Last Sunday, we began our study of the book of Ephesians. We talked about the history Paul had with them, and the circumstances through which he wrote this letter to them. In only three verses, we had the opportunity to talk about several major subjects, including the fact that he was an apostle by the will of God, not his own will.
Paul did not pick his apostleship - he said that he was under compulsion (1Cor. 9:16). He did not choose the path he was on - God chose it for him. In fact, the Lord said,
Acts 9:15 ...he is a chosen instrument of Mine...
This morning, we'll be looking at the radically controversial topic of God's right to choose - not only Paul, but each of us.
I was not saved until my early 20's. Consequently, I was not raised in church - I did not have a denominational background when I came to Christ. Thus, when I read what the Bible had to say about predestination, I had no reason to doubt it. I had no chip on my shoulder that this doctrine was to be questioned or denied.
However, now that I have been a Christian for almost 15 years, I have found that predestination is a topic that can make the calmest Christian people hot under the collar. It seems that some folks can't accept that man's free will and God's sovereignty can co-exist. I could spend weeks going over the detailed arguments of both sides, and the terrible results of taking either of these extreme positions. But instead, I want to simply point out three things that we can learn from this section of Scripture: 1) The fact that God does predestine us; 2) His motive for doing it; and 3) The effect of it on us.
If you read these nine verses without first being swayed by someone's denominational dogma, you can plainly see that the Scripture says here:
Eph. 1:4 ...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...
Eph. 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons...
Eph. 1:9 ...His will ... which He purposed...
Eph. 1:11 ...having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
This is the clear statement: God predestined our salvation long before we were born. He chose us to be His children before the world was made. No matter how you slice and dice it, it is just like Jesus said:
John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you..."
All throughout the Scriptures, we see that God has done this. He chose the people of Israel corporately. He chose Abraham (Neh. 9:7), David (Psalm 78:70), and Solomon (1Chr. 28:5) individually. Psalm 47 says,
Ps. 47:4 He chooses our inheritance for us...
And Paul told the Thessalonians,
2Ths. 2:13 ...God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
So the first point we need to see is that it is clear God has picked us, chosen us, predestined us, to be saved.
Now, let's look at God's motivation for doing this:
God's motives for predestinating us are clear throughout this passage:
Eph. 1:4-5 ...In love He predestined us...
Eph. 1:5 ...according to the kind intention of His will
Eph. 1:6 ...His grace, which He freely bestowed on us...
Eph. 1:7-8 ...according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us...
Eph. 1:9 ...according to His kind intention...
There is no need to be upset at the Lord over predestination: it is simply more evidence that He loves us completely, He wants to bless us abundantly, and is graceful and good consistently.
God has predestined us for salvation because He loves us. What does this mean for us? What is the result?
These are the results of being predestined:
Eph. 1:4 ...we should be holy and blameless before Him...
Eph. 1:5 ...adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself...
Eph. 1:7 ...we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses...
Eph. 1:11 ...we have obtained an inheritance...
When we enter the salvation that we have been predestined for, we become children of God. He makes us holy and blameless. He buys our lives and forgives our sins. He promises us a heavenly inheritance. This is so awesome to think that God, knowing how rotten I would behave, how sinful I would be, how rebellious I would act, chose me for eternal life anyway - that's how much He loves me, and that's how much He loves you.
These are benefits belonging to the predestined. But maybe you're sitting here this morning and thinking, "Oh, so I'm not a Christian, so God hasn't chosen me? God doesn't love me? God doesn't care about me?"
No - The great thing about this is that God has made predestination available to anyone that wants it. Remember, the Bible says,
John 3:16 "...God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
And Jesus said,
John 6:37 "...the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."
If you want to receive the forgiveness of the predestined, then do this: Recognize that your sin has separated you from God, and that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of your sin because He loves you so much. Ask God to forgive your sin. And you will discover that you have been predestined, because God knew the choice you'd make. After all, the predestined are those who have been...
1Pet. 1:1-2 ...chosen according to the foreknowledge of God...
Rom. 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined...
Do you want eternal life?
Rev. 22:17 ...let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.