Some folks explain being chosen in Him as meaning we were chosen as specific foreseen individuals in anticipation of the salvation that would be available “in Him.” This seems to me to be an unnatural reading of the text. Rather the phrase “in Him” seems to me to describe how we were chosen. “We were chosen in Him” meaning He was chosen and in some manner we were seen as affiliated with Him and therefore in choosing Him we were chosen as a consequence. Therefore the “we” need not refer to specific individuals, but only corporately to believers in Christ that would subsequently be redeemed individually.
Our options:
1) We were chosen individually to be in Him. Problem one, to be is not in the text so this interpretation relies on adding to the text to make it say something other than what it says. Problem two, how could we be chosen individually before we were created. Again, by adding "as foreseen individuals" this problem can be dodged, but that puts us back to adding to the text to make it say what it does not say.
2) Christ was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the Redeemer, because He was known as the Lamb of God before the foundation of the world, 1 Peter 1:19-20. Therefore when the Redeemer was chosen, the target group of God's redemption plan was chosen corporately, thus chosen in Him. Therefore when we are placed in Him (during our lifetime) we receive God's purpose and grace from all eternity.
Bottom line, Ephesians 1:4 refers to Christ being chosen before creation to be God's Lamb of God, God's Redeemer, and therefore also constituted the corporate election of those Christ might redeem. Both 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and James 2:5 refer to our individual election for salvation during our physical lifetime based on God crediting our faith as righteousness.
Our options:
1) We were chosen individually to be in Him. Problem one, to be is not in the text so this interpretation relies on adding to the text to make it say something other than what it says. Problem two, how could we be chosen individually before we were created. Again, by adding "as foreseen individuals" this problem can be dodged, but that puts us back to adding to the text to make it say what it does not say.
2) Christ was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the Redeemer, because He was known as the Lamb of God before the foundation of the world, 1 Peter 1:19-20. Therefore when the Redeemer was chosen, the target group of God's redemption plan was chosen corporately, thus chosen in Him. Therefore when we are placed in Him (during our lifetime) we receive God's purpose and grace from all eternity.
Bottom line, Ephesians 1:4 refers to Christ being chosen before creation to be God's Lamb of God, God's Redeemer, and therefore also constituted the corporate election of those Christ might redeem. Both 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and James 2:5 refer to our individual election for salvation during our physical lifetime based on God crediting our faith as righteousness.
