Why Ephesians 1?
Ephesians chapter 1 is, for many, one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture. There are few places in the entire Bible that so greatly exalt God for how He has blessed us in the free gift of salvation. Likewise, there are few passages in all of Scripture that speak so clearly to just how free that gift of salvation is—and yet, the core teaching of Ephesians chapter 1 has been lost for so many people. In no small way, Paul’s opening shout of praise in his letter to the Ephesians is the most direct teaching of Election and Predestination that exists in the biblical corpus, and if the truth of God’s redeeming sovereignty is lost, the Apostle is reduced to incoherency.
As it stands, however, Ephesians 1 is a beautiful exposition of exactly what God has done for us, and what it means to be a Christian. As such, we find that it is only natural for it to be the third passage in our “Reformed Big Three” along with Romans 9 and John 6, and we earnestly hope that a careful study of the passage will not only bring to light a greater understanding of God’s role in your salvation, but will also inspire you to a greater thankfulness and love for Him.
A Brief Note Before We Begin:
Ephesians chapter 1 does not tend to be as emotionally divisive as the other two passages that we have looked at so far (Romans 9 and John 6, as previously mentioned). This is likely because, while Romans 9 and John 6 make negative presentations—saying that God prepares some for hell, or that men are unable to come to Christ on their own, for example—Ephesians 1 makes a positive presentation of what God has done for believers. The overwhelmingly positive nature of the passage keeps it from becoming a source of tense or divisive debate, but that does not mean that its teachings are more easily received. The content of the Apostle’s teaching is so clear, and the implications so obvious, that many still trip over Paul’s words.
In light of this, let us remind ourselves what we are here for: we are here to find what the text means—nothing more, nothing less. Our work today is built upon one single presupposition: that Ephesians 1 really is understandable. We hold strongly to the perspicuity of Scripture—that Scripture is, at its core, understandable and clear. While we recognize, of course, that certain passages of Scripture are confusing in particular details (the Nephilim of Genesis 6 or the various images of Daniel and Revelation), we believe that the main messages of Scripture are inspired by the Holy Spirit with the purpose of being clearly understood. Furthermore, we understand that Ephesians 1—which is not a narrative or apocalyptic prophecy but apostolic exposition—really did mean something when the Apostle Paul wrote it. That is, when the Apostle Paul put his pen to the page and wrote this section of Holy Scripture, not only did the Holy Spirit intend to clearly communicate divine truth, but the Apostle himself understood the meaning of what he was writing.
The question then, as we are sure you already understand, is not “does Ephesians 1 have a particular meaning” but “what does Ephesians 1 mean?” We are convinced, both by the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture, but also by the evident nature of Paul’s intentions in this passage, that there is only one meaning to the text of Ephesians chapter 1. We are not here to wonder what interpretation of the text we prefer, but what interpretation of the text is true. In our pursuit of this truth, we have outlined certain hermeneutical principles that we believe are absolutely necessary—the chief of which is consistency. The hermeneutical methodology used to exegete this passage will be one and the same with the methodology we use to exegete passages of Scripture that teach monotheism, the nature and offices of Christ, justification by faith, and ecclesiology.
And now, one final note before we turn to the text. One’s interpretation of this passage is not an issue of salvation. We will not call into question anyone’s state before God based on which side of this issue they choose to fall. And, as a personal matter, we believe that the unity shared between Christians of differing perspectives is a glorious evidence of the bond created by the Holy Spirit. However, this cannot be an ‘agree to disagree’ issue. That is, this is not an issue to be taken lightly. The opening to the letter to the Ephesians is the longest recorded doxology that we find in the New Testament—it’s the most developed instance of worship that we see expressed by a member of the New Covenant. If Paul believed the truths communicated in Ephesians 1 to be so glorious that they caused him to pen 11 verses of passionate praise, then we can only tremble at the thought of missing them.
Turning to the Text:
Of all the passages we have looked at, Ephesians chapter 1 is the one that requires the least amount of work. Quite honestly, the Apostle Paul is so clear that we can only try to reiterate what he has said. As such, we encourage you to read the passage for yourself before continuing through this article—we believe the meaning to be so obvious that our work is, really, unnecessary. Still, it is our joy to open the word with you! The text that we will be examining, in its entirety, reads as follows:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him.
In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” [Ephesians 1:3 - 14]
Summary of our Exegesis
The following section is a brief summary of our understanding of the passage, and provides the sweeping points that will be examined deeper in the following sections.
As previously noted, Ephesians 1 is a fiery expression of praise from the Apostle Paul. We see this clearly from his opening words: “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The term “blessed” is neutral, not necessarily implying divine worship, but it is used throughout the New Testament (especially by Paul) in expressions of praise:
“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” [Romans 1:25]
“For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” [Romans 9:3 - 5]
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” [2nd Corinthians 1:3 - 4]
“The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.” [2 Corinthians 11:31]
“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal might! Amen.” [1st Timothy 6:13 - 16]
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” [1st Peter 1:3]
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.” [Revelation 5:11 - 14]
“The blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” [Revelation 7:12]
Now, we may wonder what it means for God to be blessed by us. We easily understand what it means to be blessed by God, or even by our fellow human beings, but what does it mean for us to bless God? Well, in this context, to bless someone can mean either to give them a good thing (in this case, our worship), or simply to speak well of them. In the passages above, it seems that what Paul and the other authors are saying is, “Speak well of God, for He has [fill in the blank].” In Ephesians 1, then, we see that Paul is opening with a word of praise, and that the following verses are going to give the context for that praise; we’ve already seen the what (praise) and the who (God)—the next verses will give the why.
The why becomes clear in the next phrase: “who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…” Paul’s expression of blessing towards God is in response to God’s blessing of all believers. Clearly salvation and redemption are in view here. Paul understands that the Christian’s most significant motivation to praise God is out of gratitude for His great blessing of grace, and he models that to us throughout his epistles, but especially here.
The mechanics of this blessing (or, how this blessing comes to us) is through Election and Predestination: “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world… by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,” and the ultimate purpose is for the glory of God: “to the praise of the glory of His grace.”
This redemption, purposed by God in eternity for those whom He has chosen and predestined, is manifested in time by the believer’s faith and sanctification, and once the elected one comes to believe, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit, and will never fall away: “In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” This was done all by the perfect, fully accomplished plan of God, “who works all things according to His will.”
The Action: Election and Predestination
Having now summarized our understanding of the text, the following sections will be in-depth analyses of the various elements that are inter-woven throughout the passage. We will be looking at this passage as it speaks to the topic of redemption, walking through Paul’s process of thought from verse 3 through verse 14.
To start, let us look at the chief action in our salvation: the electing and predestining act of God. This, of course, is the main cause of debate over the passage, and speaks directly to our interests today. We maintain that Ephesians chapter 1 is the clearest expression of the doctrines of Election and Predestination in the whole New Testament, and that the Apostle Paul could not be more clear in his meaning.
First, note that Election and Predestination are the chief reasons for Paul’s expression of praise:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.” [Ephesians 1:3 - 5].
Paul is giving praise to God because God has blessed us by redeeming us through the Lord Jesus. How has God done this? First, by electing and predestining us. The term “chose” is synonymous, in our understanding, to the term elect. While the Bible nowhere says, verbatim, that God has “elected” certain individuals, it repeatedly says that God has chosen certain individuals, and then calls this group “the elect” [Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:22; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 2nd Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; Revelation 17:14]; “choosing” is the action, “elect” is the adjective/noun. When we say that God has partaken in the action of “election,” we mean that God has sovereignly chosen particular people—which is exactly what Paul says here in verse 3. Likewise, there can be no debate that God has partaken in the act of predestination, as Paul uses that exact word in verse 5: “by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.” So then, Election speaks to God’s choosing of particular individuals, and Predestination speaks to God “destining,” or “ensuring the location of” those individuals, in this case, to eternal life in heaven.
For Paul, the process of redemption begins with Election and Predestination. This is called the Ordo Salutis: the order of God’s actions that lead someone to be saved. When we look simply at the level of man’s experience, we might categorize the order of salvation as beginning with personal faith and repentance. However, in Ephesians 1, Paul is focusing on what God does in salvation, not what man does. Paul, then, looking at God’s order of steps in bringing about redemption, starts with His actions of Election and Predestination. Before Paul addresses the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and before he addresses our faith and repentance, Paul gives credit to God’s work of Election and Predestination as the source of our blessing.
So what do Election and Predestination entail? Well, as far as time is concerned, Paul says that this Election and Predestination took place “before the foundation of the world… according to the good pleasure of His will” [vv. 3, 4]. That is: before the world was created, and certainly before you or I had been born, everyone who would later believe The Gospel had already been elected and predestined by God. God’s choosing of us to be “holy and blameless before Him” occurred before we, or the world, even existed. He did this because it was “the good pleasure of His will” to do so. Paul summarizes these points again in verse 11: “we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” God was pleased to have you for His own possession, and so before He created you, He chose you to be one of His people—how great the love of God!
And it is extremely important that we see these actions as expressions of God’s love—because they are. Remember, Paul is praising God for the reality that he, along with all believers, have been chosen and predestined by Him since before all time. For Paul, this is a great expression of love, and especially of grace, as he says that these things were “graciously bestowed on us” [v. 6]. Bottom line: God did not have to elect or predestine anyone to eternal life; He did not have to bring about a plan of salvation, and He did not have to take that Gospel and give its benefits to us; He did not have to send His Son to save anyone, and He especially did not have to send Him for us—but He did. God has loved us, believers, so much, and has had so much grace on us—Election and Predestination are the beginning of that grace.
The People: “Us”
We see, then, undeniably, that God has partaken in the act of sovereign Election and Predestination. He has chosen a people and predestined them to the benefits of Christ from “before the foundation of the world.” But now we have to ask, “Who does this Election and Predestination pertain to? Who are the ones who are chosen?”
A quick overview of the passage should answer this question: believers are the ones who have been predestined. First, observe the object of the sentence in verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” The first person plural indicates that Paul has himself and his audience of Ephesian Christians in view for the rest of the passage, where “us” “we” and “our” are used eleven more times from verses 4 - 14.
Second, observe what Paul says about these individuals: they are being made “holy and blameless,” have been made sons of God, have been forgiven and redeemed, have been “made and inheritance,” have “hoped in Christ,” and have “believed,” being “sealed by the Holy Spirit.” These are descriptions that can only be made of born-again, truly saved believers.
Notice, then, that the acts of Election and Predestination are inherently exclusive—that is, not everyone is chosen or predestined. We can know this, first, because not all are believers, and it is believers who have been predestined. Second, we can know this because Election and Predestination are not just correlated to that reality of someone being a believer, but are the instrumental cause of someone being a believer, which will be explored further in another place.
The Means: “In Christ”
Moving forward, we will now explore the single-most repeated concept in the passage: the simple phrase, “In Christ.” The phrase “In Christ” (or the synonymous “In Him”) appears ten times throughout Ephesians 1:3 - 14, and is absolutely foundational to Paul’s point in the passage, and theology in general. Union with Christ is central to the Pauline corpus. Consistently throughout his writings, Paul plays off this idea of being “united” with Christ, and here he applies that concept all the way back into God’s work of Election and Predestination.
For Paul, being united with Christ is the central reality of Christian life. Simply put, union with Christ is the mechanism of salvation. It is through union with Christ that we are justified, as it is through this union that our sins are imputed to Christ and His righteousness to us [2nd Corinthians 5:21]; union with Christ is the grounds of our hope for eternal life, as it ensures that we will join Him in His resurrection [Romans 6:5]; union with Christ is the basis upon which we can stand before God with a clean conscience [Ephesians 3:12]; union with Christ is the defining characteristic of life lived for Christ, as we are to be “found in Him,” “complete in Christ,” “walking in Him,” “built up in Him,” and glorified in Him [Philippians 3:9; Colossians 1:28, 2:6 - 7, 2nd Thessalonians 1:12].
In Ephesians 1, Paul takes this concept of being united to Christ and takes it all the way back to the beginning. Paul frames the doctrines of Election and Predestination—God’s sovereign choosing of His people—within the context of being “in Christ.” That is, firstly, that the end of our Election and Predestination has always been Christ. Christ, His person and His work, are the foundations of our salvation, and always have been. When the Triune God ordered the events of History “before the foundation of the world,” the self-emptying, incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Eternal Son was always the center of the plan. In Christ, the greatest revelation of God is made: His character, His righteousness, His humility, His power, His wisdom, and His love—all are made the most manifest in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. And for us, this work of the Son is the means through which God purposed to deliver “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
Secondly, Paul’s repetition of “in Christ” reminds us of the exclusivity of God’s blessings. We were chosen “in Him;” we are given adoption “through Christ Jesus;” grace is given to us “in the Beloved;” redemption is found “in Him;” we are made an inheritance “in Him”—there can be no question: Christ alone is the means through which God’s blessings come. There is no other point of access to God than through Christ. There is no other way to receive grace than through the Lord Jesus. There is no other one we may look to for salvation than the Son of God.
Lastly, understanding what it means that we are “in Christ” will perhaps give us the best chance at grasping the depths of God’s love for us. Consider this: the Bible says that God is love [1st John 4:8, 16]. That is, the Triune God, existing eternally as three divine persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—exists eternally in a self-sufficient, perfect relationship of pure love. The love that the Father has for His Son—the pure affection that is shared between the members of the Trinity—is truly incomprehensible. And yet, when Paul tells us that we were chosen “in Christ,” he tells us that the very same love the Eternal Father has for His only-begotten Son is now given to us. God the Father, in an amazing act of grace, extends the same love to us which He has for His perfect Son, the Lord Jesus, because He has chosen us and “created” us in Him [Ephesians 2:10]. Words cannot truly express how amazing that is to contemplate: God the Father loves me as much as He loves Jesus, His eternal, divine Son.
We should also explore, however, how the language of being “in Christ” speaks to the exclusivity of God’s choosing. We’ve already noted that Christ is the exclusive means of God’s blessing. But consider also what this passage has to say about whom God has chosen. According to the passage, God has chosen His people through and in the Lord Jesus. As we have briefly noted and will further explore, the end of this Election and Predestination is union with Christ, justification, sanctification, and eternal life. Are we to believe, then, that those who are not united with Christ, justified, sanctified, and given eternal life are likewise chosen? If God’s choosing is done in and through Christ, then can we really conclude that God has chosen everyone, when so many will die in their sins and not know the Lord? Clearly, we cannot. God’s acts of Election and Predestination are not done for all people, but for a select people (that is, in fact, what it means to be chosen), as we will even more clearly see in later sections.
The End: Salvation
In verse 3, Paul introduced to the concepts of Election and Predestination—God’s sovereign choice to save undeserving sinners from their sin; not much later, Paul explained what the means of this Election and Predestination is: Christ Jesus. But what is the end of all this? What does Election and Predestination, or the work of Christ, lead to? Nothing less than salvation.
God’s end goal is clear in Ephesians 1. Paul’s celebration of God’s gracious Election and Predestination is consistently forward-looking, as he notes that we were chosen so that “we would be holy and blameless” [v. 4], that we may obtain “adoption” [v. 5], and that we would, in the end, “be to the praise of His glory” [v. 12]. Simply put, God elected and predestined so that those whom He chose would be saved. Election and Predestination are not arbitrary, meaningless, or done for no reason, but have an explicit purpose: regeneration, justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification.
The most important thing to note is the relationship between Election and Redemption. In Ephesians 1, and all throughout the New Testament, Election and Redemption are directly and inviolably connected. That is: someone who is elected and predestined will, by necessary consequence, be redeemed from sin and inherit eternal life.
This is established, first, upon the clear reality that God elects and predestines with the end goal of Redemption in mind—as we have already seen. Paul says explicitly in this passage that God’s gracious election and predestination was to make those who are chosen “holy and blameless,” and that they would have the benefits of “adoption,” being made part of God’s covenant family in Christ Jesus.
And now the pressing question: If it was God’s will and plan that all those who are elected and predestined will be redeemed, is it possible for that to not occur? Put another way: Is it possible for someone who is of the Elect to not be saved? Ephesians 1 makes the answer to that question very clear: “No.” No, God’s will cannot be thwarted or left unaccomplished. Not only is the supremacy of God’s will absolutely central to the prophetic expositions of Moses, Isaiah, Daniel and the whole Old Testament, but it is clearly taught by Jesus and Paul—especially here in Ephesians 1. Let’s examine verse 11:
“In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” [Ephesians 1:11]
This verse brings together lots of what we have already examined. It opens with “In Him,” identifying the central place of Christ in Paul’s exposition, and then turns to speak about believers. Paul says that believers “have been made an inheritance”—clearly redemption is in view here—“having been predestined”—think of how Paul defined Predestination in verses 4 and 5—“according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” For Paul, we have been redeemed as a result of having already been predestined, because God desired that to occur, and God’s will is always accomplished.
The sovereign supremacy of God is abundantly clear in verse 11. Paul states that God works “all things” after His will. Non-Calvinists know very well that “all means all,” and in this case, they would be absolutely correct. Paul’s flow of thought, and overall argument, depends upon God being sovereignly capable to bring all that He pleases. Comparing this with other Pauline passages like the Golden Chain of Redemption in Romans 8, we see that the doctrines of Predestination and Redemption are not just thematically linked, but are inseparable and determinative; if someone is elect, they will be redeemed—full stop, no questions, and vice versa.
The Process: Faith and Sanctification
One of the questions that is often imposed upon those who strongly believe in God’s sovereign election of His people is, “How do you know that you’re chosen?” That question is usually used nefariously, in an attempt to question what we have examined thus far, but it is intriguing and deserves an answer nonetheless. Luckily, the Apostle Paul does not drop the doctrines of Election and Predestination on us and say “Figure it out.” Instead, he is careful to explain how we should think of these things. Let’s look at verses 13 - 14:
“In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Here Paul describes what happens to someone who is Elect. First, they hear The Gospel preached; second, they believe it; third, they are given the Holy Spirit.
We should note, first, that Paul believes in both the electing sovereignty of God and the necessity of evangelism [cf. Romans 10:14], which we will examine later. Second, we should note this: the message of The Gospel does not call us to believe that we are elect, but to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for us and rose from the dead. Likewise, we should not, in times of doubt, wonder if we ourselves are elect—rather, we should entrust ourselves entirely to the grace and mercy of God, which He promises to bestow upon all those who call upon Him through the Lord Jesus. The doctrines of Election and Predestination are undoubtedly important—if they weren’t, then Paul would not have exalted them here in Ephesians 1, and this article would not exist. But to ask the question “How do you know that you’re chosen” misses the point of Paul’s teaching entirely. Paul is not asking his audience to receive salvation by believing in their election, he is asserting that they are elected because he knows that they have believed The Gospel.
Third, we should note the already examined relationship between Election and Redemption. Because we have demonstrated that all those who are elected will be redeemed, and vice versa, then the question we should be asking is, “Do you have eternal life?” Now, every believer should be able to answer this question in the affirmative, yes! Assurance of salvation is a key indicator that someone has truly come to know the Lord Jesus and trust in His promises. In fact, the Apostle John wrote his first epistle “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” [1st John 5:13]. When considering his own election, a believer ought to move backward from the present reality of faith and eternal life to the therefore necessary reality of his being chosen “before the foundation of the world.”
So, how do we answer the question? Simply put, you can know that you are of the Elect if you have heard The Gospel, believed it, and experienced the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit. Again, look at how Paul spells this out. What are the defining features of those who have been “predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will?” That they “after listening to the word of truth… believed… [and] were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
This is the “process” of Redemption that is the temporal application of God’s eternal plan. God has, in eternity past, already elected and predestined His people unto salvation in Christ Jesus. But that eternal decree still needs to be worked out in time. How does that happen? Through the personal faith, repentance, justification, spirit-filling, and sanctification of the believer. A believer's possession of faith, repentance, relationship with God, and increasing holiness is the tangible manifestation—the coming to life—of God’s eternal purposes in Election and Predestination.
The Purpose: God’s Glory
Lastly, we will examine the overall purpose that the Apostle Paul provides for these things. We noted already that the immediate purpose of Election and Predestination is the Redemption of those who are predestined. However, there is still one much greater and important purpose for this all: God’s glory. Why does God elect and predestine? Why does God redeem? Why did the Eternal Son become the man Jesus Christ? All of these questions have immediate answers—but Paul makes sure to turn our attention here to the transcendent answer, which is God’s glory. Four verses make this reality very apparent, verses 5 - 6, 12, and 14.
“By predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace… In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory… unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
For Paul, the primary motivation for God granting us the gift of salvation is His own righteous glorification. According to this passage, God saved us so that we—like Paul—could turn around and praise God for His mercy and grace. That view of Redemption is radically theocentric. That view of soteriology focuses not upon man and what he receives, but upon God and what He receives. How often do we consider that? How often do we consider what God receives from saving us? How often do we actively choose to live in a way that gives to God what He purposed and deserves to receive?
Conclusion
Ephesians 1 is such a beautiful passage. And yet, even though it sits at the beginning of one of Paul’s most popular letters, it has been relegated to a hidden treasure. That should not be so. Ephesians 1 is the kind of passage that should inspire great awe and thankfulness in the heart of everyone who reads it and believes—certainly that’s what Paul thought while writing it.
We have said from the outset that Ephesians 1 is really so clear in its teachings that we could do nothing more than reiterate what it was already saying. So, allow us to finally summarize everything that we have seen and learned in this passage:
1. God has sovereignly and freely chosen a particular people, predestining them to salvation, from before they or even the world was made. We know that this group is particular—God’s election is not universal—because those who are elected will come to believe The Gospel and inherit eternal life.
2. These people were chosen “in Christ Jesus,” and were predestined to mirror Him in likeness, character, and holiness. These people were united to Christ—first in the election of God the Father, then in the atonement of Christ, and finally in the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit—and God’s plan for their salvation is as sure as His plan for Christ’s victory.
3. These people—believers—were elected and predestined so that they would be justified, adopted, sanctified, and later glorified. God extended to them the grace of election in eternity so that He could later extend to them the grace of redemption in time.
4. God’s eternal Election and Predestination is worked out in time by the personal repentance and faith of each believer, and is certified by the sealing of the Holy Spirit, which preserves that believer until the end which God purposed, which is their ultimate Redemption.
5. In all this, God works to bring about His own glory—or rather, the Father works to glorify the Son, and the Son the Father, etc. God redeems so that His grace and mercy can be made known; God redeems us so that we can serve and praise Him for eternity. We, therefore, are obligated to live lives that give to God proper honor and thanksgiving.
These conclusions are clear in the text, and are absolutely beautiful. We hope that our work—little as we did—helped to explain the amazing truths of God’s incomprehensible grace. We thought it wise to next deal with a number of common conclusions.
Objection: “Us” Does Not Refer to All Believers
The first objection raised against the radical teaching of God’s Election and Predestination which we find in the text is that “us,” “we,” and “our” do not refer generally to all believers, but refer only to the Apostles and Paul’s co-laborers. This, however, does not fit the clear flow of the text.
First: Paul’s audience is clearly defined in his opening verse: “To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus…” Paul’s audience are the Christians (general) in Ephesus. Therefore, when he begins to use the first persona plural “we,” the natural use of the term would connect him with his audience, which means that Paul is speaking not just for himself and the Apostles, but for himself and the Ephesian believers, from which we can extrapolate that he means all Christians.
Second: Other uses of the terms “election,” “predestination,” and “elect” are most easily understood as referring to all believers. In Paul’s work especially, this is the case:
Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.” [Romans 8:29 - 30]
“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.” [Romans 8:33]
“So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” [Colossians 3:12]
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. [2nd Timothy 2:10]
“Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and the full knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness.” [Titus 1:1]
In each of the cases above, the group being described is clearly believers, not just the Apostles.
Third: If Paul meant to say that he had been chosen, while at the same time denying that the Ephesians and other Christians had been chosen, then we have Paul gloating over his audience. Essentially, we have Paul saying, “We (the Apostles) have been chosen by God, but you weren’t.” That is certainly a strange interpretation of the passage, and does not seem to follow any example from Paul elsewhere in the New Testament.
Fourth: Even if we concluded that Paul was only talking about himself and the Apostles in this passage, we would still be forced to conclude that God can sovereignly elect and ensure the salvation of His people. Skirting the issue by saying, “Paul is only talking about himself” doesn’t prove anything, because we still see that God can and does choose who He wants to save. Even from that, we could extrapolate that God does what He did with Paul for all believers.
Objection: God Elects and Predestines In Response to Our Faith
Another objection, and possibly the response against biblical Election and Predestination, is that God elects on the basis of foreseen faith. That is: God chooses those whom He knows will choose Him, or who have already chosen Him. This concept, however, could not be further from the biblical presentation.
First: This idea is immediately refuted by Ephesians 1 itself. Remember how Paul defined God’s Election and predestination in verse 4: “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” God’s electing grace was extended before creation, before anyone existed. How, then, could God be responding to the faith of someone who does not yet exist? He cannot. Let’s take Paul at face value: do we really think that when he wrote “before the foundation of the world” that he meant to say “in response to our faith, after we had already been created”? No, certainly not.
Second: Saying that God elects only in response to our faith flips The Gospel of grace on its head. Paul’s point in Ephesians 1 is that God has been abundantly gracious and merciful, giving to us what we never could have demanded or earned. However, if we assert that God’s works of grace are in response to our actions, then they are no longer grace, but payment. What that means is, if God only elects after we’ve put our faith in Him, then God is not being merciful and gracious (giving what is not earned our deserved) but is merely doing what is natural (choosing those who choose him). The insistence upon giving man autonomy and initiative undermines the Bible’s presentation of God’s grace.
Third: The idea that men can freely choose to submit themselves to God is not biblical at all. The consistent teaching of the Bible in regards to anthropology (the state of unredeemed man) is that man is dead in his sin [Ephesians 2:1 - 3], enslaved to his sin [John 8:34], unable to submit himself to God [Romans 8:7], unable to come to faith in Jesus [John 6:44, 65], and constantly suppressing the truth of God in unrighteousness [Romans 1:18 - 21] The idea that an unregenerate man, described as above, would suddenly make himself alive, free himself from the oppression of sin, submit himself to the God he hates, come to Jesus (thereby falsifying His words), and make himself wise is utterly far-fetched. It cannot be the case that God chooses men after they choose God, because left to themselves, men would never choose God in the first place.
Objection: Sovereign Election is Arbitrary
The final objection that we will engage with is another oft-repeated challenge: if God’s election is not on the basis of good works or foreseen faith, then it is arbitrary. But again, this objection does not comport with the biblical data.
First: We should note that this objection does not disprove the idea of Election and Predestination, because it introduces no new interpretation of the text in question. Rather, this is really just a complaint against the Bible’s teaching, and therefore is an implicit admittance of the obviousness of our conclusions.
Second: When someone says that Election and Predestination are arbitrary, they may intend to communicate that God is acting immorally: “How dare He choose one and not another if there’s not a distinct, defining difference between them?” And while it is true that a system of predestination that follows human activity provides a clear indicator of why God might choose one person and not another, such a system need not be invented. First, it need not be invented because no doctrines should be invented, rather they should be drawn from Scripture, and no Scripture supports such a system. Second, it need not be invented because it makes a character accusation against God that is actively refuted by Scripture:
“What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’” [Romans 9:14 - 15]
God, by definition, cannot act unrighteously. He is free to do as He pleases, how He pleases, when He pleases, and cannot be accused or unjust.
Third: Someone may, in saying that Election and Predestination are arbitrary, be arguing that they are meaningless and merely a matter of circumstance. However, we saw in the text of Ephesians 1 that God’s election is not meaningless at all, but has a very defined purpose: the salvation of the Elect and the glory of God. Let me ask you, Why does anything have meaning? Ultimately, all meaning is derived from the value that God ascribes to an object, idea, or goal. If God gives value to something, then it is meaningful by definition, and if God says, “This is not valuable,” then that thing is meaningless by definition. So, in the same way that God has decided for marriage and family to be meaningful, He has decided for the election of His people to be meaningful.
Fourth: Clearly the Apostle Paul did not think that Election and Predestination are arbitrary. We benefit from God’s gracious election immensely, and should therefore be able to find meaning in it and should imitate the rejoicing of the Apostle Paul. Soli Deo Gloria!
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