Overview
"For His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through His works. So they are without excuse." — Romans 1:20 BSB
Open Theism is a false theological teaching that fundamentally contradicts Scripture by claiming that God does not have complete foreknowledge of future events. Open Theists assert that God knows all actual facts about the past and present but cannot know future free choices made by humans because those choices do not yet exist. This system attempts to resolve the perceived tension between God's omniscience and human free will by limiting God's knowledge of the future. However, this view directly contradicts the biblical testimony that God possesses complete, exhaustive knowledge of all things, past, present, and future. Scripture consistently presents God as the sovereign Creator whose knowledge transcends time and encompasses all events before they occur in history.
Biblical Account
The Bible explicitly demonstrates that God possesses complete foreknowledge of future events. God declares His foreknowledge through prophecy, predicting specific events centuries before they occur. He knows not only general outcomes but also the specific choices and actions of individuals.
"I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel will stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.'" — Isaiah 46:9-10 BSB
"For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." — Romans 8:28 BSB
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" — John 11:25-26 BSB
"Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." — 1 Corinthians 13:12 BSB
Theological Significance
God's complete foreknowledge is essential to His nature as the eternal, omniscient Creator. If God did not know the future, He would not be truly omniscient, and His nature would be limited and dependent upon creation rather than absolutely sovereign. This teaching reveals that God stands outside of time itself and views all moments with equal clarity and certainty. The doctrine of God's foreknowledge provides assurance to believers that their salvation is secure and that God's plan for redemption cannot be thwarted by human choice or circumstance.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." — Jeremiah 1:5 BSB
"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." — Ephesians 1:4 BSB
Key Bible Verses
- Isaiah 46:9-10 BSB — God declares the end from the beginning and accomplishes all His purpose.
- 1 Peter 1:1-2 BSB — Believers are chosen according to God's foreknowledge.
- Romans 8:29 BSB — God foreknew those He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
- Psalm 139:1-2 BSB — God knows all our ways before there is a word on our tongue.
- Acts 2:23 BSB — Jesus was delivered by God's set purpose and foreknowledge.
Application
Believers must reject Open Theism and embrace the biblical testimony of God's complete omniscience and sovereignty. This truth should strengthen faith by assuring Christians that God has not been surprised by any circumstance in their lives and that His plan for redemption stands eternally secure. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor the present nor the future, nor any powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." — Romans 8:38-39 BSB. Trusting in God's complete knowledge and sovereignty brings peace and confidence in His perfect will.