Chosen According to the Foreknowledge of God

Last night we had a good question about God's "choosing" us. The verse we were considering was 2 Peter 1:10: "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you..."

The fact that we are chosen by God to be Christians is a completely legitimate and true teaching in Scripture. There are many verses which teach this. However, this teaching has been taken out of context and twisted. Let's examine 1 Peter 1:1-2 for a moment:

To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

We are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

There is a difference between KNOWING and CONTROLLING. It has been stated by some Calvinists that God controls every detail of the earth down to the molecular level. They call this the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. In the minds of many, if God KNOWS the future, then He must CONTROL the future. But it does not logically follow.

Is it not possible for God to KNOW the future without CONTROLLING the future? Just because God knew Jesus would be killed by crucifixion doesn't mean He made those men hammer the nails into the flesh of His Son. Just because Jesus knew Judas would betray Him doesn't mean He controlled Judas' heart in order to make him sin. Just because God KNOWS who will obey doesn't mean He MAKES us obey.

God chose us according to His foreknowledge. He chose those He knew would accept Christ. He can look through the future, even to the end of time, and know who will bend their hearts to His will and who will reject Him. This does not take away my freedom to choose right and wrong. This does not mean my life has already been written and I can't do anything about it. It just means HE KNOWS!

Over the next couple of days I'd like to look at two other points concerning God's choosing us from 1 Peter 1:1-2.

God bless,
Nathan