Featured Eph 1:1-14

I just finished up an 8 week series on "Our Identity in Christ" last week with the help of a Logos Moblile Ed. course by Elyse Fitzpatrick.
You can view some of her sessions in the video within this LINK.

This first chapter of Ephesians holds such a prominant place in naming what God has given us that I went through the whole book in a focused manner describing who we are, how God sees us and our responce to it.

Rob

 

The only honest explanation is that God chooses those He will bring to Salvation in Jesus Christ.

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Read the OP again. It says nothing about predestination to salvation.
It says nothing about reprobation to Hell. Those two premises (false premises of election) are not mentioned here.

The "election" that is spoken of here is to the "blessings" that each believer has because we are in Christ.

 

The title of the thread is "Eph 1:1-14". The question asked in the OP is "To anyone that feels part of the salvation process is by man's self will, how do you explain these verses?" I waited until a Synergist responded before offering my own comments.

The theme of the first chapter of Ephesians is "The Blessings of Redemption". Those blessings are manifold. They are:

1. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, in Christ.

2. We were chosen before the foundation of the world.

3. We are holy and blameless.

4. We have been adopted as sons.

5. We have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

6. We have giving understanding of the mysteries of Gods's will through Christ.

7. We have obtained an inheritance.

8. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

These are rich blessings indeed. But does this passage of scripture teach predestination and election as a Reformed Christian would understand them? It most certainly does.

The saints (those whom Paul was writing to) were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (v. 4). Literally this means that the Elect were chosen for salvation before God created the world. This is a prima facie passage. It does not teach that the Father first chose those who chose His Son. It means that God chose the Elect without qualification. Not only did the Father choose the Elect, He also chose them for a purpose, "that we should be holy and blameless before Him".

In verse 5 we read that the Elect where predestined to adoption as sons; literally to become an heir-worthy member of God's family. When did God predestine the Elect for this great honor? Since the term is not qualified it is properly deduced to also be before the foundation of the earth.

The same "predestined" is found further down in the chapter in verse 11. As sons by adoption (v. 5), or inheritance is bequeathed to us in verses 11 & 12.

 

I like the terminology We Have and We are. This is a positive declaration according to Gods Holy Will and not mans selection but Gods Election! Benefits that are further emphasized to the Roman brethren.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Then Paul further declares from verses 35 to 39 that NOTHING SHALL SEPARATE US from the LOVE of God because that LOVE is in Jesus Christ our Lord... AMEN!... Brother Glen

 

I believe the title is a good title, and appropriate to the chapter or verses posted in Ephesians chapter one.

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
--We were chosen:
For what purpose: to be to the praise of his glory.
On what basis: because we first trusted Christ. Election is based on our choosing Christ. Salvation is by faith.

Christ gave us all the blessings we have in Christ and elected us based on His omniscient knowledge that we would first trust Him as our Saviour.
That is what is taught here.

 

That is not what is taught in this passage. The text provides no support for a prerequisite action on the part of the object. "Just as He chose us...He predestined us...having been predestined according to His purpose". The pronoun "He" is used in relation to God the Father. We only read of the Father taking action - unilateral action. The Father did not act in response to anyone or any choice anyone made.

 

The text of Ephesians 1--especially v. 12--says nothing of the sort.

The Archangel

 

:wavey: A very clear and instructive outline:thumbsup:

 

It teaches nothing of the decrees of God.
It teaches nothing of reprobation.
It teaches nothing even of elected or predestined to salvation.

As you did say, it had everything to do with "the blessings of redemption," or of "the redeemed."
It is written to those who are already saved, and not "about their salvation," but rather about the blessings of their salvation.

 

That whole passage is about predestination to Salvation.

No, the passage has nothing to do with the reprobate, who said it did ?

The Election of the Believers took place before they were believers, Election is why they become believers.

In Eph 1:13 they believe the Truth, that is the word of Truth, the Gospel of their Salvation !

But yet, they believe the Truth because they had been Chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Chosen here is the same as being Chosen in Eph 1:4 and both result in belief of the Truth !

So what are you talking about ?

 

DHK,

You wear your presupposition on your sleeve. It is preventing you from understanding the text.

When Paul wrote, "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," he was indeed telling his audience that have had been blessed with every spiritual blessing they were entitled to "in Christ". That is part of the blessing of redemption. You will receive no argument from me there. But Paul compares the heavenly blessings with a past act on God's part, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world". We are forced to deal with the text. We cannot stick our fingers in our ears and say, "All Paul was writing about was the blessings of redemption. I do not have to worry about "chosen" or "predestined.""

After Paul made his statement about "every spiritual blessing" in verse 3, he compares that blessing to being chosen in Christ before the world was created. Paul is not saying, "just as He chose us in Him to receive every spiritual blessing before the foundation of the world" although that is certainly true. Paul is stating that God chose us in Christ before the world was created. To say that is only means God chose us to enjoy heavenly blessing is to ignore the text. It is irresponsible.

In verse 5 God the Father is described as having predestined us to adoption. Yes. It certainly is within the overall context of the blessings of redemption, but the point also stands on its own. God the Father chose us and intended for us to be adopted as sons. The same thing in verse 11. You have to deal with these verses. You cannot use a theme as a shield from the truth.

 

Ignoring and in reality denying the first 11 verses of the chapter does not lead to truth. The result is the error you consistently post.

It is not just a mistake, or difference of opinion. It is intentional:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

Ephesians 1:3-6
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

What does Scripture mean in Verse 4 when it states God chose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world?

What does Scripture mean in Verse 5 when it states God predestinated us to be adopted as His children by Jesus Christ?

What does Scripture mean in Verse 6 when it states God made us accepted in the beloved, Jesus Christ?

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Don't stop in the middle of a verse: that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

What does "adoption" mean and what are the benefits of one who is adopted?

That sentence doesn't stop there. It continues:
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
--That gives us both the benefit of being accepted and the basis of being accepted. The only reason for being accepted is that one has put faith in this sacrifice--redemption through his blood; otherwise it would not apply to him.
It is a gift to be received by faith. On that basis we are "accepted."

 

You're reading your presuppositions into this text. You're argument--we're accepted by God because we first accept Him--is found nowhere in this text.

The Archangel

 

Election is NOT based though upon God foreseeing our faith that we would place towards jesus, as that would presume that spiritually dead sinners will even want to "come to christ"...

Apart from the work of God towards those of us that he chose to redeem due to the death of Jesus, NONE of us here would be saved right now due to our "personal faith and free will"

 

Didn't someone named paul state to us that while we were yet and still sinners nefore god, God did something for us and toawrds us by sending Jesus to die in our stead?

Doesn't sound like we were the ones coming back to him first!

 

And yet:
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

We are elect according to God's "fore-knowledge," the knowledge that he has afore-time about us, that is, His omniscience--that we will choose to trust and obey Him. On that basis He "elects" or chooses us to accomplish his purposes. Election is always directed toward service.