Last time
We looked at Ephesians 1:1-14 and we identified 4 major themes in the passage:
- The will of God 1-4-5-9-11
- Election and Predestination 4-5-11
- In Christ (10 references)
- The gift of the Holy Spirit 13-14
We concentrated on the will of God. We saw that it’s God’s will for us to:
v4 be holy and blameless in his sight (cf. v1 God’s holy people)
v 5 be adopted into his family
v9 know his purpose – ultimate (v10) and immediate
v1 know God’s personal calling in our lives (apostle)
v11 submit to his sovereignty (Note ‘mystery’ v9)
v13-14 receive his Spirit
Today: Election and Predestination
Let’s begin by rereading the whole passage again.
Ephesians 1:1-14
1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will –
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.”
The key verses are 4-6 and 11:
4 For he chose ἐξελέξατο us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined προορίσας us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will –
6 to the praise of his glorious grace
11 In him we were also chosen ἐκληρώθημεν (made heirs), having been predestined προορισθέντες according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Eklegomai = choose, select (Mark 13:20, Luke 6:13, 10:42, John 6:70, 13:8, 15:16,19, Acts 1:2,24; 6:5; 13:7; 15:7,22,25, 1 Cor. 1:27-28, James 2:5)
Proorizo = determine beforehand ( Acts 4:28, Romans 8:29-30, 1 Cor. 2:7)
Kleroo = make an heir (Romans 8:17, Gal. 3:29, 4:1,7, Titus 3:7, etc.)
WHEN were we chosen and predestined?
Before the creation of the world
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” Revelation 13:8 NIVUK
“The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.”
Revelation 17:8 NIVUK
WHY were we chosen and predestined?
To be holy and blameless in his sight (v4)
To be adopted (v5)
To become heirs (v11) compare Romans 8:17.
The basis on which we are chosen and predestined
The will of God vv 5, 11.
So does all this mean that before God created the world he chose who would be saved and who would not? NO!
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 NIVUK
“This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4 NIVUK
“‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”
Matthew 23:37 NIVUK
So what’s the answer to this apparent contradiction?
We are chosen because we’re IN CHRIST
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world
11 In him we were also chosen
What happened to make us ‘in Christ’?
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
Before going any further, note the word also. Why does Paul say also?
Read vv 11-13
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Note the change from we to you. Why? We Jews, you Gentiles
The idea of being chosen is rooted in Israel as God’s chosen people.
But why does Paul refer to us as chosen?
Because, as he shows us in Galatians and Romans, all those (whether Jew or Gentile) who have believed as Abraham believed are the true Israel.
In Galatians 3 Paul shows that God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12) was that in his descendant (Christ), not descendants (Israel) that all nations of earth would be blessed. Compare for example Ephesians 2:11-22, 1 Peter 2:9-10.
So when we believed we became part of the true Israel, the chosen people of God
We are chosen because we have believed as Abraham believed.
Election is according to God’s foreknowledge
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles, scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”
1 Peter 1:1-2 NIVUK
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Romans 8:28-30 NIVUK
Note the order:
God foreknew. He predestined. He called. He justified. He glorified
Before the foundation of the world, God had a plan for our salvation. As we have seen, the Lamb was slain from before the foundation of the world. His plan was that if we would repent and believe in him our sins would be forgiven and we would have everlasting life.
When we heard the gospel of salvation and believed it we were incorporated into Christ. Because God knows everything, he knew in advance who would make that decision. And on the basis of that knowledge he predestined us to be conformed to the image of his son. He chose us to be holy and without blame before him. Our election and Predestination are based on God’s foreknowledge of the decision we would make. But it’s all because of his grace, because without the cross there would have been no hope for us.