August 30, 2002 (2)
THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD. The foreknowledge of the Lord is an amazing quality that ascribes to the many attributes that make Him to be God. The scripture gives evidence to His foreknowledge when He gave names to individuals prior to their birth, such as Isaac {prior to conception}, Gen. 17:19. Ishmael, Gen. 16:11. John, Lk. 1:13. JESUS, Mt. 1:21. He knew Moses by name, Ex.33:12 So He knows every one of His sheep, most assuredly by name. Jn. 10:14
THE NEGATIVE OF BEING KNOWN, KNOWN BUT NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. Those who are known of Him are those who do His will. The Lord has a measurement with which He measures every member of the body of Christ. It is called < OBEDIENCE TO HIS WILL >. This is a divine requirement for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, according to the words of Jesus. Mt. 7:21 Doing the will of the Father is of greatest priority. We may call Him Lord, Lord but that is insufficient and falls far short of achieving its purpose. Even exercising spiritual activities and gifts and other works or amazing things will not gain heaven. Mt. 7:22 Because they are workers of iniquity they will be rejected, regardless of their manifestation of certain spiritual abilities. Heaven cannot be purchased by the exercise of spiritual gifts. The demonstration of gifts is not an indication of the spirituality of the person who is performing them. For an example, Judas was sent forth by Jesus when He sent them by pairs to minister. He was accounted as one of them and had shared in the ministry of those sent out. Acts 1:17 He had been close to Jesus, one of the twelve, but by transgression, he fell and was consigned to his place and the place of all the disobedient, hell. Acts 1:25
THE ELECT. Because of the foreknowledge of God, knowing that they would be receptive to the great Salvation offered through the Lord Jesus. They became the ELECT, the chosen, the favored. There is spiritual growth that gives evidence to those that are the elect of God. They are holy, separated from the world and living for the Lord. The list showing the phenomenon of the life of Christ in them is listed for us in Col. 3:12-14. From among these we chose to emphasize two, the willingness to forgive wrongs that have been committed against us, and the unfeigned love of Christ that must be a part of that perfect church that the Lord will have in the end of the age. Forgiveness and love are the supreme demonstration that the Christ of God truly dwells within us. They are companions, one needs and is motivated by the other. Love, forgives. Forgiveness is because of love, not human love but that marvelous love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the person of the Holy Spirit. The person possessing these attributes is certainly one of the elect and chosen for they are showing that divine nature that now dwells in them. They are new creatures in Christ Jesus.