Yes—God’s choice is based on His foreknowledge of every individual’s response to the gospel.
Les teaches that before the world was created, God knew exactly what every person would do with His offer of salvation. That foreknowledge allowed the Godhead to plan redemption without ever removing human free will. So election is not an arbitrary selection; it is God choosing those He knows in advance will believe.
1 Peter 1:1-2 — This passage is the biblical basis for Les’s teaching that the elect are chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God.”
Romans 8:29 — Les cites this verse to show that being foreknown is connected to predestination—but the destination is conformity to Christ, not a preselected verdict.
Romans 11:2 — God has not cast away Israel “which he foreknew,” confirming that Israel’s choices never caught Him by surprise.
Scripture speaks directly to the question of God’s foreknowledge and election. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, believers are addressed as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” The text does not say God chose arbitrarily; it says election is in accordance with foreknowledge. Romans 8:29 adds another piece: “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, foreknown individuals are predestinated to a position of being made like Christ. Romans 11:2 applies the same principle to Israel: “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” Because God foreknew His people, nothing in Israel’s history took Him by surprise.
Les Feldick repeatedly describes God’s foreknowledge as the point where sovereign election and human free will meet. He says that before the world was created, God knew exactly what every person in every nation—everyone who has ever lived or ever will live—would do with His offer of salvation. This means God could plan the entire work of redemption in eternity past because He already knew the choices men and nations would make. He did not take away anyone’s free will; He simply knew in advance what each person would do with it. Les deliberately steers between two extremes. The Calvinist overreach says that if God has chosen someone, man can do nothing; the Arminian extreme says God has nothing to do with salvation. Les says the truth is that “there has to be a willingness,” while God is still sovereignly involved. He puts it from two sides: from the front, “whosoever will may come” and nobody is left out; once a person believes, it becomes clear that God had chosen that believer before the world was created. When it comes to Romans 8:29, Les is careful to read exactly what Scripture says. He notes it does not say God foreknew some and predestinated them to hell, nor does it say He predestinated others to heaven. It says those whom He foreknew He predestinated “to be conformed to the image of his Son”—a position reserved for every individual believer. The same principle applies to Israel: the nation exercised free will, yet everything they did fit God’s plan because it was all according to His foreknowledge.
Les describes John Calvin’s persuasion that believers are chosen, but says those who abused that teaching went overboard: if you’re chosen, nothing can stop you from being saved, and if you’re not chosen, you’re out. On the opposite side, Arminius taught God has nothing to do with it and it is all up to the free will of the individual. Les rejects both extremes and says “there has to be a willingness” while still seeing God’s definite involvement.
Les says no. God knew what every person would do with His offer of salvation, and that is exactly why He could incorporate their choices into His plan. He “knew what they were going to do with their choice.” Israel is the proof: the nation had absolute freedom to accept or reject their King, and their rejection did not throw God a curve because He foreknew it. The sovereign God is in complete control even while human beings make real choices.
In Romans 8:29, Paul says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate.” Les emphasizes that the verse does not say “foreknew… predestinate to hell” or “predestinate to go to heaven.” Instead, it says predestinate “to be conformed to the image of his Son.” That is a position God has reserved for every individual believer, not a predetermined eternal destination.
In 1 Peter chapter 1, the recipients are called “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” Les points to this to show that election is not arbitrary. In eternity past, the whole Godhead put together the plan of redemption, and the reason they could put it together was foreknowledge—they knew exactly which individuals would respond. God could choose those people because He already knew they would be believers.
God’s Choice and Man’s Willingness
Les rejects both the extreme Calvinist idea that nothing can change God’s choice and the extreme Arminian idea that God has nothing to do with salvation; he insists there must be a willingness on man’s part while God is still involved.
Foreknowledge and the Offer of Salvation
God knew in advance what every person, including Israel, would do with His offer of salvation; He never took away their choice, but He knew what they would do with it.
Foreknowledge Before Creation
Foreknowledge means that before the world and Adam existed, God knew what every individual would do with the gospel, because He is an all-knowing God who sees the end from the beginning.
Foreknowledge and Contingency Planning
The Godhead looked down through the eons and knew exactly what every person in every nation would do, enabling God to plan for any contingency without ever removing free will.
Whosoever Will vs. God’s Choice
From the front side, “whosoever will may come” and no one is left out; when a person decides to accept God’s remedy for sin, it becomes clear God chose that person before the world began.
Godhead’s Plan Built on Foreknowledge
In eternity past the whole Godhead put the plan of redemption together, and the reason they could do so was foreknowledge; Les connects this to the elect being chosen according to God’s foreknowledge in 1 Peter 1.
Foreknowledge and Israel
God has not cast away Israel because He foreknew them; Israel operated under free will as a nation, yet everything they did fit His plan because it was all according to His foreknowledge.
Romans 8:29 — Predestined to a Position
Les reads Romans 8:29 carefully: those whom God foreknew are predestinated to a position—being conformed to the image of His Son—not to heaven or hell.
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 is the verse Les points to in 1 Peter to show 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 foreknown believers are predestined to a position of Christlikeness, not to a predetermined fate of 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,
Les cites this to show Israel’s rejection did not surprise God; His foreknowledge included everything they would do.
Yes. Les teaches that God knew what every person would do with His offer of salvation, but He never took away their choice. He simply knew what they would do with their choice before they made it.
No. Les points to Romans 8:29 and emphasizes that the verse does not say God predestined anyone to hell. It says those whom He foreknew are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son—a position reserved for every individual believer.
Because of foreknowledge. In eternity past, the Godhead put the plan of redemption together, and the reason they could do so was that they knew in advance exactly what every person would do. This allowed God to plan for every contingency without violating anyone’s free will.
Watch the Teaching: God’s Foreknowledge vs. Free Will: How Salvation Works