Core Four – The Foreknowledge of God and the Plan of Redemption
Foreknowledge – Foreknowledge is understood variously as God’s eternal loving regard and saving purpose, or merely as His passive awareness of the future choices of free individuals. With reference to God and men it carries the simple significance of perceiving in advance.
Redemption – Redemption relates to deliverance from a circumstance or condition. Most often, this involves paying a price to “buy back” the person or thing that is being ransomed. In the New Testament, redemption is almost exclusively related to Jesus’ death on the cross. God redeems humanity at the cost of Jesus’ life, which is given freely, in order that humans might be delivered from spiritual slavery and death. Jesus told His disciples that His purpose for coming was to give His life as a ransom for the redemption of men.