Ephesians 1; 3-11
Ephesians 1;3-11
In this post we will be looking at the truth of Ephesians 1 and its understanding on being chosen from the foundation of the earth and its relevance to the atonement and for whom Jesus died for.
"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. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love."
Ephesians 1; 3 starts out saying "blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why should the Father be blessed? Because he is "our" Father of the Lord Jesus who has blessed us "in" Christ with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. Verse 4 goes on to tell us that God chose us in him, that is in Christ before the foundation of the world.
It is so easy to read past the most important truths in this passage.
There is a people chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world was set. Who are these people? They are the complete body of Christ, the Church, Christians, and elect Jews, the true Israel. These people were chosen before any other substance or thing was created. It was before any one had done anything good or bad. God from eternity had willed by his Sovereign choice to bless a people in Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2; 13-4 reinforces this truth, "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth, to which he called you by the gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Thessalonians 2; 13-14 says that we were chosen for salvation, called to obtain the glory of the Lord.
"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to his good pleasure and will, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself."(Eph 1;5-9)
The text follows on in verse 5 by saying that those who he chose from eternity he has predestined to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to his good pleasure and will. These people are given to the Son according to God’ good pleasure and will. It is these people who will without fail obtain salvation. Verse 7 says that it is "in him that we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace". Who is the "we" in this verse? It is the same as the "us" in verse 4, 5 and 6 those accepted in the beloved. Those chosen by God… It is these, which are the ones who have redemption. We must remember that the word redemption means to redeem or to purchase, It was Christ’ blood that purchased the souls of the Father’s chosen people.
As Acts 20;28 also says, "Therefore take heed to yourself and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church, which he purchased with his own blood."
The text is making it clear that all those who are chosen have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to his grace, which he purposed in himself.
It is for these people alone that Jesus died for on the cross for salvation.
Lest reflect on this and ask some propositions,
For who did Jesus die for? Can we still make the claim that Jesus died for every person who every lived for salvation, Its just not possible, It is those who were chosen from eternity in Christ that are those who have redemption in his blood.
Was the whole human race in Christ from eternity? The passage does not say this, and all those who were chosen are predestined to be adopted as sons. If it was everyone then the whole human race would be saved. The word predestined means that it is a confirmed fact. It is these that the Father gives to the Son in John 6;37.
Was God’s choice based on who he forsore would believe? No, as the text says it was "according to good pleasure which he purposed in himself. We saw in our last post that God decrees what he forknows…
Verse 11 also tells us that "We have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
Why were we chosen in him? A verse 6 says to the praise of the glory of his grace. God was demonstrating his grace to save some out of a dead world of sinners. It is only by this Sovereign grace that we are saved.
Ephesian 2; 8 says "for it was by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Foreseeing who would believe is not a gift but an obligation. This free gift was given from eternity because God willed to show his grace to us. God has chosen to show a sinful world his glory through his church as it become holy and perfect.
Would the Arminian like to hold that God chooses a people for salvation, predestines them to adoption (that being the will of the Father), but the Son chooses to die for everyone and the Holy Spirit struggles to save them which were not predestined?
In our next post we will look at the scriptures that talk about God wanting all to come to repentance and that he desires none to perish.
In this post we will be looking at the truth of Ephesians 1 and its understanding on being chosen from the foundation of the earth and its relevance to the atonement and for whom Jesus died for.
"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. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love."
Ephesians 1; 3 starts out saying "blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why should the Father be blessed? Because he is "our" Father of the Lord Jesus who has blessed us "in" Christ with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. Verse 4 goes on to tell us that God chose us in him, that is in Christ before the foundation of the world.
It is so easy to read past the most important truths in this passage.
There is a people chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world was set. Who are these people? They are the complete body of Christ, the Church, Christians, and elect Jews, the true Israel. These people were chosen before any other substance or thing was created. It was before any one had done anything good or bad. God from eternity had willed by his Sovereign choice to bless a people in Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2; 13-4 reinforces this truth, "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth, to which he called you by the gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Thessalonians 2; 13-14 says that we were chosen for salvation, called to obtain the glory of the Lord.
"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to his good pleasure and will, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself."(Eph 1;5-9)
The text follows on in verse 5 by saying that those who he chose from eternity he has predestined to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to his good pleasure and will. These people are given to the Son according to God’ good pleasure and will. It is these people who will without fail obtain salvation. Verse 7 says that it is "in him that we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace". Who is the "we" in this verse? It is the same as the "us" in verse 4, 5 and 6 those accepted in the beloved. Those chosen by God… It is these, which are the ones who have redemption. We must remember that the word redemption means to redeem or to purchase, It was Christ’ blood that purchased the souls of the Father’s chosen people.
As Acts 20;28 also says, "Therefore take heed to yourself and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church, which he purchased with his own blood."
The text is making it clear that all those who are chosen have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to his grace, which he purposed in himself.
It is for these people alone that Jesus died for on the cross for salvation.
Lest reflect on this and ask some propositions,
For who did Jesus die for? Can we still make the claim that Jesus died for every person who every lived for salvation, Its just not possible, It is those who were chosen from eternity in Christ that are those who have redemption in his blood.
Was the whole human race in Christ from eternity? The passage does not say this, and all those who were chosen are predestined to be adopted as sons. If it was everyone then the whole human race would be saved. The word predestined means that it is a confirmed fact. It is these that the Father gives to the Son in John 6;37.
Was God’s choice based on who he forsore would believe? No, as the text says it was "according to good pleasure which he purposed in himself. We saw in our last post that God decrees what he forknows…
Verse 11 also tells us that "We have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
Why were we chosen in him? A verse 6 says to the praise of the glory of his grace. God was demonstrating his grace to save some out of a dead world of sinners. It is only by this Sovereign grace that we are saved.
Ephesian 2; 8 says "for it was by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Foreseeing who would believe is not a gift but an obligation. This free gift was given from eternity because God willed to show his grace to us. God has chosen to show a sinful world his glory through his church as it become holy and perfect.
Would the Arminian like to hold that God chooses a people for salvation, predestines them to adoption (that being the will of the Father), but the Son chooses to die for everyone and the Holy Spirit struggles to save them which were not predestined?
In our next post we will look at the scriptures that talk about God wanting all to come to repentance and that he desires none to perish.
posted by Rich7 at 9:20 PM
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