God's Soveriegn Grace

GOD'S SOVERIEGN GRACE

OUTLINE

The Soveriegn Grace of God

Foreordination

Foreknowledge

Election

Predestination

I.  THE SOVERIEGN GRACE OF GOD:

A.   SOVERIEGNTY: Supreme and independent authority. (Authority is the freedom or right to do as one pleases.)

B. God does not merely possess authority, (no one gave it to him) he is authority. He does as he pleases (Psa. 115:1-8) and His will cannot be obstructed by the will of   another (Dan 4:35; I Tim 6:15,. . Eph 4:6; Rom 9: 8,19).

C.GRACE:

1.  A favor bestowed freely without any expectation of return. Unmerited  favor.

2. God's attitude towards us in salvation.

3.  Rom 4:4, 5;  5:6-10, 20; 11:6;  Eph. 2:8:9

D.SOVERIEGN GRACE: God's right to deal with mankind on the basis of grace alone.

II.  FOREORDINATION:

A.  Definition: "to determine beforehand" or "to fix beforehand."

B.  God possesses the soveriegn right to provide the things necessary for the ongoing of this universe which he has created. In order to do so He planned all the details before he began the work of creation. He didn't create and then sit down to decide what he would do with His creation. God carefully planned how each part of His creation would be used. Every part of creation has a purpose in the plan of God. (Eph 1:4,5,11)

III. FOREKNOWLEDGE:

A.  FOREKNOWLEDGE VERSUS OMNISCIENCE )

1.  OMNISCIENCE: All science or facts - God is all knowing, all wise, and knows with all certainty the course of all events, past, present and future. PSA 147:5; 139:17,18; ISA 40:28; ROM 11:3

2.  FOREKNOWLEDGE:  To know beforehand. Refers to what God knows with certainty will come to pass because He has foreordained that event. (Acts 15:18)

a.  Christ as the Savior (I Peter 1:20: Acts 2:23)

b.  Israel as God's earthly people (Rom 11:2)

c.  Believers to be conformed to the image of Christ. Rom 8:29

d.  Election of the Saints through the Sanctification of the Spirit. I Peter 1:2

B.  Three Steps in the Act of God Bringing a Sinner to Salvation

1.  God the Father chooses the sinner to salvation. (eternity past)

2.  God the Spirit brings the Elect sinner to the act of faith.

3.  God the Son cleanses the Elect sinner in his Blood.

C.  MISCONCEPTION ABOUT FOREKNOWLEDGE:­

A widely-held interpretation is that God has elected those who he knows will accept Christ as Savior.

Problems with this interpretation:

1.  If God elected those who He knew beforehand would accept Christ as Savior, then God has not foreordained nor foreknown; but rather, has exercised his Omniscience, and has limited his sovereignty by the will of man. Rom 9:1-16

2.  God is bound by the human will and cannot act upon, nor go beyond its limits. (Rom 9:16; John 1:12, 13)

D.  A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE MUST INCLUDE:

1. God's sovereign right to foreordain events in the lives of his created beings. Rom 8:29

2.  God's right to overthrow the will of man in order to carry out his plan and purpose in their lives. Eph 1:11

3.  That God's Omniscience revealed that all men would reject Him and His Son and that without his intervention all men would be condemned to eternity in the Lake of Fire. (Rom 3:10, 11; Psa 14:1-3; 53:1.3)