Grace Bible Church

Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.     Omniscience

 

a)    Definitions

(1)   Omniscient comes from two Latin words (omnis - all and scientia - knowledge) and means, “all knowing.” It refers to God’s infinite and perfect knowledge.

(2)   Ryrie states, God knows everything, things actual and possible, effortlessly and equally well.

(3)   A more comprehensive definition will state that God knows all things actual and possible, past, present, and future, in one eternal act. (Moody Handbook of Theology)

b)    God knows everything that happens, both past and present (Pr 15:3; Mt 10:29-30; Job 28:24; Job 31:4; Job  34:21-23)

c)     God knows the secret thoughts of every individual (1Ch 28:9; Ps 44:21; Je 17:9-10; He 4:13).

d)    God knows what will happen in the future (Ps 139:4, 14b-16; Is 41:21-24).

(1)   God knows all future events. Because God is eternal and knows all things in one eternal act, events that are future to man are an “eternal now” to God [Ro 8:30]. He knew the nations that would dominate Israel (Dan. 2:36–43; 7:4–8), and He knows the events that will yet transpire upon the earth (Matt. 24:25; Rev. 6–19). The Moody Handbook of Theology)

(2)   This view stands in opposition to “Open Theism” which denies that God knows the future exhaustively. They believe God maneuvers like a Grand Master in chess hoping for a positive result.

e)     God’s foreknowledge is more than mere intellectual assent, but is in connection with His foreordination (Ge 4:1, Je 1:5; Am 3:2; Ac 2:23; Ro 8:29; 1Pe 1:20)

(1)   It is important to recognize that in speaking of God’s knowledge or foreknowledge it does not imply a passive awareness of what will happen, but in connection with His knowledge or foreknowledge He has decreed all events. (Compare Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 1:353–58, 396–99) (Is 46:10).

(2)   [God’s foreknowledge could be stated as the], selective knowledge of God that makes one an object of God’s love; it is more than mere knowledge or cognition beforehand. (House, Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine, p. 91).

f)     God cannot learn anything, He already knows everything (Ro 11:33-34; Job 21:22, 37:16; Ps 147:5).

(1)   God not only knows all things that are actual but also all things that are possible (Ps 139:1–6; 147:4; Mt 6:8; cp. Christ - Mt 16:21; Lk 11:17; Jn 2:24; 4:29).

(2)   Philosophically, omniscience is defined in terms of God’s propositional knowledge. This means God knows every true proposition in every area of knowledge. He also knows of every false proposition but does not believe it. Therefore, God knows all truth and reality.

g)     David understood the personal side of the omniscience of God in Psa 139:1-4.

(1)   David’s life was known by God (vs. 1).

(2)   David’s ways were known by God (vs. 2-3).

(3)   David’s thoughts and words were known by God (vs. 2,4).

h)    Application - God’s omniscience gives cause for the believer to:

(1)   Trust in God’s guidance because He knows the right path for us (Pr 3:5-6).

(2)   Be comforted in God’s understanding because He knows our frailties (Ps 103:13-14).

(3)   Be secure in God’s love because He knows all our sin and doubt, yet still loves us (1Jn 3:19-20).

 

 

 

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd ·  PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516