Ephesians 1 - Predetermined Free Will
- Chad Werkhoven
- Jun 6, 2022
- 2 min read
God indeed predestined you to salvation in Christ in a way that requires you to freely align yourself with His purposes.
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Ephesians 1 (ESV)
1 Paul, an apostle
of Christ Jesus
by the will of God,
To
the saints who are
in Ephesus,
and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from
God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us
in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
4 even as he chose us
in him
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love
5 he predestined us
for adoption
to himself
as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise
of his glorious grace,
with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
7 In him we have
redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he lavished
upon us,
in all wisdom and insight
9 making known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him
we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined
according to the purpose of him
who works all things
according to the counsel of his will,
12 so that
we who were the first to hope in Christ
might be to the praise of his glory.
13 In him
you also, when you
heard
the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in him,
were sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until we acquire possession of it,
to the praise of his glory.
15 For this reason,
because I have heard
of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love toward all the saints,
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
→ 18 having
the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know
what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us
who believe,
according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ
→ when
he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand
in the heavenly places,
21 far above
all rule and authority
and power and dominion,
and above every name
that is named,
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
→ 22 And he
put all things under his feet
and gave him
as head over all things
to the church,
23 which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Previous DIG DEEPER posts on Ephesians
Ephesians 1 Summary
One of the primary themes of Paul's letters is that Christians are people who are in Christ. This opening chapter of Ephesians helps us really understand what this simple phrase means.
You are:
In Him: you are chosen before the creation of the world (v4)
In love: you are selected to be God's adopted child (v5)
In accordance with His will: Because God has willed you to be His, you are secure (v5)
In Him: you have redemption & forgiveness (v7)
In accordance with His riches: you have been given a share in God's riches!
In Him: all things are being worked out to bring you into relationship with God (v11)
In Christ: you have your hope (v12)
In Christ: you've been included by hearing His message of truth (v13)
Dig Deeper
Many people don't like the doctrine of predestination when they first learn about it. It doesn't seem fair that God chooses some for salvation, but leaves others in their sin, and it seems pointless to be going through the motions in a world in which everything has been predetermined.
These are valid concerns, but they do seem to fade away as we unpack what Ephesians 1 teaches us. Rather than portraying people as preprogrammed robots incapable of free will, Paul describes those whom God has chosen as having the eyes of their hearts enlightened, that they may know what is the hope to which he has called them (v18).
In other words, God has removed the blinders that sin put on you so that you can see His grace, hope and the riches of His glorious inheritance and will. With this knowledge you freely make choices to bring your life further into alignment with God's plan & purpose (v9).
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God is your Father, who predestined you for adoption to Himself as a son through Jesus Christ (v5)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will freely make choices that further your alignment with God's purposes which He set forth in Christ (v9).
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
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