Foreknowledge, with reference to God, implies foreordination. This is clearly seen in the verse below.

²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29 (KJV)

The doctrine of ‘election’ affirms that God ‘chose’ those whom He would ‘save’ as His ‘elect.’ We see the ‘elect’ spoken of by Jesus and Peter as ministers of “the circumcision” (cf. Rom. 15:8, Gal. 2:7-8) called to the Kingdom to come on earth, and from Paul concerning those elected to “the church, which is His body” destined for “the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24 (KJV)
³¹ And he [The Lord] shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 (KJV)

³³ Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Romans 8:33 (KJV)
¹ Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; Titus 1:1 (KJV)

¹² Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Colossians 3:12 (KJV)

² Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 1 Peter 1:2 (KJV)

God’s ‘elect’ is those whom He has “foreknown,” “predestinated,” and “called” to serve Him for eternity.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 (KJV)

Notice that the bold underlined words in verse 29 being spoken of as already accomplished facts. These were accomplished in the mind of God before creation and since creation He is working them out in the lives of His “elect.” These elements of His eternal plan all involve the working of God before any ‘elect’ individual was even born.

To bring God’s plan to fruition His plan involved His love appealing to His wisdom to create a way that fallen humans could justly become His offspring, sharing His Spirit and His life. This we see in the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) that ‘justifies’ according to the will of God.

¹ Therefore being [now] justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1 (KJV)

The question at issue here concerns the meaning of God’s ‘foreknowledge’ with respect to God’s ‘election,’ particularly as seen in in Romans 8:29, specifically, “whom he foreknew, he also did predestinate” indicating that God chose whom He would save based on their foreseen expression of faith.

The following will sketch out the deciding considerations: the biblical characterization of election, the ground of God’s knowledge, and the meaning of “foreknow” with reference to God in Scripture, seeing

The doctrine of election affirms that For Purposes Known Only To Himself God That He Chose Those Whom He Would Save. He did Not choose them because of anything about them but according to His own “good pleasure.”

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. ²⁷ All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save [except] the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Matthew 11:25-27

The *Arminian doctrine of ‘election’ often argues to the CONTRARY, saying God chose whom he would save based upon ‘foreseen faith’ – as if God looked ahead and saw who would believe and on that basis, He then chose to save them. That is, according to the Arminian doctrine, God “chose” the elect but only because they First Chose Him. But we know that as lost sinners under the influence of Satanic “Sin [nature] in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3b) all men since Adam are born sinners and incapable of making that choice in and of themselves.

(*Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) was a Dutch pastor and theologian. His theology is best known for its counter-arguments against the theology of John Calvin. The two theologies were at the heart of the Dutch Remonstrant movement and opposition.)

Romans 8:29 is the pivotal verse in this discussion, where the apostle Paul affirms, “whom he [God] foreknew he also predestined.” The Arminian argues that in this statement Paul specifically affirms that election is grounded in ‘foreseen faith.’

I would argue here that this understanding goes beyond what Paul said, and in this discussion, I will sketch out the deciding considerations. I will begin with broader considerations and then narrow our focus to Romans 8:29 itself.

The Biblical Characterization of ‘Election’

Most broadly, just on the face of it, to affirm that God “chose” us certainly seems to convey divine initiative, not a response to any man’s fallen mindset. In fact to be “chosen because of foreseen faith” would render God’s “choosing” irrelevant or at least redundant. That would have the tail wagging the dog.

But the New Testament everywhere speaks of ‘election’ as coming from God’s side Entirely, grounded in His own initiative and grace. Election is according to grace (Rom. 11:5) and to the praise of his grace (Eph. 1:3-6).

⁵ Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Romans 11:5 (KJV)

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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. Ephesians 1:3-6 (KJV)

⁹ [God] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV)

We are saved as an outworking of His heart and Purpose (2Tim. 1:9, etc.). God the Father “gave” us to His Son, and seeing the truth of this via His revelation to us explains our believing response to his call.

‘You do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life’ (cf. John 10:26-28).

This principle is illustrated in John 15:16 where Jesus asserts to his disciples, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” Of course, on one level Jesus’ disciples did, in fact, respond to His call and in that sense they “chose” Him. But what Jesus plainly indicates is that it was not, in fact, their choice of him that determined His choice of them; it was, rather, His Choice Of Them That Determined Their Choice Of Him. His sovereign ‘election’ comes first.

The Ground of God’s Knowledge

The Arminius ‘foreseen faith’ view entails a very serious theological problem: it renders God’s knowledge contingent upon considerations outside of himself. It portrays God as learning from us what we will do. But everywhere in Scripture we are taught that God’s knowledge is not learned or responsive to from anything outside Himself. He is omniscient, all knowing from the start.

¹⁴ Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” (Isa. 40:14).

Thus, God’s knowledge is grounded in Himself and in His own determinations, He is thus eternally omniscient. There never was a time when God looked ahead to learn or discover what anyone would do.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect [incomplete]; and in thy book all my members were [already] written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:16

The Meaning of God’s “Foreknowledge” in Scripture

We must determine the meaning of “foreknow” as it is used by the biblical writers. Although “foreknowledge” on the part of men carries the simple significance of “perceiving in advance” (Acts 26:5; 2Pet. 3:17), Scripture’s use of this word with reference to God entails a specific theological nuance. Scripture of course affirms that God knows all things ahead of time (Isa. 46:9-10; Acts 15:18), but its use of this term “foreknow” entails notions of foreordination also (Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1Pet. 1:20; 1Pet. 1:2). Similarly, in biblical usage the verb to know, when used of God, can signify “to elect” or “to set his favor on” (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 9:24; Jer. 1:5) or “to regard with favor” (Psa. 1:6; Matt. 7:23; 1Cor. 8:3; Gal. 4:9; 2Tim. 2:19). The connotations of God’s foreknowledge follow similarly, while adding the idea of pretemporal intention (occurring or happening before the existence of time.).

Let us survey the relevant biblical passages. In Romans 11:2 Paul asserts that “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew” – an obvious echo of Amos 3:2, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” It would be a misunderstanding to infer from this “You only have I known” that God was unaware of other nations. The obvious meaning is that God “knew” Israel in a particular way. The overtones of relationship and favor are prominent. So also God “knew in advance” the destinies of all nations, but Romans 11:2 and Amos 3:2 assert that God “foreknew” Israel in a more particular sense: he knew them with electing favor (cf. the connection with “election” in Rom. 11:5, 7, 16, 28). That “foreknow” carries this sense seems evident in Romans 8:29 also, where it is used in connection with the concept of predestination. The concepts are distinguished (“whom he foreknew he predestined”), the sense being that “foreknew” connotes a pre-temporal regarding with divine favor, while “predestined” denotes the divine decree itself.

These predestinarian overtones enlighten the significance of foreknowledge in all its New Testament occurrences. In Acts 2:23 God’s foreknowledge is explicitly causative: Jesus was ‘delivered over [to death] by the predestinating purpose and foreknowledge of God.’ So also in 1 Peter 1:19-20 we read that Jesus the Lamb was “foreknown before the foundation of the world”; the causative connotation of “foreknown,” here, is so obvious that in various translations it is in some versions rendered “foreordained” (KJV). And in 1 Peter 1:2 it again is associated with election (as in Rom. 8:29).

All this to say that the Arminius “chosen because of foreseen faith” interpretation of Romans 8:29 is not in keeping with the meaning of the word “foreknow” elsewhere in the New Testament. Foreknowledge, with reference to God, is closely related to the terminology of predestination and election.

Romans 8:29 and Romans 9

We should also note that the context following Paul’s statement points explicitly to a predestinarian understanding of Romans 8:29. In Romans 9:6-24 Paul argues at length that the success of God’s saving program is due to his sovereign election. That God’s promise belonged to Isaac and not Ishmael was due solely to God’s own choice (vv. 6-9). Similarly, God’s choice of Jacob over Esau had nothing whatever to do with the behavior of either (vv. 10-13); indeed, any notion of foreseen activity as a ground of His choice is specifically denied. God’s determination was made “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad,” and this was “in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls” (v. 11). And from this Paul draws the broader application: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (v. 16). In context, Paul’s view of God’s ‘election’ excludes anything from the human side.

Romans 8:29 in Immediate Context

Coming closer, it is evident that the immediate context of Romans 8:29 itself requires a predestinarian understanding.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 (KJV)

Paul’s intent here is manifestly to encourage believers in light of our weaknesses and the troubles that surround us in a fallen, cursed world that often opposes. Our confidence that God will “work all things together for good” is grounded in the fact that he has called us “according to his [not our] purpose” (v. 28). This purpose stretches from eternity to eternity, securing His people in grace forever (vv. 29-30). The assurance Paul offers stems from nothing about us but from God’s side entirely – according to His own choice and purpose. From eternity past God has initiated a saving work for us that he will infallibly carry out to our final glorification with Christ “in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-4, Col. 3:4). Here, Paul says, is solid ground for assurance – not that God saw something in us and responded accordingly but that in grace He set his love on us and determined to make us His forever.

“Whom he Foreknew” - Finally, we should also note that the object of God’s foreknowledge here is His people themselves, not their behavior or actions – “whom [not what] he foreknew he predestinated.” The notions of divine favor and initiative — electing love — remain evident. He is the Potter and we are the Clay enjoying the work of His hands.

Election is God’s sovereign choice of whom he would save, a choice grounded in himself alone apart from considerations of anything in us. God’s foreknowledge is a causative concept closely related to the doctrine of predestination. In those passages that speak of His foreknowledge of His elect (Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1Pet. 1:2) it further connotes divine favor – God’s electing love and saving purpose. Romans 8:29 – “whom he foreknew he predestined” – is therefore an assuring reminder to us, believers, that our salvation is a divine work from beginning to end.

‘Soli Deo gloria’ is ‘Glory to God Alone’ in His work in saving us by His grace.

In summary we could say;

IN FOREKNOWLEDGE      EVERYTHING IS THOUGHT OUT

IN ELECTION                       EVERY BELIEVER IS MARKED OUT

IN PREDESTINATION         EVERYTHING IS WORKED OUT

IN CALLING                         EVERY BELIEVER IS CALLED OUT

IN REDEMPTION                 EVERY BELIEVER IS BOUGHT OUT

IN JUSTIFICATION             EVERY SIN IS BLOTTED OUT

IN RESURRECTION            EVERY 'BODY MEMBER' IS TAKEN OUT OF THIS EARTHLY SPHERE

IN HEAVEN                           EVERYTHING WILL BE SEEN TO HAVE BEEN WROUGHT OUT

Note: Portions of this discussion were adapted from the writings of Fred Zaspel