The theological debate between God’s sovereignty and mankind’s free will has been a contentious topic since the apostle Paul came on the scene. Examining the truth and reality of God’s foreknowledge, we begin to uncover the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God in His “choosing” the elect.

…whosoever will… + …He has chosen us…

God’s Unwavering Sovereignty and Foreknowledge

The book of Romans illuminates the depth of God’s sovereignty and foreknowledge in Romans 8:29: “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.”

Here, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the direct connection between God’s foreknowledge and the predestination of those who respond to the gospel. God’s choice is not arbitrary but a purposeful selection rooted in His sovereignty, omniscience, and foreknowledge. In other words, God, in His foreknowledge, already knows who will believe the gospel and who will reject it.

Human Choice and Free Will

Even as God’s sovereignty stands unwavering, the Bible upholds the reality of human free will. Joshua 24:15 unequivocally declares, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

This verse underscores the inherent capacity for choice granted to humanity by God. God’s choosing aligns with the acknowledgment of personal responsibility and the significance of the individual’s faith in the gospel or rejection of the truth in “unbelief.”  No one seeks after God, but all mankind has been given enough light to know God and escape condemnation (read Romans 1 and John 1:9; Romans 1:20).

Chosen by God Through Divine Foreknowledge

The divine choice, revealed in Ephesians 1:4-5, takes on a profound clarity: “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

God’s choosing is intentional and absolute, and it is made clear that He chooses those because of His foreknowledge. This “choosing” is not subject to chance or human merit but is a testament to God’s sovereignty, power, and omniscience—the already knowing of those who will respond to the gospel with authentic faith. On the other hand, those who choose to reject the gospel in unbelief seal their destination in the lake of fire.

A Definitive Conclusion

When studying the topic of God’s “choosing,” scripture reveals God’s foreknowledge aligns seamlessly with His sovereign will, and human free will exists within the bounds of His divine order. As we examine God’s foreknowledge, we do so with the assurance that God’s choice is not random but a purposeful, deliberate selection based on His foreknowledge of hearts that surrender to Him by believing the gospel alone by faith alone.

‘Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!’

Romans 11:33