God Saving, Foreknowing, and Predestining (Jacob and Esau part 3)

Since God prophesied that Jacob would receive His blessing when that is not how things were set up, how do we understand God's role in our lives? This has implications for free will, salvation, and predetermination. St Paul talks about this in Romans 8:29-30 where he says God foreknew us (mind of God), predestined us (from eternity), called us (in time), justified us (with means of grace), and is glorifying us (to be like Christ in the end by grace). Paul is trying to comfort believers who know they have been called by the Gospel and received forgiveness that God has always desired them to be His. We cannot peer into God's mind nor eternity, so it does not make sense to speculate or elevate God's eternal election above all things. Rather, let us focus on the forgiveness and salvation we receive in the here and now through Christ.