Yes—God's foreknowledge means He knew every person's response to salvation before creation, but He still gives human beings real choices.
Because God is all-knowing, He could look down through time and know exactly what every person would do with His offer of salvation. This is why believers are described as elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. It does not mean people have nothing to do with it; rather, God knew what they would do with their choice, and He works sovereignly through that choice.
1 Peter 1:2 — This verse directly connects election with God's foreknowledge, showing that believers are elect according to the Father's foreknowledge.
Romans 8:29 — This verse shows that those whom God foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Scripture explicitly says believers are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:2). This ties election directly to God's foreknowledge rather than to anything in the believer. Romans 8:29 declares, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Here foreknowledge and predestination are linked, with the goal being conformity to Christ. Romans 11:2 states, "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew." And Ephesians 1:4 says God "hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."
Les teaches that before God ever created anything, the Godhead could look down through the eons of time and know exactly what every person in every nation would do. This is what the Bible calls foreknowledge. Because God knew what would happen, He could plan for every contingency, and yet He never took away the free will of mankind. Les emphasizes that foreknowledge does not cancel human choice. God knew what each person would do with His offer of salvation, but He did not choose for them—He knew what they were going to do with their choice. This is how election and human responsibility hold together. He uses Rebekah as an example: she was chosen because God knew she would be willing. Likewise, Peter's confession came from the Father, and Lydia's heart was opened by the Lord. Les also clarifies that predestination in Romans 8:29 is not about heaven or hell. The verse says God predestinated those He foreknew to a position—being conformed to the image of His Son—a position reserved for every believer.
Les says no. God knew what every person would do with His offer of salvation, but He did not take away their choice—He knew what they were going to do with their choice. He acknowledges it is hard to comprehend how God could set humanity in motion with free will and yet everything they do is according to His plan, but God is sovereign, omniscient, and absolutely in control.
Les uses Rebekah as an example: she was willing, and why was she chosen? Because God knew she would be willing. He says some are saved and others are not, not because we were special or better, but because God in His foreknowledge could see what we would do with the offer of salvation. Believers are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
Les says God has not cast away His people which He foreknew. Nothing Israel did caught God by surprise. Israel had absolute freedom to accept Christ and have the kingdom, but they also had the free will to reject it. Their rejection did not throw God a curve, because He knew what they were going to do.
Les draws attention to the exact wording: "For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate." He emphasizes that the verse does not say predestinated to hell or to heaven; it says predestinated to a position—being conformed to the image of the Son. That position is reserved for every individual believer.
God's Initiative in Choosing
Les teaches that being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world does not mean we have nothing to do with it; Peter's confession and Lydia's opened heart show God's initiative.
Foreknowledge and Free Will
God's foreknowledge means He knew what every person would do with the offer of salvation, without taking away their choice.
Why Some Are Saved
God chooses based on His foreknowledge of who would be willing, which is why some are saved and others are not.
God's Foreknown People
God has not cast away His foreknown people; human free will operates, yet God is sovereign, omniscient, and in control.
Foreknowledge and Planning
The Godhead looked down through time and knew exactly what every person would do, enabling God to plan while leaving free will intact.
Sovereignty and Free Will
God is never caught by surprise; He has laid out human history ahead of time without removing man's free will.
Redemption Planned in Eternity
Foreknowledge was the reason the Godhead could put the entire plan of redemption together in eternity past.
Predestination's True Meaning
Predestination in Romans 8:29 is not to heaven or hell, but to the position of being conformed to the Son.
1 Peter 1:2: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
This verse shows that election is directly tied to God's foreknowledge.
Romans 8:29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Les uses this verse to clarify that predestination is to a position of conformity to Christ, not to heaven or hell.
Romans 11:2: God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
This verse shows that God has not cast away His foreknown people, Israel.
Ephesians 1:4: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
This describes being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, which Les references in his teaching.
No. Les teaches that God knew what every person would do with His offer of salvation, but He didn't take away their choice—He knew what they were going to do with their choice. God's foreknowledge does not cancel human choice.
Les says it isn't because some are special or better. God in His foreknowledge could see what each person would do with the offer of salvation, and that is what makes the difference.
No. Les points out the verse says "For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate"—not to hell or even to heaven, but to a position of being conformed to the image of the Son.
Yes. Les says nothing Israel did caught God by surprise. Israel had free will to accept or reject, and God foreknew their rejection.