God knows

Bro. Lon Pearson was right on the money for me when he said that we should not put words in God’s mouth. I could not agree more either, when he said we should agree to disagree (in love).

I certainly respect his position as I would want him to respect mine. His position that nowhere in the Bible are we taught that God knows what will happen in the future reminds me of a statement made by Norman Mailer: “I am a disbeliever in the omnipotence of God … but for 35 years or so I have been believing that He is doing the best  He can” (Time, May 5, 1997).

God is either infinite and eternal in all His ways, or He is nonexistent. There are endless passages that state that He is both of those things and more (love, light and life, e.g.).

Psalm 139:2 says that God knows David’s thoughts afar off (v. 2), is acquainted with all his ways (v. 3) and every word he speaks (v.4).

In verse 16, David states that God knew every day in his life before any of them existed. This verse speaks of the foreknowledge of God, which is found also in Acts 2:23, 1 Peter 1:2 and in Romans 8:29 and 11:2.

God searches our hearts and knows all things (Rom. 8:27), and Hebrews 4:13 says “knows all things.”

In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says that God knew before we ask. Job 42:2, Jeremiah 51:29, Ephesians 1:11 and Romans 9:11 all indicate that God’s purpose will stand or be done. How could this be unless God knows the future?

First Samuel says that the Lord is a God of knowledge. If this is so, and the Bible states over and over that God is infinite and eternal, He must know – looking at all of us from where he lives in eternity (Ps. 33:14) – the past, present and future. There can be no time in eternity.

When God “repents” (changes His mind) and alters circumstances as concessions to our humanity, He already knows the entire circumstance.

He knew that Adam and Eve would sin and had made plans before the earth was formed to come to earth as the divine Son. Since God is immutable, He has to know the future.

God’s Holy Spirit would replace Jesus on earth.  Jesus said of Him in John 3:16 ‘…and He will show you things to come.” How would He know, unless God knows the future?

Carroll U. Kendrick Jr.
Orange Park, Fla.