Many people believe that in eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God chose (or elected) certain individuals to receive eternal life. Everybody else remains in a state of eternal condemnation. We looked at Romans 9 last week, and Ephesians 1:4-5 is another text that some people use to support the idea of God choosing who becomes a Christian. The verse says this:
… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will …
In this study, we are going to briefly consider Ephesians 1:4-5, showing that while God has elected and predestined us, this does not mean that He chose whom to give eternal life to, and whom to condemn. Election is not to eternal life, but to service in the plan and purposes of God.
A longer version of this study can be found in two of my sermons on Ephesians:
- Ephesians 1:3-4 – Security from the Father: Election
- Ephesians 1:5-6 – Security from the Father: Predestination
Ephesians 1:4-5 is not teaching how God chose, predestined, or elected some people to receive eternal life (while condemning or passing over all the rest).
A careful reading of the text reveals the same truth we have seen elsewhere, that election is to service. These verses teach that it was God’s plan from eternity past to adopt all who believe in Jesus as His heirs so that we will become holy and without blame before Him.
This is seen in two main ways.
We were Elected to be Holy and Blameless (Ephesians 1:4)
First, in Ephesians 1:4, Paul writes that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
Note that the text does not say that we were chosen “to be” in Him (Christ), but rather that we were chosen “in Him.” This means that Jesus Christ is the primary elect one, and believers are chosen, or elect, because of our connection with Jesus.
We are among the elect because we are in Christ, and He is elect.
It should be obvious as well, that God did not choose Jesus so that Jesus could have eternal life. Eternal life is in God and is in Jesus Christ (John 17:3), and therefore, God did not elect Jesus to eternal life, but to serve a particular role and function within His sovereign plan for this world.
Therefore, just as the election of Jesus is to a specific task and purpose, so also, all those who are elect “in Christ” share the same task and purpose as Jesus. Jesus came to be a blessing, to serve others, to reconcile the world to God, and to reveal God to the world (cf. Luke 4:17-19).
Since are in Jesus, then we are to do similar things. As the elect in Christ, we must follow Jesus Christ wherever He leads and in whatever He does.
Since we are to do what Jesus does and to follow Him wherever He leads, there is a danger to the evangelical proclamation that “Jesus has done it all.”
While it is absolutely true that He has “done it all” in regard to what is necessary for making eternal life available to all humanity, He has not “done it all” in regard to God’s plan and purpose for this world. All that Jesus still intends to do, He does through His elect followers, the church.
Through us, Jesus does greater things than He did during His ministry (John 14:12).
The fact that we were chosen in Jesus for service is further supported by the fact that Paul goes on to write that we were chosen in Him to be holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4).
We were not chosen to receive eternal life, but to a way of living that reflects God’s holiness and righteousness to the world.
We were not elected to eternal life, but to a way of living life. We are to live holy and blameless lives before a watching world.
We were Predestined to the Adoption as Sons (Ephesians 1:5)
Paul states much the same thing in Ephesians 1:5 when he writes about predestination. He says that God “predestined us to adoption as sons.” Predestination is about God’s goals for His people; “not the selection of who will become His people.”[2]
Predestination is about the benefits, privileges, and blessings that God determines to give to all those who become His children by faith in Jesus Christ. Some of these blessings include adoption into God’s family (Eph 1:5), future glory (1 Thess 5:9, Rom 8:29-30; 9:33; 1 Cor 2:7), and the opportunity to do good (Eph 2:10).
One reason many people think that predestination refers to God’s choice about who receives eternal life is because they misunderstand Paul’s use of the word “adoption” here in Ephesians 1:5. The word “adoption” was defined earlier in this dictionary (see Adoption), but a brief summary of what this word means will help us better understand Paul’s point here.
Typically, when people read about adoption in Paul’s writings, they think of the modern practice of adoption where a mother and father, through legal processes, make a child their own who was not biologically their own. They find an orphan who has no mother and father and adopt this child into their family.
But this is not how adoption worked in biblical times.
In the Roman world of Paul’s day, adoption was not about making a child your own, but was instead about naming a child as an heir. While the firstborn son was usually the heir, a father might adopt one of his other biological children as his heir, or the child of some other family so that the two families could become one through adoption.
One famous example is when Julius Caesar adopted Octavian (who became Caesar Augustus) to be his heir, even though Octavian was not Caesar’s son. Caesar had a biological son with Cleopatra named Caesarion, but he was not named as heir.[3]
So biblical adoption has very little to do with picking a parentless child to join your family, and has more to do with choosing someone as an heir. In other words, adoption is not about bringing someone into your family, but with giving a child privilege and position within the family.
While God did predestine from eternity past that there would be a people whom He would adopt as His heirs, this does not mean that God individually selected which people would become those heirs.
Instead, He set in motion a series of events which would bring about the creation of this family of God called out from among all the people of the earth.
When viewed this way, we see that Ephesians 1 is in agreement with multiple other passages in Scripture that election is to service in God’s Kingdom.
Election is to Service in God’s Kingdom
We see that elect people are not “in Christ” before the foundation of the world, but rather, it is Christ Himself, as the ultimate Servant of God, who was chosen before the foundations of the world to perform a service to God in redeeming the world and revealing God to the world.[4]
Paul’s point in Ephesians 1:4-5 is that when we join with Christ by faith in Him (Eph 2:8-9), we automatically become connected with the eternal and divine purpose of God in Jesus Christ so that we can perform the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10).
Jesus is the one was chosen before the foundations of the world, and so all who join with Jesus in faith will be caught up together with Him in His purpose to love, serve, and redeem the world.
[NOTES]
[1] See my book God’s Blueprints for Church Growth (Forthcoming) for more on this way of understanding Ephesians.
[2] William W. Klein, The New Chosen People: A Corporate View of Election (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 1990), 279.
[3] There is some dispute about whether or not Caesarion was actually Caesar’s son. During the tense period of time when Mark Antony and Cleopatra ruled in Egypt while Octavius Caesar Augustus ruled in Italy, Mark Antony declared that Caesarion was “the son of God” the “king of kings” and the rightful heir to Rome. This led to a war, which Octavius Caesar eventually won, after which time, Octavius took the titles of divinity for himself, along with Augustus (Most High) and Prince of Peace, for now there was peace in Rome (Pax Romana). As they say, history is written by the victors, and so the stories about Caesarion being illegitimate were spread and encouraged, thereby supporting Octavian’s claim to the throne.
[4] Some have noted that the term “the foundation of the world” does not refer to the creation of the world, but rather to the foundational principles and values of this world, that is, the values and activities that make human civilization possible. See, for example, Brian Zahnd, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God (New York: Waterbrook, 2017), 113. According to Scripture, the foundation of civilization is accusatory scapegoating violence (Listen to my podcast episodes on Genesis 3–4).
So when biblical writers talk about something “before the foundation of the world,” they are not saying “before the world was created” but “before we fell into our habits of blame, accusation, scapegoating, and violence. In this view, the preposition “before” does not necessarily mean “before in time” but might mean “before in location.” Jesus did die “in front of” or “before the face of” the founding principalities and powers of this world, and in this way, exposed and humiliated them by showing the world a better way to live (Col 2:14).
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Jeremy this makes it so clear, the entire question of election. This debunks alot of Calvanist doctrine which I have wrestled with for a long time. Election is…to or for sevice as Christ demonstrated is our calling by Him to do the same. Sadly this has not been taught universally and the salt we are suppose to be looses its flavour and the traditional church fades out of relevance to a hurting world. Thank you for illuminating this scripture through the lens of Christ making this so very clear.
Glad it makes sense to you Grahame. It has really helped me too as I have thought and taught about election off and on over the past 10 years or so. I hope the church can return to this sort of truth, as it is very encouraging (and unifying) for how to accomplish our task in this world. As it is, the doctrine of divine election is often quite divisive.
why hate Calvinism, your brothers & sisters; just because you don’t understand it.. I have never read the institutes of Calvin, but I understand the doctrines of Grace Surgeon taught,, besides that Calvinism is just the framework of the gospel..
Brother, I was doing Bible research and came across your teaching on election & predestination…. Wow!! The smooth process you engage in regarding these topics is very impressive…. however you twist the context and utterly reject the “Plain Reading of Scripture”, one of the many “Sola’s” that came out of the reformation, to assert your Profound harm to the actual Teaching in the text. “God elected a group but not it’s individuals”, What?!?? “God chose those who believe who are already believers”, What??? Dude, read Martin Luther’s “The Bondage of the Will”, or anything by Arthur Pink, Piper, Calvin, Whitfield, Spurgeon, and many thousands more. It never ceases to amaze me how far men will go to assert their own “autonomy”, and what they’ll do to twist and deform the plain texts of Holy Scripture. Dead men, like we were before being regenerated by GOD alone, not by our works, cannot and never will bring themselves to life. Lazarus was dead, truly, totally dead… Right? So, when Yahweh (Jesus) commanded Lazarus to rise…. You believe he could’ve said, “nope”, not against my will Jesus, right? Dead Wrong! The entire reason why this unique story, and its historical reality was written in Scripture by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was to show the Truth of death by Sin and Life by Christ Alone, not by participating in or being armed with a fallen, broken, utterly sinful nature – our human will – that can say No to God. If God decrees anything, it must, by necessity happen. Did Jesus die at the hands of Sinful fallen men, or by His own Will? Both!! What did Jesus say to Pilate when Pilate tells Jesus that he, Pilate, has the power to set Him free…?? Uh…… the answer to whom relies the reason and “responsibility”, for Christ’s Death on His Cross is, again, BOTH! Jesus fulfilled His Mission, while still holding the Jews (and Romans) responsible for His Murder.
Get it yet?? Sadly, your desire to be like God, fully autonomous and independent, which was Satans lie in the garden still infects your mind and heart brother. Free Will is a vacuous sad allusion and does NOT truly exist. Volition, Decision Making, our Wills are subject to the condition of our minds and hearts, which are fallen in Sin, before redemption and and subject to Christ after salvation. It is 100% GOD who saved you, not 1 percent belongs to you, period. That’s Scripture. Please repent from your autonomy and fall at the feet of Jesus and confess He is Lord, and you’re NOT a partner to His finished work on the cross. I pray you’ll rethink your views and turn to a Sovereign and Holy God in the faith you had to be given, not by the will you had in your sin.
Please read the excellent book by Guillaume Bignon called “Excusing Sinners and Blaming God”, it’s a tremendous work on True Combatablism.
All I’ve said is intended as a form of Biblical Rebuke and Encouragement in the Love of Christ. I consider you a believer, a fellow heir in Christ, and as such I urge you to rethink, pray and seek the Lord regarding the utter harm twisting Scripture can do. In my 55 years of studying Gods Word, since I was 10, I cannot believe God has rendered His Will subject to His Creation. If God decrees a matter, by necessity it must be. You nor I nor any created thing can stop Almighty God from accomplishing His Will. All evil, sin, murder, rape, theft, and all, are in the world because God did not create anything that He created as truly perfect. Otherwise God would have created God. When God finishes His creation, He did NOT say, it is Perfect, He declared “it is very good.” The entire reason why our Will is insufficient to “accept” Christ out of autonomy is similar to a man deciding He is a dog. Our fallen state can ONLY chose that which it is capable of, and Salvation is something mankind cannot partner with God because we are all imperfect by necessity. Even your attempt to re-Interpret these doctrines of Grace to include mans supremacy are subject to your fallen mind, heart and will. It’s really that simple and profoundly Biblical to understand this. Please, pray, seek and accept my rebuke in the Power and Love of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, YAHWEH, the Son. Amen Brother!!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️
I was enlightened by your article. I found answers and more questions. Election and predestination, separated by a thin line. One must study and remember the meaning of these two words.
Adoption makes since in the way I understand it, being taken from the human family and by faith, being placed in Gos’s family. How blessed can I be?
This person who wrote denies God’s word and twists the text, sadly even demons know the text but like this person will lead many to Hell with his misunderstanding of the text….,, Jesus is our example …..God says. “let there be”-And it is 50. He has chosen (predetermined) his people, That’s the Truth..
whom he foreknew, that they should live holy. This holiness is in obedience to God’s
word (orderly arrangement). Jesus learned obedience through suffering (Heb. 5:8).
He is our example (I Peter 2:21). The word (logos) of God has prearranged that we
will follow in his steps (II Tim 3:12; Heb 12:10). God did not love all the world
(Kosmos). He “50” loved the orderly arrangement (world). “So. is an adverb telling
how or in what fashion he loved the world. Who are these [“whosoever”] that will
believe in him? After Paul preached at Antioch, the scripture says, “As many as
were ordained to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:48) (no more no less). We have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who
worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Eph. 1:11). It is God that worketh
in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). God has spoken all
things, “Declaring (dabar) the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the
things that are not yet done. saying, my counsel shall stand, and 1 will do all my
pleasure (/sa. 46:10).” Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the
world (Acts 15:18).
Didn’t God choose everyone and therefore elect all humanity “in Christ” before the “foundation” of the world? The operative words being “in Him” and “in Love”. From the very outset it was God’s plan, knowing the consequences of mankind’s fall God planned that the way to rescue this creation who would inevitably succumb to the tempter, already existent in the Spiritual world (God already knew good and evil ie. the satan) according to Genesis.
This does not negate, but supplements and reinforces your arguments above I believe. As those who have responded to God’s foreordained plan “in Christ”, we are called by Jesus to be salt and light in the world. “As the father has sent me, I send you”. Jn 17:18-20, 20:21
It clearly says we were predestined. You seem to be saying that a Man could rightly boast that he is saved because of HIS decision not on the finished work of Christ. So God didn’t really choose us nor are we secure in our salvation if you are right because we could just as easily choose to walk away and go back into condemnation. God chose who would be saved and left the rest in their condemnation as is his right to do so. We are only secure in our salvation if our salvation had nothing to do with our choosing him but only because He Sovereignly chose us.
Jonathan consider these two explanations
Two Views of Predestination and Obtaining Salvation from my understanding and research. It is a very enlightening journey
View One.
The point of the illustration is to reconcile God’s sovereignty in salvation with man’s free will to choose salvation. I believe it originated from H.A. Ironside:
It has been pictured in this way. Here is a vast host of people hurrying down the broad road with their minds fixed upon their sins, and one stands calling attention to yonder door, the entrance into the narrow way that leads to life eternal. On it is plainly depicted the text, “Whosoever will, let him come.” Every man is invited, no one need hesitate. Some may say, “Well, I may not be of the elect, and so it would be useless for me to endeavor to come, for the door will not open for me.” But God’s invitation is absolutely sincere; it is addressed to every man, “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” (Rev. 22: 17). If men refuse to come, if they pursue their own godless way down to the pit, whom can they blame but themselves for their eternal judgment? The messenger addressed himself to all, the call came to all, the door could be entered by all, but many refused to come and perished in their sins. Such men can never blame God for their eternal destruction. The door was open, the invitation was given, they refused, and He says to them sorrowfully, “Ye will not come unto Me, that ye might have life.” … [But some will say], “I am going inside: I will accept the invitation; I will enter that door,” and he presses his way in and it shuts behind him. As he turns about he finds written on the inside of the door the words, “Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
H.A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies (Ephesians), pages 27-28
The illustration distinguishes the cause of salvation into two perspectives: the perspective of man, and the perspective of God. The idea is that from our perspective, we use our “free will” to choose to be saved. And from God’s perspective, God uses his sovereignty to choose who will choose salvation.
The point of the illustration is to defend against the objection to Calvanism that if predestination is true, then not everyone who wants to be saved can be saved. This illustration counters this by arguing that everyone who wants to be saved can – because everyone who wants to be saved was predestined to be saved. It attempts to reconcile the notion that anyone who wills to be saved can be saved, with the notion that God chooses who will be saved.
If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16;Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true.Romans 11:33proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
View Two.
Jesus said “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44). Now this verse speaks the truth that we cannot find God on our own. Very true. God does initiate the call to us through God the Holy Spirit. But the context is in relation to who Jesus is speaking to…the Jews! He wants them to let go of their rules and the law so they can get to God through Jesus. Rom 9 31-32 where it says they couldn’t get their because of their mind set on works. In my understanding of Calvinism God only grants salvation knowledge of Him to preselected few. But that is not what this verse is saying. John 12:32 clarifies what Jesus is saying here, when I am lifted up from earth I will draw all men to me. The lifting up Christ was referring to was being crucified. In the Greek meaning the drawing part is not salvation but rather conviction of sin, righteousness and judgement by God the Holy Spirit. So All people are drawn because Jesus said so, but conviction doesn’t mean acceptance of what is being offered ie forgiveness and salvation. Free will has to be added to it by us. In essence this verse is about God having to reconcile us to Him through Christ before access was granted to all men because of the cross…. Then this is followed by the drawing of all men to a decision point to believe or not to believe in Christs salvation.
The context of all this is further expanded when you consider (John 6:45) which reveals how God draws men unto Himself. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” Note the words “taught” and “every man” (all drawn the same way; by being taught) and “hear” and “learn” and “come”. These are not presdestination words. They are common, everyday words which are used to describe how it is that people are drawn to Christ.
What is it that is taught and heard and learned? The means or method by which God “calls” or “draws” all men is the Gospel. “And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (II Thessalonians 2:14). There is no special, mystical anointing of the Holy Spirit, but rather, the Holy Spirit calls men through the gospel; and it is the gospel that is the power (Romans 1:16). God draws people unto Himself through the teaching of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel is God’s power, his drawing power, to save (I Corinthians 1:18-21). Therefore, all people, when they hear the gospel, at any moment, have the ability to respond to God’s gospel call. They also have the ability to reject it (Acts 13:45-48).
Furthermore when you consider the terms of elect or the chosen they must be considered in light of the earthly connotation of the Old Testament meaning coupled with the spiritual meaning in the New Testament message. When you do that it’s clear God never defined in scripture that the elect term meant some people will be predestined to be saved while others miss out. Hebrews 4:1-10 helps with this conundrum.
The Promise of Rest
4 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,[a] not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’”[b] although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; [c] 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”[d]
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”[e]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
It seems clear here that while the promise of salvation remains anyone need not fear coming short of it. Simply the only way you can miss out in entering His rest is also declared here ie through the lack of faith, hardening of hearts and because of disobedience ….all human choices and actions not Gods predestination. Thus Predestination is not mentioned here as a pathway into heaven, the pathway is defined as the preaching of the word, the hearer believing, then expressing faith in Christ mixed with conviction (Holy Spirit) who then can enter the rest. Thus through obedience to Christs call they were saved.
This is further supported by God declaring that His desire is that no one should be lost. No one! God is “…patient, not wishing for any to perish.” (II Peter 3:9). God is “compassionate” (Matthew 9:36; Psalm 86:15) God is “…just” (Romans 3:24-26). God is “Sorrowful” that many are lost (Ezekiel 18:23; 31,32; cf. Matthew 23:37). To suggest that man cannot respond to God’s gospel apart from a special anointing or calling that God gives to them that He does not give to all others makes God responsible for the lost being lost. But that does not fit with the Biblical description of God’s character and nature. God made salvation available to all. Salvation is available for all men, not just a select few. Jesus died for everyone (Hebrews 2:9; John 3:16). God wants all to come to know the truth (I Timothy 2:4). The invitation is open to all He has already issued His call, and it has gone out unto the whole world. Any of us can choose to answer it, or not.
Sinners are saved by God’s grace when they respond in faithful obedience to the gospel that draws them to God (Matthew 7:21). God is always ready for men to repent and obey (Acts 17:30). It is those who will do so are spared being externally separated from Him and obtain salvation through Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9). This is an important concept to recognize. God has not predestined individuals to be saved or lost, but rather, His bride is predestined to be with Him and He has also predestined the method by which we are saved. If we obey the gospel, we are baptized “into Christ” (Romans 6:3,4). God has also predestined all those “in Christ” to be “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). But it is up to us as to whether we will obey or not.
So my position is based on these verses is View Two and Jeremys explanation
As a footnote as I am a believer in Christ, I have found it is not a journey focused on suffering. Yes, suffering will come because we are in a fallen world. Nor is it a journey of rules and regulations. The New Covenant is not about that. Its about grace, mercy, justice, forgiveness, and seeking a closer relationship with Christ. The outcome of that is journeying with Christ into peoples personal hells and bringing light into their darkness. Thats what Christ did and thats what we are all called to do. Spend time focusing on Christ and what he said and what he asks us to do. As Paul said without Christ we have nothing and our faith is based on lies. Hope this has been helpful.
I read several responses and praise God, you my friend has hit it right on the head, my spirit says YES, to your insight, thank you for sharing your spirit
To save a lot of time explaining why this is wrong, suffice it to say that omniscience will not allow the concept of “free will” to be why people can “choose” to be born again. God could have “passed by” all of us if He wanted to.