You Only Have I Known

Oct 03, 2007 By: Pastor William Poss Series: Romans 8 Scripture: Romans 8:29
Foreknowledge and predestination while sweet doctrines to the elect appear bitter, harsh, and arbitrary to human reason and understanding. But these are the means by which God’s purposes are accomplished. In this sermon, foreknowledge and predesination are defined, not as the modern church defines them, but with their Biblical definitions – drawn from texts such as Amos 3:2, Deut. 7:7, Acts 2:23, Acts 4:27, Eph 1:11, Rom 11:2-5, Acts 13:48, 2 Tim 1:9. It also addresses the common objections that many in the church have to these doctrines, including: 1. They make God a tyrant; 2. The make God unfair; 3. They deny human freedom; 4. They destroy the motive for evangelism. Luther has well written, ‘all objections to predestination proceed from the wisdom of the flesh (human reason). Hence, whoever does not deny himself and does not learn to keep his thoughts in subjection to the divine will, never will find an answer to his questions. And that rightly so, for the foolish wisdom of the flesh exalts itself above God and judges His will, just as though this were of little importance. It should rather let itself be judged by God. For this reason the Apostle refutes all objections with two brief statements. First, he checks our arrogance by asking: “O man, who art thou that thou replies against God?” (Rom. 9:20) Then he defends the divine election by asking: “Hath not the potter power over the clay?” (Rom 9:21)