Some words in the Bible can be somewhat ambiguous. Usually it has more to do with the modern context of the word than the author’s use. Either way, we often end up with a problem reading the Bible today. What does this word mean in it’s context?

Sometimes the problem can be huge, and can send your theology in a completely wrong direction. As a matter of fact, some cults are built entirely on a few words being misunderstood to mean something they don’t.

Today we’ll concentrate on a word that makes a big difference. If it’s understood one way, God is completely reactionary to what human beings do; and the other way, makes God the proactive initiator of salvation based on nothing in man.

That word is “foreknow”.

Foreseen Faith

There is a theological system that hangs on a doctrine of foreseen faith. That is that before creation, God looked into the future and saw who would believe in Jesus. The ones whom He saw would believe are the ones He chose to save. This, according to the subscribers of the doctrine (we’ll call the doctrine “simple foreknowledge”), is what the Bible means when it talks about “the elect”. So election is not based on God’s sovereign unconditional choice, but election is a conditional reaction to God’s foreknowledge of future events.

I’m convinced this doctrine would not exist if it weren’t for two texts:

“To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:” -1 Peter 1:1-2

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” -Romans 8:29

In both of these texts the proponents of simple foreknowledge believe that “foreknowledge” and “foreknow” are actually shorthand for “foresee who would believe in Jesus”.

Defining Our Terms

Let’s look at the word foreknow. What does the word mean? Can it have multiple meaning? Is there a more obvious meaning in the contexts? Let’s do a little work (Though this study would be better done in the original Greek, I think the translated word is straightforward enough for those who don’t know Greek, like myself, to grasp the issues.)

Simply defined ‘fore’ means previous, and ‘know’ means have knowledge of. So the simplest definition we can conjur is ‘previously have knowledge of’. Good start.

Biblical data also shows us that ‘know’ can also have a few other connotations.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” -Jeremiah 1:5

Here the parallelism demonstrates “before I formed you in the womb” is to “before you were born” as “I knew you” is to “I consecrated you”. So we see that know can mean set aside, or consecrated.

“It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought…” -Hosea 13:5

Here the Bible uses ‘knew’ to speak of God’s providential care for Israel in the wilderness. Know can mean ‘care for’.

“I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” -Matthew 7:23

In this text Jesus certainly isn’t talking about bare knowledge, but some kind of intimate relational knowledge. It’s not that He didn’t know of the false professors that cast out demons in His name, it’s that he wasn’t their Savior by relationship. So know can also mean ‘intimate relationship’

The Bible uses this word often to portray sexual intercourse as well. “Adam knew Eve”(Genesis 4:1), “Cain knew his wife” (Genesis 4:17), “Elkanah knew Hannah his wife” (1 Samuel 1:19).

I’m comfortable collapsing all of these alternate definitions into a general concept of intimate, relational, love.

So here are the definitions we have to work with for foreknow:
1. have previous knowledge (simplest definition)
2. previously have intimate love for (more complex, but very Biblical)
3. previously see faith exercised in (not a definition of the word, but believed to be shorthand)

Working With Our Definitions

Since 1 Peter 1:1-2 simply states that election is based on foreknowledge, we’ll concentrate on Romans 8:29, since the text gives us an order, and a result. Whatever conclusion we arrive at will also apply to 1 Peter.

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” -Romans 8:29

Let’s replace the word foreknew with out definitions, and see how each one fares.

1. For those whom he [had previous knowledge of] he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…

Ok, so we have an omniscient God who can see all things, and all people. Good. The obvious problem is that that God had previous knowledge of everyone, and since there is no delineator to narrow it down, we’d be saying that all people are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Unless we’re Universalists, this will not do. Next!

2. For those whom he [previously had intimate love for] he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…

Now we see a cohesive, if not offensive, thought. It would appear, as in Matthew 7:23 that God has an intimate love for a specific group of people, that he doesn’t share with all people (depart from me I never knew you). If this is the correct understanding it would gel very well with God’s election of Israel over against all other nations, and the New Testament talk of the Church being God’s “elect”. Look what Paul says about the same predestination in Ephesians:

“In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…” -Ephesians 1:5

3. For those whom he [previously saw would believe in Jesus] he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…

Again, unlike the first definition, we have a mostly cohesive thought. The first problem is just the simple flow of the sentence. We’re coupling a completely passive verb (observing) with an active verb (predestining) and linking them with “also”. This is not the way cause and effect is communicated. We don’t say “those whom he observed, he also did something with”, we’d say “those whom he observed, he in turn did something with.”

Secondly we’re trying to force the idea of foreseen events (personal excercise of faith) into a context of foreknown people. It doesn’t say God would know what they would do (true as that may be), it says He knew them.

The much bigger problem is that the word “foreknow” simply can’t be defined by such a loaded definition. It would have to be proven with more Biblical data, that the author was implying something so in-depth as a foreseen decision, and uses a single word for brevity. But again, there is no other Biblical data to build this doctrine. The expanded definition is built, circularly, on the very texts that require the expanded definition to give the desired result. Until it can be proven that ‘foreknow’ should actually be understood as ‘foreknow who would have faith’, it makes no sense to understand it that way. The only reason anyone would do so is because of a tradition passed down to them by a theology needing the word to have such a definition.

Definition 2 is the only one that can be used meaningfully. Now let’s try this definition in the other text, 1 Peter 1:1-2.

“To those who are elect… according to the [previous love] of God the Father…”

Perfect. We see God actively electing a people based on the love He had before the foundation of the world. Sounds very similar to:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— …” -Ephesians 2:4-5

The Killer Text

I’ve demonstrated that only one definition of the word ‘foreknow’ can confidently be used in this context. Now you may ask if the actual word ‘foreknew’ is used in any other place in the new testament in a way that can support the definition I’ve concluded.

Paul, only 3 chapters later in Romans uses this exact same word in a way that makes it abundantly clear that this is the proper way to understand this word in context.

“I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” -Romans 11:1-2

Paul is not talking about foreseen faith. As a matter of fact he’s talking about national Israel who largely DO NOT believe. Paul is explaining that God has not turned His back on His fore-loved people.

Now, it should be noted that while this demonstrates the meaning of the word, it’s not being used in the same context. One group He’s fore-loved and elected as His chosen people under the old covenant (and has not abandoned them now). The other group He’s fore-loved and elected for salvation in Christ. Those “who are loved by God and called to be saints…” -Romans 1:7.

Romans 11:1-2 demonstrates that Paul does not use ‘foreknew’ as shorthand for ‘foreseen faith’, but that he is speaking of unconditional electing love. He is referring to a special kind of love that God does not have for all people. He is referring to a purposed choice God made before the creation of the world to love a people because of “nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls-” -Romans 9:11

Now with this amazing fore-love in mind, let’s see what God does with these people.

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” -Romans 8:29-30

God chose a people based solely on His good pleasure and love, then he guaranteed those people would never see the flames of Hell. All of salvation is the active work of the Lord, alone. Even His foreknowledge.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” -Ephesians 2:8-9

The idea that in order to become born again, we must first express faith in the gospel, is a popular one. Most Churches today teach that you must choose Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will come in and make some changes in you.

I would like to take a moment to think through this process logically, and see if it is a Biblical concept, or one that simply helps support certain traditions. I invite comments and further discussion, as I feel it’s an incredibly important topic.

Here are a few of the limitations of man in His natural, unregenerate state. Before we are born again:

• we can not submit to God, or do anything pleasing to Him.

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” -Romans 8:7-8

• the gospel is foolishness to us.

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing…” -1 Corinthians 1:18

• we do not seek for God

“no one understands; no one seeks for God.” -Romans 3:11

With these concepts in mind. Let’s think through what it would look like for a man to believe in Jesus for his salvation, before the Holy Spirit is indwelling that man.

The Scenario

There you are. A sinner, that suppresses the obvious truths of God around you (Romans 1:19-20). Someone comes to you and shares the gospel. They tell you a story about God becoming a man, and dying for anyone who will believe in Him, then coming back to life and ascending into Heaven. Unless you are some exception to the human race, you aren’t interested in seeking this God (Romans 3:11), and this story is sheer nonsense to you (1 Corinthians 1:18).

At the very most, you’ve received information about a religion. You need to make a decision between the Christian religion, the Jewish one, the Muslim one, the Buddhist one, and the secular worldview that everyone else believes. Your gospel-preaching friend shares some historic facts about Jesus, which are nice, but he’s obviously biased. There is no real supernatural help (other than any help God already gives to everyone equally) until you make your profession, so you’re on your own to weigh the facts. Now, let’s say your friend is a good salesman, and is rather persuasive.

Now he commands you to repent and believe the gospel. He’s asking you to do something very strange. You’ve heard what is no more than a fairy tale to you, and in reality, you don’t really believe it. You need to take an absolutely blind leap into darkness and place your trust in something that your mind is convinced is not actually there. You need to lie to yourself, to your kind friend who brought you the message, and indeed to Jesus Himself, and say you believe that Jesus died for you, and rose again.

So you accept the superstition and decide to try it. You recite what is really no more than a God-ordained magical incantation. THEN the Holy Spirit comes in. He basically turns the magical spell into a true statement, and now you REALLY believe Jesus because of your born again experience and all the other applied work of the Holy Spirit.

Is this really how we think it works? Is salvation initiated by a hokus-pokus prayer or confession that gets God to do something? Or is the order that the modern Church has come to embrace actually reversed? Is it actually God who opens your eyes first, followed by your true confession of faith?

What Does Scripture Have to Say About It?

“Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.” -1 Corinthians 12:3

Scripture tells us that until we are indwelled with the Holy Sprit, it’s impossible for us to make a true confession of faith. We are not told to blindly profess a lie, but that once God has given us His Spirit, we, without exception say “Jesus is Lord”.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” -John 6:44

Again we see that we are incapable of coming to Jesus without God’s doing the work.

“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” -John 3:3

Once again we see the absolute limitation. We “cannot see the kingdom of God”, until we are born again.

We are so spritiually deaf, blind and indeed dead (Ephesians 2:5) that we need to be brought to spiritual life BEFORE we are able to believe, and be saved.

“everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” -1 John 5:1

Even for a moment old believer, they have been “born of God” – past tense.

No Spritual Limbo

One easy misunderstanding that may come from this kind of language is that there is actually some amount of time that a person is regenerated, and hasn’t expressed faith in Christ yet – sort of in between stage. This is not the case.

Regeneration and the subsequent faith are instantaneous in time. Scripture never puts any time in between the two, because they are a package deal

Here’s a helpful way to think about it: Regeneration and faith are like a light switch and a light bulb. God is the one who proactively flips the switch on, and you, the bulb then produce the light of faith. So when I say ‘regeneration precedes faith’ I don’t mean in a temporal sense, but I mean that God makes you spiritually alive first… and a ’spiritually alive’ person necessarily has faith.

The Implications of a Right Understanding

Why does it matter which comes first? The answer is very simple. If we understand who produced the faith in us, then the right person gets the glory for it.

If YOU, in your spiritual sensitivity and wisdom, saw that this gospel business made sense, when all the rest of the world reject it, you deserve some commendation. At least in part, your whole time in Heaven is based on that smart decision you made to choose Jesus. Some of the glory God demands in salvation would go to you.

If, as the Bible tells us, GOD chose to have mercy on you, open your eyes to Him, and give you the gift of faith… then all the glory goes to it’s rightful place. Let’s not attempt to share in God’s glory. Let’s praise God for opening our eyes by grace alone, and not by our own doing or willing (Romans 9:15-16).

Let’s praise God for his Sovereign regenerating work, and not see it as a threat. Because without it, none of us would ever come to Him.

“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”" -John 6:65

If anyone should ask me what I mean by a Calvinist, I should reply, “He is one who says, Salvation is of the Lord.” I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be a heresy; tell me a heresy, and I shall find its essence here, that it has departed from this great, this fundamental, this rock-truth, “God is my rock and my salvation.” What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor.

Taken from A Defense of Calvinism by C.H. Spurgeon

“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” -Romans 8:30

One thing any Bible believing Christian must agree on is that some people go to Hell when they die. God’s just wrath against some sinners is not forgiven, and they take the wrath themselves. If Jesus died so that people could be saved, and God is powerful enough to do whatever He wants, why doesn’t He make everyone go to Heaven? Do people go to Hell because they just didn’t make the right decision?

Does God Choose?

The Bible teaches, from beginning to end, that God does whatever He pleases. He creates things out of nothing. He gives, and takes away. He parts seas, and makes pillars of fire. And He most certainly chooses to use people for His purposes.

The Old Testament tells the story of a Chosen people called Israel. God chose a single Pagan, named Abraham, out of all the other Pagans in the world, to reveal Himself in an intimate way. God made huge promises to Abraham, and said that the whole world would be blessed through his seed. Abraham believed the promise. A couple questions come to mind: First, why did God choose Abraham?, and second, Could Abraham have just said, “No thanks.”? Did God leave the selection of the person who would Father His people, and ultimately be a cradle for the Messiah, up to chance? With God there is no chance.

God has planned all of history, from beginning to end, and He will accomplish all His purposes (Isaiah 46:10). Nothing, especially not the will of creatures, can stop the Creator’s plans. He plans the ends, and chooses the means. God is in control, and we are at His mercy.

Does God Choose in Salvation?

Paul tells the Church of Thessalonica:

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…” -1 Thessalonians 5:9

and again

“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” -2 Thessalonians 2:13

Jesus, speaking of the end of the world says this:

“And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” -Mark 13:20

He shortens the days for “The elect, whom he chose”.  Some people believe that this “election” is actually just a response of God from outside of time, when he sees who would choose Jesus. Obviously this completely redefines the word election. If God chooses man simply because man chose God, who is ultimately in control of our destinies, us or God? To say God’s salvation is based on our decision completely opposes scripture.

“though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”" -Romans 9:11-13

Scripture clearly states that the election of God is NOT based on Him seeing what we’ll do, but is based strictly on God’s purposes.

“…I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” -Romans 9:15-16

I’d like to repeat that, to make sure we aren’t missing the point here. God’s mercy or “salvation” depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Why Doesn’t God Save Everyone?

Could God have saved everyone? Absolutely. God is all powerful. The sacrifice of Christ could have saved a million earth’s worth of sinners. Through it, God could have forgiven every sin from Adam to all the people who will be alive when Christ returns. Every rapist, murderer, thief, adulterer, gambler, and goody two shoes who thinks he doesn’t need Jesus could have the blood of Christ applied to them, and they could all go to heaven. So why doesn’t God do it?

God hates sin, and will reveal His power by pouring His eternal wrath out on those who blaspheme His name. God is holy and sinners deserve Hell, we have to never forget this. And the Bible teaches that in order for God to reveal His power and wrath against sin, He will not have mercy on some. It’s not because they were worse, or less spiritual than a saved person, and it’s certainly not because they just didn’t make a good decision about Jesus. It’s because they deserve to go to Hell, and God will pour out His judgement… that’s the bottom line. When we truly appreciate how guilty man is, it makes this question pale at the more mind bending question…

Why Does God Choose to Save Some?

“What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” -Romans 9:22-24

God chose a people, before the foundation of the world, to be “vessels of mercy”. Not because we deserve it, or because He saw something that He liked in us, but just to show “the riches of his glory”. Praise God! We were “prepared beforehand for glory”!

“…He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” -Ephesians 1:4-6

Can you believe this?! He chose that we should be “holy and blameless before Him”. He “predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ”… why? “According to the purpose of his will, to the praise of His glorious grace.”. That’s why. He loves us because He chose to love us. To show off how AMAZING He is! We will forever praise Him for his grace! Hallelujah!!

Isn’t That Unfair?

“You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” -Romans 9:19-21

Again, we return to where we started. God is God. He can do, and indeed does, whatever He wants to. All deserve Hell, who are we to question Him for saving some of us?

I beg you, anyone who has a problem with God’s electing grace, do not despise God’s right to choose. If you are a Christian, this truth secures you. You didn’t choose God, He chose you, and He will never let you go. He is truly working all things for your good, including your salvation. You know Him because He allowed you to know Him. All the glory goes to God alone!

What About the One’s Who Aren’t Elect?

First of all, remember that we don’t know who the elect are. From our perspective, we need to treat everyone as if they were elect. We preach the gospel to everyone we can, and pray that God would save them. We should trust that the Holy Spirit will work in the people we share the gospel with, so we don’t worry about watering down the message to suit someone’s sensibilities. Preach the true gospel, and God will save His people. The best thing you can do for someone that looks like they aren’t saved, is share the gospel.

Secondly, remember that there is nobody that will desire to be saved and be turned away. We all hate God naturally, and are spiritually blind, so when any person desires to know Christ, it’s only because God opened their eyes. That doesn’t mean there won’t be people that claim to love the “jesus” of their imaginations, and just want a happier life. Everybody wants that. It doesn’t mean they want to be saved. So preach the real gospel to them, and pray for God to move.

Finally, we must trust that God is wise. Our God is good and loving. Some people will go to Hell… bluntly, some people that you know will go to Hell. But we must trust that God is just and will do what is right, even if we don’t understand His purposes.

If God were fair, we would all go to Hell. Praise God that he chose to pull some of us from the flames!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” -Romans 8:35

The Christian life is a life of freedom and joy. We are told we can come confidently to the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). But when do we lose this privilege? Are there sins that can keep us from God? Can we walk away from the grace that has been delivered to us? How secure are we, anyway?

We’ll be spending a lot of time in the most comprehensive chapter in the Bible on the topic: Romans 8.

He Has Set Us Free

What, exactly, does the Bible mean when it says:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” -Romans 8:1-2

You see, we are utterly free from the law of – ‘If you sin, you will die’. God Himself, who is all knowing and all powerful, has pardoned us, and promised us eternal life. Now, no sin will ever be counted against us again. We still sin, but the counter has been reset to zero, and God took the batteries out.

We’re secure because God has forgiven us.

He Has Given Us the Spirit

Who do these insane promises apply to? Who are these people who are freed completely from condemnation? Is anyone who prayed a prayer free? Can we just sin and enjoy forgiveness, and not worry about serving God?

Let’s look again at 8:1.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” -Romans 8:1

Who is it that is “in Christ Jesus”?

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” -Romans 8:9

Only if you have the Spirit of Christ, do these promises apply to you. Which brings us, once again, to one of my all time favorite doctrines: regeneration. Regeneration is a work of the sovereign grace of God to change the heart, mind, and will of a sinner into that of a believer. It is the moment the Holy Spirit enters and takes up residence in the believer. Without this indwelling of the Spirit, we are incapable of believing.

“no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.” -1 Corinthians 12:3

So follow me. If someone is not regenerate they do not have the Spirit, If someone does not have the Spirit they are not in Christ, and if someone is not in Christ they are not freed from the law of sin and death. While many may claim that they know Christ, some are deceived. Anyone can say they’re Christians, but only those who have the Holy Spirit belong to God.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” -Romans 8:14

These people, who now love God and no longer have a heart that is rebellious, will never ultimately walk away from Him. Anyone who does walk away, proves they were never regenerate to begin with. We will have eternal life only “If indeed the Spirit of Christ dwells in us”.

We’re secure because God gave us His Spirit.

He has Planned It All

“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” -Romans 8:30

Please note two things about this chain of events: 1. They are all past tense. 2. Not one of them is a work of man.

In God’s mind the glorification (conformity to Christ’s image in eternity) of His elect people is already as complete as their predestining. As far as God is concerned, everyone who is in Christ is as good as in Heaven.

Secondly, since man didn’t predestine himself, call himself, or justify himself, to say we can stop God from the final step is just silly. Salvation is, in every way, of the Lord. There is nothing we accomplish, contribute, or decide that helps God save us. This is what grace means. Grace is God lavishing His love and mercy on people who, not only don’t deserve it, but never even wanted it.

We’re secure because God has planned it.

He Won’t Let Us Go

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39

If you can think of something that doesn’t fit in this list, you’ve found the loophole. Paul did us a pretty big favor with that last one. I certainly can’t think of anything that isn’t “in all creation”… besides God of course, and speaking of God:

“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” -Romans 8:33

We’re secure because God won’t let anything take it away.

He Gave His Son

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” -Romans 8:3-4

Because we couldn’t obey, God has taken the punishment owed to believers and placed it PERFECTLY on his Son. He has, in effect, “condemned sin in the flesh”. And now the righteous requirements, the very perfect life that Christ lived, is fulfilled vicariously in us… those who walk in the Spirit. This is the finished work of the atonement.

Christ’s sacrifice removes every sin from every believer. His obedient gives us a perfect standing before God. And His resurrection guarantees that we will be raised to glory.

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” -Romans 8:11

Christ is not trying to save people. Christ has saved His people. And every person for whome Christ has died, WILL be in heaven. The promise of God to His elect is not a temporary conditional security.

We’re secure because Christ is a perfect Savior.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” -John 3:3

The Biblical prescription for salvation is: Repent, believe, and be baptized. Looking around the American Church landscape, you’ll quickly notice that there are an awful lot of people who say they’ve done those things, yet haven’t changed at all. So is that all there is to it, just do a couple rituals, change into some dry clothes and get on with your normal life? Does being a Christian actually change anything? Is it up to me to pick myself up by my bootstraps and start changing? How do I know if I’m doing it right?

Jesus says we must take up our crosses, and follow Him. The Bible says we must die to ourselves. What does it mean to take up a cross, or die to self? Are these extra things we have to do to get to Heaven?

You Must be Born Again

The problem with mankind is that we don’t desire God. He made us and we quickly walked away. Ever since Adam’s sin we have been prone to sin, and incapable of good.

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” -Genesis 6:5

Scripture tells us that the good news of Christ’s death for our sins is impossible for this natural, evil man to believe. We can’t do anything good, and believing in Jesus would be the greatest thing anyone could do… so we’re stuck. We are in our sins, we don’t want God, God has a plan of salvation, and we all refuse to believe it.

Our sinful natures must be altered in order for us to actually exercise faith. Thankfully this is all part of the plan. Six hundred years before Christ came, God told us how he would deal with this part of the problem.

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” -Ezekiel 11:19

As far as our ability to respond to God goes, we are dead. The part of us that is sensitive to God, that can believe the gospel, died in the garden, and so the Bible tells us we are “dead in sins and trespasses”. We have cold, dead hearts of stone. So when the gospel finally makes sense to us, it’s because God has changed our hearts. It is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He takes out or sin-loving, God-hating heart of stone, and replaces it with a God-loving, sin-hating heart of flesh. We are then free, for the first time, to believe the gospel.

In the Bible, this work of God to change a man is called being “born again” it’s also referred to in scripture and especially by theologians as “regeneration”. Just like being born naturally, we have no control over how or when this happens to us. God changes a man at His own will, whenever He wants. We do know, however, that it most often happens when the gospel is being preached to a person, or when someone is thinking about the gospel.

We Can’t Just Go On Sinning

Looking at the gospel without this key of regeneration leads to an interesting, and dangerous problem. Jesus died to forgive our sins, His perfect life covers over our sinful life, all our sins, past, present, and future are already taken care of the moment we believe. If salvation is just a sort of an easy one-time inoculation, then the obvious question is: “so I can just sin all I want, and not worry about the consequences anymore?”. Actually, that’s exactly what a clear understanding of the gospel should lead us to ask. But that can’t be right, can it?

God isn’t stupid. He didn’t miss this detail. As discussed earlier, natural man can not believe, so the work of Christ can not be applied through faith to just any ol’ sinner. The same work God does to make a man able to believe, also changes his nature so drastically that it reverses his relationship to sin. The person’s desires are completely changed. He no longer loves to sin, and he starts to fight against it. He now desires to seek God’s will and do God’s work. He has a love for God’s word (the Bible) and God’s people (the Church).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” -2 Corinthians 5:17

What Does it Look Like to be a Christian?

For more information on what being a Christian really looks like, scripture is clear. The book of First John lays out the changes we should be looking for. Read through it, if you aren’t seeing your life moving constantly (though sometimes very slowly) in those directions, you have valid reason to be concerned about you salvation. A Christian can’t lose their salvation, but people can be fooled into thinking they were saved, when they were never truly born again.

What If I’m Not Saved?

If all this quesitoning and introspection leads you to think you might not be in Christ, you need to go back to the beginning. Make sure you understand the gospel. Ask a Christian friend or pastor to clarify any questions you might have, and compare their answers to scripture. If you think you clearly understand what Christ did, but still see no change in your life, cry out to God. The fact that you desire to be holy is proof that God is working in you, get on your face and ask Him to save you and change you… He’s always faithful.

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”" -Romans 10:13

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” -Romans 10:17

It’s very often the question Christians immediately ask when election is explained to them: “If God is just going to choose people, why would you waste your time sharing the gospel?”. It’s understandable, especially in the american evangelical landscape. The idea that God isn’t in Heaven worrying that some people might not choose him, is startling. It sounds like you’re uprooting everything the average church teaches, including evangelism.

The truth is: God is allowing us to participate with Him, our loving Father, in His work of saving men. It’s an honor and a privilege… not just a duty.

The Means of Salvation

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” -Romans 1:16

You see, the gospel isn’t just information. We’re not simply telling someone what Jesus did, and hoping they accept it (although we are doing that). The gospel is very, very special. The words themselves have power. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the message of Jesus is the power of God that saves men. It is, in fact, the ONLY way that God had ordained men to be saved.

So first of all, don’t misunderstand this: the Biblical teaching of election does not deny the absolute necessity for all men to hear the gospel. No man will be saved unless he calls upon the name of, and trusts in the work of, the Lord Jesus.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12

God has not only chosen a people to be saved, but has also chosen the means by which they will be saved, namely through the hearing, and receiving of the gospel. When the elect hear the gospel, the Holy Spirit regenerates their hearts, and they believe.

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” -Acts 13:48

Preaching to the Elect

So how do we know who the elect are? Why would we waste our time with the non-elect? Again, the average Christian already knows the answer, but has just never applied it in the correct context.

In Jesus’ parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15), Jesus tells of a man that spreads seed all over the ground, on different soils, and only the seed that falls on the good soil grows to fruition. Jesus also explains the parable to His chosen disciples. The seed is the word of God (the gospel) being shared with all kinds of people. Some of the people don’t receive it at all because of the devil. Some get excited about it, then fizzle out as they move on. Others seem like they’re growing, but get choked out by the cares of the world. And finally, those whom Jesus calls the “good soil” receive, believe, and produce fruit.

Now, we see that the sower was not specifically searching out good soil, or being stingy with the seed. So, was he wasting the seed, or was he trusting that it would grow where it should?

This is what the kingdom of God is like. We are to share the gospel with everyone, and we just assume that they are all elect. We know that many will reject the gospel, but those whom God has prepared – the good soil – will receive it. So we preach confidently knowing that God will move on His people, and save them. Our job is to simply be obedient, and know that it isn’t our convincing that saves people.

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” -1 Corinthians 3:7

An Overly Semantic Calvinist?

Ok, so I’m saying that we should preach the gospel to everyone, but only some will believe. Isn’t that what the Christian who denies sovereign election teaches? Aren’t we saying the same thing, but from different perspectives? No. Here is where the theological rubber meets the road.

If you believe that the offer is simply made to all men, but God isn’t working to irresistibly save His chosen people, the catalyst to salvation then lies in your words. You must be convincing, you must be smooth, you must be a better salesman than the Buddhist, and Jehovah’s witness that your audience has heard philosophies from. And anything that isn’t chalked up directly to what the preacher says, is in the hands of the hearer. They must be spiritually sensitive, and innately willing to have faith like a child. When these two human traits (salesmanship and receptiveness) kiss, magic happens… right?

This is the gospel according to the flesh. The gospel of sinner’s prayers and decision cards. No matter how much lip service is offered up to the Holy Spirit working in these situations, He is discredited as unable to make you do anything against your will. Man is the deciding factor.

Worst of all, this kind of philosophy, mixed with a zeal to save lots of people, produces a bad gospel. As anyone who has preached the bloody Christ of scripture quickly learns:

“…the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…” -1 Corinthians 1:18

When your main task becomes convincing someone to “make a decision for Jesus”, you have no choice but to remove the offense. You need to water down the sin, blood, wrath and Hell of scripture, or remove them completely. That kind of offensive talk has no place in the seeker-friendly gospel. When it’s about your words, and not strictly dependent on the Holy Spirit’s work in the sinner’s heart, the flesh will always compromise the message.

No, my friends, salvation is not a cooperation between lovable men and a lonely God that just wants you to choose Him. Salvation is of the Lord, and the Lord alone!

Necessity is Laid Upon Me

“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” -1 Corinthians 9:16

We do not have a quota to meet, we are not doing God a favor, and God does not need us to save His people. He compels us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to preach His gospel, and save souls. The Saints are not only blessed with forgiveness, adoption, and eternal life, but we also are invited to participate in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom and save more men and women from their sins. It’s no easy task, but it is not a burden, as all of the heavy lifting is done by God. All he requires of you is your mouth. If you are His, you will naturally present it as part of your living sacrifice.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season…” -2 Timothy 4:2

Christians, I encourage you to practice your gospel preaching. Be fully prepared to explain God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, Christ’s perfect life, substitutionary death, and resurrection from the grave. Let the hearer know that through faith in Christ they can be forgiven, and receive eternal life. Don’t water it down. And trust that ‘all who are appointed to eternal life will believe’. Not because of your words, or their obedience, but because of God’s grace, alone.

If there is, indeed, anyone who feels that they don’t need to work for God’s harvest, that is a clear sign that you are not one of God’s workers. And you need the very message you refuse to preach: Repent, and believe.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” -John 15:16

Most people in the modern Church assume that man’s free will is taught in scripture. It is often used as the foundation to build doctrines and entire theologies. It seems logical. If God made us robots, then love isn’t love, it’s just programming, right?

The Will of Man

God made the first man, Adam, neutral as far as sin goes. Adam was perfectly capable of obedience, and also able to disobey by eating of the single tree he was commanded not to. Adam, for all intents and purposes, had free will. He could choose to do good in God’s eyes, or to do evil. And he chose, in a very real way, to disobey God and eat of the forbidden fruit. In that moment all of creation fell under the curse of sin.

Adam was our representative in the Garden. In a spiritual sense we were in him. When he fell, we fell with him (Romans 5:12). We all now share in his fallen, sinful, carnal nature. what does that carnal nature look like?

“The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” -Romans 8:7

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” -Genesis 6:5

The fallen nature of man can not obey God’s law. The fallen heart of man is completely and only evil. Fallen man has lost all ability to do good in God’s eyes. We can do good as it compares to others, but nothing we do is actually obedient to God. Obedience to God would require perfect love toward Him in everything we do, and we are sinful at heart. No matter how hard a man tries, he can only, in the end, do evil. We are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Isaiah says even the good things we do are like filthy rags that we offer to God.

“We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment…” -Isaiah 64:6

So we have wills… evil wills. And we are free to do as little or as much evil as we want. If this is what is meant by “free will”, then the Bible is on board. But the bottom line is, since the fall, we can not do good.

The Greatest Good

God’s commandment to sinful man throughout scripture is to turn back to Him and believe in Him. The entire Bible is an account of the unfaithfulness of man to do that, and God’s loving patience with the disobedient human race. The New Testament sets up the greatest good a man can accomplish: trusting in Christ for his salvation. We also see a universal call to repentance and an invitation to come.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28

The Bible is clear that anyone who wants God can come to Him and be restored. But if we are only capable of evil, and all our desires are emnity against God… who wants to come to Him?

“No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”" -Romans 3:9-12

How many people seek for God? Not one. How many people do good? Not one. So how many people will take advantage of God’s offer of salvation, the greatest good we could do? Man’s hatred toward God and complete lack of desire to come to Him, renders us completely incapable. So even though a universal call is made, no one can come… don’t believe me? Jesus says:

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” -John 6:44

and again

“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”" -John 6:65

Do we have a free will in salvation? sure. The offer is made, and every single person on the planet makes their choice: it is a unanimous NO.

The Creator is Free

Man has spoken, and based on their choice, every person who ever lived is running as fast as they can straight to Hell. What hope do we have? According to the average American pastor, this kind of situation is hopeless, as God must respect our wills. Thankfully God disagrees. The Creator of wills, can change our hearts as he sees fit.

The salvation of a man begins, at least from our perspective, with God sovereignly changing that man’s heart. The process of regeneration, or being born again, is when God changes the sinful nature of man. The greatest good, the impossible feat, is then possible as we are made into new creatures.

“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” -John 3:3

The Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, and without the Spirit, it is impossible to believe.

“Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.” -1 Cor 12:3

You see, until God initiates salvation in a man, we can not come to him, because we will not come to him. God sovereignly moves upon the men and women of His choice. If God were to leave it up to us, as He does in some, we would continue to sin, and end up receiving the wrath owed to us. But Christ’s sacrificial death is applied to people who never asked for it.

“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” -Romans 10:20

“So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” -Romans 9:18

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”" -Luke 10:22

Does our will play any part?

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” -John 1:12-13

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” -John 6:63

“For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” -Romans 9:15-16

Prior to regeneration man is incapable of, and unwilling to believe. We are altogether depraved. But God, in His mercy, saves His chosen people. He changes their hearts, justifies them, sanctifies them, and raises them to glory, all against their natural will. Are they dragged kicking and screaming? Not at all, because he replaces our unwilling hearts with willing ones.

Salvation is of the Lord, my friends. Is there free will in salvation? Yes, and it is entirely God’s.

Reflecting on this quote I realize something very profound. You see, I have this great desire to be married. It is a very strong and unwavering desire. And I have read this quote many times before. I always thought it sounded cool and deep. But it really had no personal application on my life. Well this quote comes up again and it gets me thinking. I have this great desire to be married and I have yet to find anyone who satisfies that desire. Don’t get me wrong, I have had different opportunities to settle down. A couple different beautiful sweet ladies. But not one of them was right. I knew it then and I still believe now that they were not right for me. So I had to cut it off.

So I’m 25 now and I still have this great desire for marriage and yet I can not find satisfaction for it. Now I look at the second part of that quote and it makes me think. How does “being made for another world” apply to this? How does that help explain why God has put this immense desire to be a husband, father, provider, protector and ect. in my heart?

I long to be married. I love the idea of marriage and its implications. Is there anything in scripture that has this idea behind it? Well yes of course. The language of marriage; bride, bridegroom, wedding feast ect, is throughout all of scripture.

Matthew 25:6 -
But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

Matthew 25:10-
And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

Matthew 9:15-
And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Jesus calls himself the bridegroom)

John 3:29-
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. (John the Baptizer testifying that Jesus is the bridegroom)

All of scripture is woven with this idea of marriage. Many times Jesus explained that the kingdom of heaven was like a wedding feast. Where Jesus is the groom and we, the church or body of Christ, are His wife. He loves us. And we are commanded to love our wives as Christ loves his wife, the church, and gave Himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25) Jesus is the bridegroom who came into human history to redeem [buy back] His bride.

So now I look at this great desire I have for marriage and I am starting to realize that, that desire mainly there to show me that I was never made for this world and what it has to offer. (Eph. 1:4) But yet made for a great King and His kingdom. It is a desire that always keeps me desiring Christ. I want to be married here on earth yes. But I realize it is so much bigger than that. God is keeping me with this desire.

The gospel is about a marriage. A marriage between Jesus as the groom and His wife the church. The redeemed ones. His elect.

Thank you Mr. Lewis for helping me see this. Glory to be to God alone!

-William

By the way, For one argument for the biblical soundness of Amillennialism, click here: Problems with Premillennialism. Now on to the principal intent of this post…

A Purpose for this Writing

In the past, it has been thought and even today it is currently being asserted that if one holds to Amillennialism, then he must believe that the Land Promise divinely issued for the sake of Abraham and his seed has been revoked. For the Millennium, as happening after the return of Christ, is said to be the grounds upon which that promise, concerning Abraham and his seed, shall come to fruition. Those who hold to Amillennialism are commonly and erroneously (as in this site: gotquestions.org) referred to as Replacement Theologians, so as to be seen as believing that God has rejected Israel and has set the Church in it’s place (as if the Church did not consist of Jews!). There is a twofold reason why such disparaging expressions about Amillennialism take place: There is an ignorance of Amillennialism and there are misunderstandings of Scripture. It will be my attempt to vindicate Amillennialism, in respect to the extent to which it is impugned by the more notable and erudite Dispensationalist, and stay the reproach that men have designated for those that hold to it as well as articulate at some measure how the Land Promise is still maintained and that it still necessarily finds fulfillment in light of a proper adherence to Amillennialism. Of course, particularly for those who depart from Dispensationalism in order to lodge at any non-Dispensational perspective on the Millennium (whether Historic Premillennialism, Amillennialism, or even Postmillennialism), a dramatic change on how the term ‘Israel’ is defined is necessary. But an espousal of a non-Dispensational eschatology doesn’t entail that God has forsaken his intent to accomplish his love toward Israel. What I intend to do by the following words is not to comprehensively and conclusively prove Amillennialism, but simply to show in one respect how Scripture itself is perfectly consistent with it.

A Word on the Identity of Israel for whom God’s Promises were made

By the Dispensationalist, there is much emphasis as to what is to be done with Israel. For what we do with Israel should jibe with God’s intent to effectually bring mercy to Israel as he has brought mercy to the Gentiles, to bring about a mass conversion for Israel, to actually save all Israel. That God will accomplish these things, there is ardent agreement on my part. But when we use the term, ‘Israel’, it is necessary that there be qualifier applied to it. Consider the following verse (and everything from the beginning of Romans Ch 9 to the very end of Romans Ch 11 for that matter).

Rom 9:6 – Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

You have here a statement that is quite unequivocal, conveying that one is not Israel just because he is (born) of Israel. This necessarily excludes reprobate Jews (those Jews who actually will never place their respective faiths in Jesus Christ unto salvation) from being deemed Israel. But in the same context, insofar as Israel is distinguished from “the World” (the Gentiles), Israel necessarily or logically excludes the World also. Thus Israel in this context consists exclusively of the elect Jews. But upon the confirmation of the New Covenant, a middle wall of partition, once separating the elect Jews (Israel) from the elect Gentiles (the World), is broken down. This is not so that the elect Jews, whom God foreknew, would be replaced, but rather so that the Gentiles who were far off and strangers would be reconciled with the elect Jews to God, so that they might also be citizens of the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2:11-19). So in accordance with how Paul uses the term ‘Israel’ in Rom 9-11, of course the invisible Church (true believers) doesn’t replace Israel. The Church comprises Israel.

However, Paul’s usage of ‘Israel’ in Rom 9-11 does not necessarily preclude the appropriateness of referring to the invisible Church as Israel (or spiritual Jews), especially considering that believing Gentiles are considered citizens of Israel as Scripture indicates (Eph 2:12, 19, see also Rom 2:25-29, Phil 3:3, Col 2:11-12, Rom 9:6-9, Psa 73:1, Matt 3:9, Gal 3:29, and possibly also Gal 6:16 depending upon the correct translation/interpretation). And if there should be objection to this, I reserve that at best such an objection could only be a correction on mere semantics. Even if it were wrong for one to call the Church “Israel”, it does not follow that such a reference necessarily entails that the Church has replaced Israel.

A New Testament Explanation of the Promise of Inheritance to Israel’s Father

Hebrews 11:8 – By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out to a place which he should after receive for an inheritance; and he went out not knowing whither he went.

Abraham was to receive (this inheritance that he went out to) “after”, and not then. Not just after he left from his native residence, Ur of the Chaldees, but “after” his earthly life. This is corroborated with the context, especially the next two verses as well as with Acts 7:5 which says, “And he gave him [i.e. Abraham] none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child“.

Hebrews 11:9 – By faith he sojourned in a land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

Even when he arrived in and walked and dwelt upon what was at that time called Canaan, he is referred to as a sojourner. Verse 10 tells us why…

Hebrews 11:10 – For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

He never received what was promised physically (Heb 11:13 & 39, Acts 7:5). Notwithstanding, he did receive it through promise (Gal 3:18). And since God did promise him, he looked for (or forward to), that city, that country, that world, which was heavenly. And in such a way should the promise be ultimately, absolutely fulfilled.

The Scriptural Account of God’s Promise to Abraham Concerning him and his Seed

Now lets look at the scriptures, which show us God’s intimations to Abraham concerning the land that he and his seed should possess. The very first verse, I will not comment on, but nonetheless have included as a preface for the series of passages in the book of Genesis that I shall pose for the sake of the subject at hand:

Gen 12:1 – Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Gen 13:5 – For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

God does not merely say to Abraham that he will give the land to his seed, but regards Abraham as being a future recipient of the land as well. This must pertain to the land, not (or at least not merely) in its temporal state, but in it’s final and renewed. For even though his seed did possess the land physically when Joshua was leading them, Abraham had not. Therefore, seeing as the fulfillment of this promise is for Abraham and his seed to experience, and not his seed only, the totality of this promise has not been fulfilled as of yet. So while the land was to Abraham’s seed that did possess it, it will also be for him as and as a part of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Gen 13:15 – Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

Notice, here, that God says Abraham will be given the land that he himself is told to tread upon. Meanwhile, in this particular instance, his seed is not even mentioned even though they should also be given the land, seeing as they were in him, are blessed with him, and are plainly said, by God, to be heir to the land, as he was heir to the land (Rom 4:13). Abraham had yet to physically receive the land that he tread upon for as long as he was living, seeing as he never actually received it in the entire duration of his earthly life.

Gen 12:7 – And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Gen 15:18-21 – In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

In these two verses, God speaks of the land as it should be (i.e. in its temporal state) when given exclusively to Abraham’s seed. Note that even Abraham is excluded. With Gen 12:7, he says that Abraham’s seed will be given the land and with, Gen 15:18-21, to stress the certainty and irrevocability or immutability of his promise, he says not that they would be given the land, but that his seed had been given the land. And he gives specific details, naming real geographic locations, enabling us -the readers- to know the state and extent of this land as should be given to his seed according to the way he means it here in this passage, whether it be in it’s temporal state or whether it be in its renewed. And it is clear that he is speaking of the land in its temporal state, and such that his seed, and not he himself, should physically possess. And according to Scripture and so as to fulfill the promise issued to Abraham, his seed did in fact possess the land (Josh 21:43-45, 23:14, 1 Kings 4:20-21, 8:56). It is in this state that Abraham’s spiritual and true seed (otherwise known as the elect or the remnant) physically did receive it, and as they should have -in faith (as evidenced by Heb 11:30).

Also, in that Abraham’s seed did possess Canaan under Joshua’s leadership, the promise that Abraham and his seed should physically possess the land was partially fulfilled. How was it only partially fulfilled? (1) Only his seed physically possessed the land, and not he also. (2) Canaan itself wasn’t capable of housing a people, so great in number and bodily form, as that which Abraham and his seed are to be. (3) Abraham’s seed doesn’t consist merely of those that are his seed merely biologically. Though it absolutely comprises a portion of his biological seed, it also includes the Gentiles who are fellow-heirs and partakers of the same promises (Eph 3:6) (4) I believe and suggest also that there was only a partial fulflillment because, as yet, many more were to become Abraham’s seed, because of the continual deaths that the constituents of that seed have been subject to, as any and all men, since the members thereof first went into the land to receive it under Joshua, and because of their displacements -however temporary- from the land which were consequent to the nation’s recurrent apostasies. And being that it was partially fulfilled, the promise that Abraham and his seed would receive the land (as an everlasting possession) was not totally fulfilled. Therefore, in that a partial fulfillment –however substantive and significant- is not a fulfillment as it shall finally be, there is a sense in which it was not received. For it is true that it is not merely that the land should be received, but that it should be received as an entirely new world, by every single one of those that are ordained both to be renewed and immortalized. And this is indeed what the scripture says (Heb 11:13 and 39, see also Heb 4:8).

As the promise that his spiritual seed should possess the land in it’s temporal state was totally fulfilled (Joshua 21:43-45, 23:14, 1 Kings 4:20-21, 8:56), I do not contest against the notion that some of those, of Abraham’s biological seed (John 8:33) and never also of his spiritual seed (John 8:36, John 3:3), should have possessed the land also. Moreover, I do not contest against that such possessing happened upon entering into it for the first time after the exodus from Egypt, upon being born within the land, and upon entering into it again at the decree of Cyrus (2 Chron 36:22&23 or Ezra 1:1-4). As a matter of fact, considering that the reprobate and elect Jews alike had part in the Old Covenant, it was necessary and perfectly fitting that the elect and reprobate Jews alike would have possession of Canaan. Yet still, though they were his biological seed, they did not receive the land, as they should have, for they lacked faith (Heb 4:2). Thus, in a noteworthy sense, they didn’t receive it (i.e. they did not receive it as spiritual or regenerate men), and as far as their receiving of it (i.e. as natural or unregenerate men) was concerned, there was futility. Being that those who have not faith are not counted as Abraham’s seed (Rom 4:12, Rom 9:8, see also Gal 3:29) as Jesus himself indicates (John 8:39), they cannot be counted as having possessed the land for the fulfillment of the promise that Abraham and his seed would possess the land as a physical possession in any sense –whether temporal or eternal.

The Land Received by Abraham by Promise and by his Seed Temporally

It is certain that God gave the land to Abraham’s seed as he promised and that his seed did possess it (as it was temporal and confined). It is also certain that there is a sense in which God had yet to give the same land to his seed (as it shall be eternally renewed). This parallels significantly with God’s administrations to Abraham as enunciated earlier. And here, I shall reiterate: He received it along with other blessings by promise (Gal 3:8), which obviously is before any of the promises were even fulfilled, and thus he had yet to receive it (Heb 11:39, Acts 7:5) (see also Heb 11:8) perfectly and eternally, in and by Christ. Concerning Abraham, one manner of his own receiving of estate from God was merely virtual (by promise), and the other is perfect and eternal (in and by Christ). Concerning his seed (that is his spiritual seed), one manner of receiving was temporal (under Joshua), but the other is perfect and eternal (in and by Christ). Since there is indeed a distinction between the way in which Abraham has already received the land, which is as through the promise of God, and the way in which his seed has already received the land, as under the leadership of Joshua, let it be recalled and stressed that ultimately such a distinction is obscured insofar as neither of them in their days received the land as in its renewed, perfected, and eternal state as God had promised. And thus the scripture implies by saying that “the world was not worthy” of those who had faith (Heb 11:38). And again, speaking in respect to the world as it shall be, it is written that Abraham and his seed, by faith, should be the heir (intentionally singular) to the world (Rom 4:13) (Some might argue that ‘world’ as used in both of these two passages represent people and not a place or location, but I assert that a proper consideration of the contexts that encompass these two passages respectively would lead to the conclusion I am supposing). It does not matter whether the land, which was part and parcel to the world and temporal, is received virtually as opposed to actually or vice-verse insofar as they all  (Abraham and his seed) “desired a better” and “heavenly” place which God prepares (as Heb 11:16 says, see also John 14:2 and Isa 65:17&18), not having received it when they were alive (as Heb 11:13 quite clearly says).

A Delicate Point Concerning Israel as Relating to a Right to Possess Israel-Palestine

As I state emphatically that the promise of Abraham and his seed’s rightful possession to the world is realized merely spiritually now and physically at the coming of Christ, I am certainly not trying to make a case that ethnic Israel should under no circumstance occupy the land that is today called Israel and Palestine and that we should contest that occupancy as it now is, except to the extent that there real is scriptural grounds. But I do believe that we should avoid both of what constitutes two diametrically opposed and unbiblical standpoints…

As Gentile Christians (for those of us who are Gentile Christians), I don’t believe that we should side with those that seek for ethnic Israel to be “driven into the sea”, lest we be not too unlike the Assyrian, Rabshakeh who said, “The Lord said unto me, go up against this land and destroy it” (2 Kings 18:25) which entailed the destruction of the occupants of that land. Rabshakeh sought not only for destruction concerning Israel, but even affirmed that God actually sent him. Although God did send him in some sense, it was certainly not as he thought, or at least not as he affirmed. We are not to go in the way of Rabshakah and act outside of the boundaries of scripture, which says that we are to love our neighbors (Rom 13:10) and indicates that we are to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world, not excluding ethnic Israel (Rom 11:14), especially considering the fact that Scripture says that God is able and actually will bring about a mass revival within ethnic Israel.  Aside from this, we see quite consistently that after God has finished bringing another nation even against apostate Israel, He disposes of that other nation. I would not opt to be a part of the nation, which God shall dispose of, however much or in whatever way God uses that nation to chasten Israel.

On the other hand, we should be discerning and effective about our treatment of ethnic Israel if we should deem it is necessary to have concern for them. After all, for the sake of our own souls, we should not be overly eager about this temporal world for ourselves (1 Pet 2:11, Phil 3:19-20, Col 3:2, 1 Cor 7:31). And it is corollary to or consonant with this that we should not encourage others, particularly the Jews, to be overly eager about this temporal world for themselves. Israel-Palestine, being part and parcel to this world, is no exception. In the times of Moses, an entire generation, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, was not allowed into Israel-Palestine, and because of unbelief. Today, especially since May 14, 1948 Jews chiefly occupy the land, though the majority of them are unbelieving. As astonishing and significant as it might be that the Jews have become or been established as an independent nation and as scriptural as it actually is that God shall eventually bring about a mass conversion within ethnic Israel, should we now commit the error of making our concern for the welfare of the Jews to be also the condoning of a system of worship or the attempted keeping of Old Covenant ordinances that God, himself, has purposely abolished (Dan 9:27, Heb 10:5-12))? If our treatment of the Jews, is not for the furtherance of the Gospel among them (as well as all other peoples) to begin with, in effect we will do just that. If our treatment for the Jew is not unrelentingly according to the Gospel, in effect we will do just that. And while it might appear that we are “pro-Israel”, we would actually be performing a grave disservice to them.

The Insufficiency of Terrestrial Jerusalem and the Anachronism of Old Covenant Practices

Gal 3:21-26 – Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to (or corresponds with) Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Right here Paul says that Jerusalem is in bondage, being such that corresponds to Mount Sinai and is therefore not worthy of being distinguished by those that are spiritual and of faith. No wonder why Abraham looked above (Heb 11:9). For earthly Jerusalem itself, as stated in the passage above, was initially allegorical and is currently in bondage, and is not the city of those that are children to Abraham (Heb 13:14). And so the land that encompasses it is in bondage, and the whole world for that matter (Rom 8:21). And all this agrees with Heb 11:38.

Now if there is land to look forward to as well as occupy now (as I would argue Gal 3:9 implies and 2 Pet 3:13-14, Heb 11:9 & 10, 12-16, 13:14, 12:22 explicitly states), which is designated for Abraham and his seed, and we know that his seed is those who have faith -Jews and Gentiles (Rom 4:17 & 18), it must be that the promises shall have their literal fulfillment in the future by Christ, and it is necessary that presently there exists a spiritual fulfillment in Christ. This must be conceded as scripture actually prompts.

Consider Jesus in his declaration to the woman at the well.

John 4:21-24 – Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Consider also…

Gal 4:24-26 – Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth [corresponds] to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Now if we will be serious about embracing Jesus’ words to the woman at the well as well as what Paul says to the Galatians, in order for all the promises to be fulfilled concerning Israel, must there really be an age, be it regarded as a thousand literal years, in which it is mandatory for all of the nations to physically offer sacrifice in a terrestrial Jerusalem?

The Return of the Jews to the Holy Land

Considering the fact that God said he would scatter Israel among the nations for persistently rebelling against him and that their return to the land would be preceded by their return unto him, I will offer some explanation as to how it is that the Jews can occupy Israel-Palestine as they do now even though they are in unbelief: In this current, post-pentacost and inter-advental age or as the New Covenant has been confirmed, the land doesn’t have such significance that God should keep them out. For Israel-Palestine has not the purpose that it once had in respect to the Old Covenant, seeing as the Old Covenant is now abolished. Their occupancy of Israel-Palestine as unbelievers reflects this. For regarding the economy or dispensation of the Old Covenant, God spoke of Israel’s turning back unto Him as taking place within the nations to which they were scattered, before they were allowed or brought back into the land (Lev 26:40-45, Deut 4:29, Neh 1:9). And in fact, they did (Dan 9:18 &19) and they were brought back into the land after the consummation of seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Aside from this, it seems that God has permitted them to occupy Israel-Palestine insofar as they are human beings that require residence in this world just like everyone else. So of course, we have no reason to suppose that God absolutely forbids and should prevent them from occupying Israel-Palestine due to their unbelief. And if on the basis of ethnic Israel’s unbelief, we will still suppose this, it seems that we might as well also suppose that God forbids the unbelieving Gentiles from occupying any place in the rest of the world.

Faith in Christ and the Anticipation of an Incorruptible and Eternal Estate

Any legitimate appropriation of Israel-Palestine, from the point at which Abraham was given the promise of it and from the point at which Joshua lead them into it until the first coming of Christ, was to be done in faith and in anticipation of the new world as spiritually occupied in Christ through his first coming and physically inaugurated by him at his second coming (Heb 11:13). Even now, any legitimate appropriation of any part of this world, whether Israel-Palestine or elsewhere, is to be done in faith (Acts 4:13). With ethnic Jews in general today as well as many Gentiles, faith in Christ is lacking. Yet with those that are not Abraham’s seed (merely) biologically (Rom 11:7), but rather spiritually (comprising Jew and Gentile, Gal 3:29), there is faith (Gal 3:7). These are those who appropriate not merely a sliver of land, but the whole world as found only in Christ. And these are those who shall reside for all eternity in this world renewed: the New Heaven and the New Earth.

- Written by Sonny Burrell – Original Post