SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine :  God Knows All Things Past, Present and Future

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Next Page )
PosterThread
savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


  God Knows All Things Past, Present and Future




God Knows All Things Past, Present and Future
BY STEPHEN CHARNOCK

God knows all things, whether they be possible, past, present, or future; whether they be things that he can do, but will never do, or whether they be things that he hath done, but are not now; things that are now in being, or things that are not now existing, that lie in the womb of their proper and immediate causes. If his understanding be infinite, he then knows all things whatsoever that can be known, else his understanding would have bounds, and what hath limits is not infinite, but finite. If he be ignorant of any one thing that is knowable, that is a bound to him, it comes with an exception, a but, God knows all things but this; a bar is then set to his knowledge. If there were anything, any particular circumstance in the whole creation or non-creation, and possible to be known by him, and yet were unknown to him, he could not be said to be omniscient; as he would not be Almighty if any one thing, that implied not a repugnancy to his nature, did transcend his power.

 2022/6/3 14:13Profile
JFW
Member



Joined: 2011/10/21
Posts: 2009
Dothan, Alabama

 Re: God Knows All Things Past, Present and Future

But what do the scriptures say...?
Nothing even close to this, in fact you can’t get through the first book before this ship gets torpedoed and sunk 🤷🏽‍♂️


_________________
Fletcher

 2022/6/3 14:37Profile
savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


 Re: God Knows All Things Past, Present and Future



God knows all future things, all things to come. The differences of time cannot hinder a knowledge of all things by him, who is before time, above time, that is not measured by hours, or days, or years; if God did not know them, the hindrance must be in himself, or in the things themselves, because they are things to come: not in himself; if it did, it must arise from some impotency in his own nature, and so we render him weak; or from an unwillingness to know, and so we render him lazy, and an enemy to his own perfection; for, simply considered, the knowledge of more things is a greater perfection than the knowledge of a few; and if the knowledge of a thing includes something of perfection, the ignorance of a thing includes something of imperfection. The knowledge of future things is a greater perfection than not to know them, and is accounted among men a great part of wisdom, which they call foresight; it is then surely a greater perfection in God to know future things, than to be ignorant of them. And would God rather have something of imperfection than be possessor of all perfection? Nor doth the hindrance lie in the things themselves, because their futurition depends upon his will; for as nothing can actually be without his will, giving it existence, so nothing can be future without his will, designing the futurity of it. Certainly if God knows all things possible, which he will not do, he must know all things future, which he is not only able, but resolved to do, or resolved to permit. God’s perfect knowledge of himself, that is, of his own infinite power and concluding will, necessarily includes a foreknowledge of what he is able to do, and what he will do. Again, if God doth not know future things, there was a time when God was ignorant of most things in the world; for before the deluge he was more ignorant than after; the more things were done in the world, the more knowledge did accrue to God, and so the more perfection; then the understanding of God was not perfect from eternity, but in time; nay, is not perfect yet, if he be ignorant of those things which are still to come to pass; he must tarry for a perfection he wants, till those futurities come to be in act, till those things which are to come, cease to be future, and begin to be present. Either God knows them, or desires to know them; if he desires to know them and doth not, there is something wanting to him; all desire speaks an absence of the object desired, and a sentiment of want in the person desiring: if he doth not desire to know them, nay, if he doth not actually know them, it destroys all providence, all his government of affairs; for his providence hath a concatenation of means with a prospect of something that is future: as in Joseph’s case, who was put into the pit, and sold to the Egyptians in order to his future advancement, and the preservation both of his father and his envious brethren. If God did not know all the future inclinations and actions of men, something might have been done by the will of Potiphar, or by the free-will of Pharoah, whereby Joseph might have been cut short of his advancement, and so God have been interrupted in the track and method of his designed providences. He that hath decreed to govern man for that end he hath designed him, knows all the means before, whereby he will govern him, and therefore hath a distinct and certain knowledge of all things; for a confused knowledge is an imperfection in government; it is in this the infiniteness of his understanding is more seen than in knowing things past or present; his eyes are a flame of fire (Rev. 1:14), in regard of the penetrating virtue of them into things impenetrable by any else. (Stephen Charnock)

 2022/6/5 5:05Profile
TMK
Member



Joined: 2012/2/8
Posts: 6650
NC, USA

 Re:

I wish Stephen Charnock would write a dissertation on how bored God must be.

EDIT: would have written- since he’s been dead for a few centuries.


_________________
Todd

 2022/6/5 7:06Profile
JFW
Member



Joined: 2011/10/21
Posts: 2009
Dothan, Alabama

 Re: Savannah- S.Charnock

May grace and peace abound towards you and be multiplied 🙏🏻

You said,” God knows all future things, all things to come. The differences of time cannot hinder a knowledge of all things by him,“

God said,” And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him“


You said,” God knows all future things, all things to come. The differences of time cannot hinder a knowledge of all things by him,“

God said,” And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years“


You said,” God knows all future things, all things to come. The differences of time cannot hinder a knowledge of all things by him,“

God said,” And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them“


You said,” God knows all future things, all things to come. The differences of time cannot hinder a knowledge of all things by him,“

God said,” Then God said to Noah “I HAVE DECIDED to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness BECAUSE OF THEM; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth.“ (emphasis added)



You said,” Nor doth the hindrance lie in the things themselves, because their futurition depends upon his will; for as nothing can actually be without his will, giving it existence, so nothing can be future without his will, designing the futurity of it”

Jesus said, “ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I WANTED TO gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING! (emphasis added)

You said,” Nor doth the hindrance lie in the things themselves, because their futurition depends upon his will; for as nothing can actually be without his will, giving it existence, so nothing can be future without his will, designing the futurity of it”

The scriptures say,”The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”



You said,” Nor doth the hindrance lie in the things themselves, because their futurition depends upon his will; for as nothing can actually be without his will, giving it existence, so nothing can be future without his will, designing the futurity of it”

The scriptures say,” The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled”


Savannah, i hold nothing but love for you and S. Charnock and have no quarrel with either of you, yet ; yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged


At the end of chapter one of Genesis we find, “ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good”
Yet in chapter two we find, “ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

This is the first “change” we find in scripture, from “good” to “not good” and God provides remedy -

In the sixth chapter of Genesis we find, in the first seven verses, the scriptures to record/declare/demonstrate the full declination of Gods emotion over His approval regarding His creation, as a result of mans rebellion- itself causing God to “change” His mind again, resulting in the destruction of all that He had previously declared “good” yet now was readily observed and declared to be “evil”.

From beginning to end the scriptures do consistently illustrate the phenomenon of God changing His mind regarding our (mans) unwillingness to do His will,... to yield our lives surrendering our will and exchanging it for His.

As if the first book wasn’t enough... take a most famous case where God pleaded with Israel to see Him as their King yet they demanded an earthly one .... tho He being full of integrity warned them overtly as to the end of that which they sought, nonetheless He acquiesced and anointed the best among them to fill the role tho in spite of Gods anointing the result was death . Yet again, God sought and found one in whom His heart might be known to His people, tho even there we still find that sin crept in and the wages were death.

Further still, the term “if” is inescapably present through the scriptures set forth as a condition of man to humble himself in order to receive Gods grace,... yet the scriptures solemnly record the inevitable result of those whom “were not willing” .
If mans will were not capable of thwarting Gods will, then there would be no need for discipline much less punishment.
Wether Nineveh's repentance, or Israel’s lack of repentance both are inescapably presented by scripture to be conditional, that is not even a remote possibility according to the above quotes by S. Charnock🤷🏽‍♂️

I submit to you all that when the scriptures state the Lord knows the end from the beginning that has been sorely twisted and divorced from the whole council of the word- for do the scriptures not also declare “every seed will bear fruit after its own kind” and “God is not mocked, as a man soweth so shall he also reap” ?
When, even before it is sown, God knows the end of that seed from the beginning,.... wether it be of the spirit and sown into His kingdom or of the flesh and sown into this world. Yet many twist the words of the prophet as they do other scriptures as though they have formed a concept of God and are attempting to fit/force the scriptures into their preconceived notion,... and where there are plain, straightforward verses that clearly demonstrate the inconsistencies of their concepts and the revelation of scripture, they repent not !?? Rather they cling desperately to their own ideas and they become idols unto them much like Israel refusing the counsel of the prophet Samuel and sought the idolatry of an earthly king 😔


As stated before, the church has a patently Greek concept of God, much like a zeus type character with a Jesus t-shirt on completely devoid of the revelation of Gods character as revealed by the scriptures. The two are simply incompatible and we (church) just like first century Israel, must repent else we will likewise perish -

The scriptures record God saying,” I know my plans for you” and “IF” ....
IF YOU WILL harken unto my voice, THEN I WILL ....
the onus is and always was,... on us, The onus IS ON US- full stop.

He, the LORD has already declared, demonstrated and recorded His will for us,... and it is we who lack the belief and faith to lay hold of the promise and not because He hasn't already furnished us with everything pertaining to life and godliness but because we refuse to come into the light,... “BUT, YOU WERE NOT WILLING”.

Romans 8:11 but IF the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For IF YE live after the flesh, ye shall die: but IF YE through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, YE shall live. (emphasis added)

How could it be made more clear?
Let he who has eyes see and ears hear 🙏🏻














_________________
Fletcher

 2022/6/5 8:18Profile
savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


 Re: border patrol

You border on blasphemy Todd. Taking God's Name in vain by even making such a suggestion that God is bored, because His Being can be no other than Omniscient in His Perfection of this attribute as well as every other as regards Him.

You may laugh now, but the time will surely come when you fall at His feet as dead and proclaim woe is me placing your hand over your mouth as did Job.

You also denigrate this holy saint of God whom Christ loved and used mightily to glorify His Name on the earth.

It'd be well for you if you'd tread more lightly upon holy matters Todd.

 2022/6/5 9:19Profile
TMK
Member



Joined: 2012/2/8
Posts: 6650
NC, USA

 Re:

It’s called rhetoric. I think you need to contemplate more the end result of the position Charnock espouses. God is indeed not bored. That’s because Charnock is dead wrong.


_________________
Todd

 2022/6/5 9:26Profile
savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


 Re: par




You come to the conclusion that you do because you compare God to a man.

You judge The Infinite and Eternal One by your own finite and temporal being.

Your thoughts of God are on a very low par as evidenced in this thread not to mention other threads.

 2022/6/5 9:44Profile
TMK
Member



Joined: 2012/2/8
Posts: 6650
NC, USA

 Re:

If Charnock’s view of this minute meticulous sovereignty of God is correct, no true relationship with Him is possible. We are simply actors in a pre-ordained script.


_________________
Todd

 2022/6/5 10:44Profile
havok20x
Member



Joined: 2008/9/14
Posts: 980
Pineville, LA

 Re:

Wow. The omniscience of God would not even make it on my list if possible debate topics because it is so clear in Scripture. God not only knows everything that was, is, and will be but He also knows counterfactuals! All of this is clearly spelled out in the Scriptures. It is plainly obvious. This is why robust theology is necessary.

Psalms 139

God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

 2022/6/5 10:45Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy