28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:28-31 NKJ)
Premises:
- Omniscience of God: God possesses complete and infinite knowledge of all possible realities and outcomes, encompassing every potential state of existence (“fallen” and “unfallen” realms).
- Distinct Act of Foreknowledge: While omniscience is God’s all-encompassing knowledge, foreknowledge is a specific application or aspect of His omniscience. In this act of foreknowledge, God identifies and recognizes those individuals who would willingly respond to His love and maintain a faithful relationship with Him upon “awakening” into existence in an unfallen state.
- Recognition of the Loving in the Unfallen Realm: God, in His foreknowledge, perceived which individuals would choose to love and remain committed to Him when they came into existence without the influence of a fallen nature.
- Election Based on Foreknowledge: God, having foreknown these individuals as loving Him in the unfallen realm, then elected this select group to be predestined for a specific purpose. This purpose is to be conformed to the image of His Son, thus initiating their eventual justification and glorification.
- Predestination Without Reprobation: God’s act of predestining those He foreknew does not imply reprobation for others. Those not foreknown as loving Him are simply not part of this predestination process, highlighting the absence of any active decision to reprobate them.
- Sequential Process of Salvation: Those whom God foreknew and elected are subsequently predestined to be conformed to Christ’s image, called by God, justified through faith, and ultimately glorified in His presence.
Logical Conclusion:
- Foreknowledge and Predestination as Related but Separate Acts: God’s omniscience is a broad, comprehensive state, while His foreknowledge is a focused, deliberate recognition within omniscience, aimed at identifying those who would love Him. In a subsequent and distinct act, God predestines these individuals to follow a path that includes being called, justified, and glorified, ensuring their full salvation.
- Exclusion of Reprobation: The passage and the logic behind these premises imply that those not foreknown as loving God are absent from the predestination process. This underscores that reprobation is not part of the divine action described in Romans 8:28-30.
Summary:
God’s omniscience allowed Him to know all possible realities, including who would willingly return His love when they awoke into existence in an unfallen state. This knowledge formed the basis for His act of foreknowledge, wherein He selected those individuals who loved Him and predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son, ensuring their salvation journey through calling, justification, and glorification. The absence of those not foreknown indicates that God’s predestination does not include or imply reprobation.