In this lesson we shall see God’s foreknowledge, selection, and predestination. Although man’s fall was tragic, before the foundation of the world and in His sovereign ordination, God foreknew, chose, and predestinated a group of people to receive His salvation, that His purpose in man might be fulfilled. Although these three—God’s foreknowledge, selection, and predestination—are different, they are related and are all wonderful acts of God toward the believers in eternity past and in His love. Therefore, the believers were destined to be blessed even in eternity past.
Romans 8:29 indicates that the believers are those whom God foreknew. In eternity past, before the creation of the heavens and the earth and before the beginning of time, God foreknew us and predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that His Son should be the Firstborn among many brothers. This is God’s ordination for all the believers.
God’s selection and predestination of the believers were based on His foreknowledge (1 Pet. 1:2). By exercising His divine foreknowledge, God chose us before the foundation of the world in eternity past.
God foreknew us also according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself for His economy (Eph. 1:9-10). This was His heart’s desire, which was not of man but altogether of Him. According to His desire, His good pleasure, He foreknew a group of people that He might work in them to carry out His economy.
God’s selection took place before the foundation of the world, in eternity past (Eph. 1:4). Before the creation of man, God foreknew and chose us. The expression “before the foundation of the world” implies the creation of the entire universe. Hence, God’s choosing us before the foundation of the world indicates that the universe was founded for man’s existence to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. God chose us before the foundation of the world, and through the creation of the universe He made it possible for man to exist to fulfill God’s eternal purpose.
God also chose us in Christ (Eph. 1:4). “In Christ” indicates that Christ is the virtue, the instrument, and the sphere in which God has blessed us. It was in Christ as the sphere that we were selected by God. Outside of the sphere of Christ, it is not possible for man to be chosen or blessed by God.
God’s selection was also made because of love (1 Thes. 1:4). This love is the love with which God loves us. God chose us because He loved us, and He loved us without reason. Because of His love, He favored us and chose us as the object of His heart’s love.