Old Testament and New, we find the scriptures that refer to the foreknowledge of God, all speak of His Love and affection for a people, and not for the actions of those people.

 

In Exodus 33:17 we read, "I know thee by name".  Notice the object of God’s affection is the personal pronoun Thee. I know thee...

 

Again we find in Deuteronomy 9:24 “Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you".  Notice again the use of the personal pronoun “You.”

 

Next we find in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee". And again we se the use of a personal Pronoun “Thee that God not only formed, but before He formed in the belly, He KNEW THEE.

 

Again in Amos 3:2 we read, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth". And again we see the personal pronoun You, that is spoken of here.  

 

In the New Testament we do not see any change of this principle, and yet how could expect to find any changes with a God who does not change.

 

In Matthew 7:23 the same principle can be found. "Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you". And in this case, although it speaks of those Who He did not foreknow, it also speaks of an intimacy that he did not have. In fact Dr. Hoyer said that this speaks of the great divorcement. Why” For lack of intimacy. I never Knew you... I never knew you in an intimate way as a man would know his wife.

 

In John 10:14 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd and know My sheep and am known of Mine". Now, here we see a noun being used as a personal noun, in that the sheep represent a people who are known by Him.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1 Corinthians 8:3 Paul tells us,  "If any man love God, the same is known of Him". Now, this is not saying that if any man love god first, then God will know him, because the apostle John tells us, I JOHN 4:19We love him, because he first loved us. Therefore, if he first Loved us, then our love is after the fact. Perhaps we could reword this sentence then, to help you understand it better. Paul is saying, “If any man loves God, it is because the same one has been known by God.

 

Because we also read in 2 Timothy 2:19 "The Lord knoweth them that are His". And again you find the knowing speaks of a personal pronoun, and dos not speak of an action.

 

If we study carefully every passage of Scriptures, we will find that Foreknowledge is never used in Scripture in connection with events or actions; but rather in all cases it is used in reference to persons. It is persons that God "foreknows," and not the actions of those persons.

 

Acts 2:23 "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." With a careful study of the wording of this verse you will note that this was not speaking of God's foreknowledge of the act of the crucifixion, but of the Person crucified: "Him “Christ” being delivered by," etc.

 

You cannot read Romans 8:29-30 without coming to this understanding that God elects, and thus as a result predestinates or predetermines the one that He elects. "For whom He did (that’s past tense) foreknow, He also did (That is also past tense) predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did (again that is past tense) predestinate, them He also called,(and that little –ed let’s you know that the calling is also past tense. Then if the calling and predestining and electing are all past tense, then what do you have to do with it at all? The answer is nothing. You are the objects of His affection even before you came to this world.)"  And again, I want you to notice the wording used here. This verse does not speak of what, or of an action, but it speaks of whom He did (past tense) foreknow. It is not him that runneth nor him that willeth, but God that showeth mercy. Therefore the purpose and plan of God does not focus on the action but rather the person.

 

In Romans 11:2 "God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew" Notice again the reference is to persons, His people...

 

In I Peter 1:2: we read, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." Who are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father"? Here again the reference is to persons, and not to their foreseen acts.

 

Nowhere does the Scripture speak of the Actions being foreknown, but rather the persons are the ones foreknown. Scripture never speaks of repentance and faith as being foreseen or foreknown by God.  But We do see throughout Scripture that God did know from all eternity that certain ones would repent and believe, yet this is not nowhere does Scripture refer to an action as the object of God's "foreknowledge." Then, if the Word of God consistently refers to God's foreknowing of persons; then we should do as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:13 "hold fast the form of sound words".

 

All these Scriptures that speak of the foreknowledge of God do not speak of his foreknowledge as a result of someone’s actions, but rather they point to the purpose and plan of God. They all speak of His own Sovereign decrees, plans and purpose. In Acts 2:23 we read, Christ was "delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God". His "counsel, purpose or plan was the basis of His foreknowledge. Therefore you cannot read Romans 8:29 without first reading verse 28 which says, "all things work together for good to them . . . who are the called according to His purpose." Thus God's "foreknowledge" is based upon His own purpose" or decree as we see also in Psalms 2:7, “ I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. “

 

God foreknows what will be because He has decreed what shall be. He planned it that way. Therefore when men say God foreknew what your choice would be and therefore made His election or choice based on your choice they are not rightly dividing the Word of Truth, but are un-rightly dividing it and have reversed the order of Scripture, thus putting the cart before the horse.

 

The truth is, He "foreknows" because He has elected. This removes the cause of election from the creature, and places it in God's own sovereign will. God purposed in Himself to elect a certain people, not because of anything good in them or from them, either actual or foreseen, but solely out of His own mere pleasure. As to why He chose the ones He did, we do not know, and can only say, "Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Thy sight."

 

The plain truth of Rom. 8:29 is that God, before the foundation of the world, singled out certain persons and appointed out for Election and Thus salvation.

 

 In II Thess. 2:13 we read If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. This should make it clear that God does not base His election on what we choose but rather what He has divinely planned as we see that in Romans 8:29, "Predestinated to be conformed to the image of His son," God did not predestinate those whom he foreknew were already "conformed," but, on the contrary, those whom he "foreknew" He predestinated "to be conformed." Their conformity to Christ is not the cause, but the effect of God's foreknowledge and predestination.  God did not elect any because He foresaw that they would believe, for the simple reason that no sinner can believe until God gives him faith to believe; just as no man sees until God gives him sight. Sight is God's gift, Believing is God’s gift, and seeing is the consequence of using the gift of faith.

 

Ephesians 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them...  Notice then we can see here that God ordained beforehand that we should walk in the Faith. Believing then is the consequence of my using His gift of faith. If it were true that God had elected certain ones to be saved because in due time they would believe, then that would make believing a meritorious act, and in that event the saved sinner would have ground for "boasting," which Scripture emphatically denies.

 

God's Word plainly states that believing is not a meritorious act. In Matthew 13: 10 – 17 we see that not everyone is ordained to see, or to understand. Therefore, we can plainly se here that God elects some to Glory while others He does not choose.  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11   He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12   For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13   Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14   And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15   For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

 

 

 

Notice that Jesus Himself said it is not given to some to see and understand, but to others it is given. The Scriptures tell us that we are able to believe because of Grace. If, then, we believe "through grace," there is absolutely nothing meritorious about "believing," and if nothing meritorious, it could not be the grounds or the cause which moved God to choose us. No; God's choice proceeds not from anything in us, or anything from us, but solely from His own sovereign pleasure. In Acts 13:48 we read, “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed”. Therefore we can conclude that believing depends upon having been ordained to eternal life.

 

Once more, in Romans 11:5, we read of "a remnant according to the election of grace." There it is, plain enough; election itself is of grace, and grace is unmerited favor, something for which we had no claim upon God whatsoever.  It appears then that it is highly important for us to have a clear and Scriptural view of the "foreknowledge". Erroneous concerning God’s Foreknowledge lead inevitably to thoughts that dishonor God, and give us a wrong understanding of the attributes of God, and thus God Himself.

 

The popular idea of the foreknowledge of God is altogether inadequate. God not only knew the end from the beginning, but He planned it, and fixed it, and predestinated everything from the beginning. And, as cause stands to effect, so God's purpose is the ground of His predestination. If then the reader is a true Christian, he can only be so because God chose him in Christ before the foundation of the world as we see in Ephesians 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: 5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

He chose you, not because He foresaw you would believe, but He chose you simply because it pleased Him to choose; and in fact He chose you regardless of your natural unbelief. And because this is so, then all glory, praise and honor, belongs alone to Him. You have no grounds for taking any credit to yourself. You have according to Acts 18:27 “believed through grace”, and your very election was "of grace" (Rom. 11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

 

Let’s just bow our heads in prayer. Gracious father, we are so thankful for the Grace that you have shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, in which you have come forth in this hour to make ready a prepared people for the Lord. Grant us Lord, that refreshing that comes from your presence and may we so hunger and thirst for righteousness that we shall be filled, for we know that you who began the good working us shall perform it, for we commit all that you have for us, into your hands in the name of your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.