Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

Today, the Doctrine of Salvation, Part 2.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonablefaith.org.

Welcome to Defenders.

In our discussion of the Doctrine of Sal salvation, we've been looking at a Calvinistic perspective on the notion of election.

And we saw that in Romans 828, Paul says that those whom he foreknew he predestined. Now, some Calvinists take this to mean that God

looks into the future, and he sees the elect on whom he will bestow saving faith, and therefore

knowing his own choice to give saving faith to these persons, he then predestines them.

Many Calvinists, however, reject the idea that God's foreknowledge in Romans 828 has as

its object to the future decisions of people, even if they are totally determined by God.

According to these Calvinist theologians, foreknowledge doesn't really mean to know something in advance,

as though God looks into the future and finds out what's going to happen.

Rather, forenew is a way of saying that God loved them in advance.

To say he foreknew them means that he foreloved them.

He picks out certain persons in the future

on whom he will set his love.

Such foreknowledge is, in effect,

to choose certain persons upon whom God will then bestow his love.

It doesn't indicate a passive acquisition of information on God's part.

Rather, this is an active bestowal of favor and love upon those persons whom God picks out.

Let's look at a couple of biblical passages where four knowledge seems to be used in this way.

First, Genesis chapter 18 and verse 19.

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