.png)
You cannot say that you are a Christian and not feel and live the difference that Christ makes in our lives.
Ephesians 1:1-6 - 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Have you ever doubted your salvation? Have you ever had this awful feeling that perhaps your conversion was not real, that your confession wasn’t true, and that you are not saved? You are not alone. I suffered from those rotting thoughts too. I felt the agony of those doubts until God, in His mercy, by the power of His Holy Spirit, brought me face to face with the doctrine of election.
As a nation, we are in the season of election. Both parties and their candidates want us to choose one over the other. God’s election is different; it is the unilateral and unconditional choosing of God, so that we may choose Jesus and find everything in Him.
The problem is that when people come face to face with the doctrine of election, it does not sit well with them because it teaches that they can do nothing to increase or decrease their chance of salvation. They need to know that they must take it by faith in order to find everything in Jesus.
Last time, we started the verse-by-verse study of Ephesians 1:1-6. Today, verse 4 brings us face to face with the doctrine of election so that we may find everything in Jesus.
The big idea for today is that because of God’s election, we cannot do more or less to increase or decrease our chance of salvation; it is found in Jesus. Ephesians 1:1-6 tells us that God has blessed, chosen, and loved us in Jesus.
All these actions are in the past tense because they have already happened. Last times, we looked at Ephesians 1:1-3 that God has blessed us in Jesus by convicting our hearts of sin, converting us to the savior Jesus, and calling us to commit to share the gospel.
Today, we continue with Ephesians1:4, God has chosen us in Jesus.
God Has Chosen Us in Jesus (Ephesians 1:4)
Ephesians 1:4 reads, “even as he [God] chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” To understand divine election better, let’s look at verse 4 in three parts to answer how, when, and why God chose us in Jesus.
How did God choose us in Jesus? The first part of Ephesians1:4 says, “he [God] chose us in Him [Jesus].” The root word in Greek here for choice is eklego which means selection, election, and to pick out for oneself. God chose us in Jesus by picking us out for Himself. This makes God’s election unilateral and unconditional from saving sinners to securing their salvation for sanctification and glorification. Don’t worry about these terms. If you faithfully continue this verse-by-verse study of Ephesians, you will learn these terms and their meanings because you are stepping into an ocean of theology and Christian doctrines.
When my son, Arius, was little and we were still in New York, when we dipped his toes in Coney Island’s waters for the first time, his reaction was full of shock and confusion. Partially because it was cold, but also because he had never seen such a massive body of water before. But now, he loves the beach and the ocean. Consider the first three chapters of Ephesians an ocean of theology and expect to be shocked and confused at times but as you mature in your understanding of these theological truths, you will learn to love them.
First, God’s election is irrevocable and the triune God operates to secure our salvation. In Ephesians 1:4-14, we have three divinely divided sections that direct us to the collective and collaborative work of the triune God.
Verses 4-6 is the section we in right now and it describes the work of God the Father and articulates God’s selection, the doctrine of election.
Verses 7-12 describes the work of God the Son and articulates Christ’s sacrifice— the doctrine of redemption.
Verses 12-14 is what God the Holy Spirit has done and articulates how the Spirit seals the redeemed, the doctrine of sanctification.
Over the next few weeks, we will study all these doctrines to understand how they ensure our salvation.
For now, notice how in the selection of God, the sacrifice of Christ, and the seal of the Spirit, God the Father is spearheading everything. So, the doctrines of election, redemption, and sanctification begin with God the Father.
God the Father chooses to select the elect; that is, to save sinners from slavery to sin through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus and to seal them with the Holy Spirit for sanctification until their glorification, that is, when they will enter into heaven and see Jesus face to face and instantly become sinless. So, do not expect perfection on earth.
Second, God’s election is irrespective of how good or not so good we are. The nation of Israel is an excellent example of God’s unilateral unconditional election. To Israel, Deuteronomy 7:7 says “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” Like Israel, we were chosen in spite of our shortcomings and sins.
Third, God’s election is intentional. In verse 4, eklego, God’s choice, His election, also communicates God’s intentionality in picking us out among all others. Christian marriage illustrates it well. My wife picked me from among all other men to be her husband for better or worse. I chose her from among all other women in the world to be my wife for better or worse. I know that in our Western culture, marriage vows do not hold much meaning, but in the Bible, before God, they are an unbreakable covenant of union between a man and woman. If done right, according to the Word of God, it should last until one puts the other to rest. My point is that in divine election, God didn’t roll the dice and pick us by chance. It is by His will for His good purpose. So, do not ever doubt God’s choice to save you.
When did God choose us in Jesus? God’s election, picking us out to be His in Jesus, started in the mind of God in His sovereign will before we even existed. The middle part of Ephesians 1:4 says, “before the foundation of the world.” Logically, when this world did not exist, you did not exist. That means your good or bad deeds did not exist either, right? Yet God chose you; He elected you to be saved. Again why it is an unconditional unilateral election? This shouts security of salvation apart from any human effort. It was totally independent of any outside influence.
However, not all Christians believe that because finite minds cannot comprehend God’s mind. That is why I said we must take it by faith. Even the professing church is divided over the doctrine of election based on two man-made systems of theology: Calvinism and Arminianism. The first argues that God chooses to save sinners and thus provides them the way of salvation. The second argues that sinners choose God because the way of salvation was provided. So, the issue is, is the salvation God’s sovereignty or man’s responsibility?
Let me briefly outline their view by looking at an acronym, TULIP, in Calvinism.
The T is for the total depravity of man that sin has affected all aspects of humanity thus making it impossible for them to come to Jesus. The classical Armenians pretty much believed the same, but modern Armenians insist on partial depravity that sin did not taint humanity to the extent that they are unable to put their faith in Jesus on their own.
The U in TULIP is for unconditional election, but Armenians say that God elects people but based on God’s foreseen knowledge of those who will believe in Jesus thus the condition that they must choose God. So, while a Calvinist will say the decisive cause for my faith is God, an Armenian will say it is myself and my choice.
The L in TULIP is for limited atonement. The Calvinistic system says Jesus died only for the elect thus limited atonement. The Arminian system argues Jesus died for all but the benefit of His death actually takes effect when sinners receive Jesus by faith thus unlimited atonement.
The I is for irresistible grace in the Calvinistic system. It says you cannot resist God's grace when God wants to save— you will be saved. The Armenians argue that you can resist by rejecting or accepting God’s gracious call to salvation.
Finally, the P is for the preservation of the saints meaning God elects and by His will you will be preserved in faith and never to lose your salvation. This is why we say once you are saved you are saved. The Arminian system says since you have free will to choose Jesus, you can also choose to walk away from Jesus and thus lose salvation. Many Arminians also hold the view of eternal security.
The problem is that no man-made system is perfect because man always tries to reconcile irreconcilable views that can only be reconciled in the mind of God. The Bible clearly teaches both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in the matter of salvation. So, I really do not understand the fight between the followers of the two systems.
In John 15:16, Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” Jesus, in John 6:37, said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
There are many scriptural references for election. Here are a few for your personal study: Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 5:21; Titus 1:1; 2 John 1; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:33; Romans 9:14-15.
Why did God choose us in Jesus? The third part of Ephesians 1:4 says, “that we should be holy and blameless before him.” The verse says that God chose us so that we should be holy, that is the Greek word hagios. The same Greek word was used for “saints” in Ephesians 1:1. Holy means to be “set apart for the purposes of God, therefore different from the world.” This difference has to be both inside and outside. It has to be spiritual and physical. You cannot say that you are a Christian and not feel and live the difference that Christ makes in our lives. This means the conviction of your heart and the confession of your mouth should match your daily life.
Recently a new convert asked “How do I know the difference between conviction and guilt?” I said conviction comes from God and it always draws us close to Jesus. However, guilt comes from Satan, and it always pushes us away from Jesus.
Application
Since God elects, we cannot do more or less to increase or decrease the chance of salvation for us or others. However, if we turn our focus from internal to external, that is, from Jesus in us to the world, then we will struggle to find everything in Jesus. Then, we will try to find solace in either man-made religious systems to make us feel better and to satisfy our guilty conscience by doing good or by turning to ungodly and unhealthy practices to satisfy our fleshly desires.
About a month ago, a young believer met with me and expressed that perhaps his conversion was not real. Now I led him to the Lord, and I knew his conversion was as real and true as mine. So, I asked him what made him doubt. He said that he cannot get rid of his fleshly desires. He said he reads the Bible and spends much time in prayer and yet, he still wrestles with his unholy thoughts. I said the very fact that you are convicted of your sins and that you are here to seek help shows your desire to walk with Jesus. This is the proof of your true conversion and confession. As we mature in faith, we learn to sin less, and when we see Jesus face to face we will become sinless. Until then, we must take it by faith that we are secured in Jesus.
Action Steps
Yes, God chose you but you must chose to follow Jesus too. If you match the external with the internal, you will find everything in Jesus. Colossians 3:12 says “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…”
If you are not a born-again Christian and want to find everything in Jesus, confess your sins, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, put your faith in Jesus today, and be saved.
Appeal
Never forget that your conversion does not only change your relationship with God, but it also changes your relationship with sin. How is your relationship with sin? Do you hate it or crave it? As you mature, you may sin, but no longer should you enjoy sin because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. As you mature you may struggle but no longer lust after the flesh because you are fully satisfied in Jesus because in Him you find everything.
We do not mature in isolation, but in engaging with the world. In John 17:15, Jesus prayed to the Father, “I don’t ask you take them out of the world, but you keep them from the evil.” So, we must engage with the world to test our faith. We must engage with mature believers to learn. We must engage in serving and witnessing and we must give ourselves over to the study of the Word.
The goal is that as you mature in faith in Jesus, people should see that you gradually match the Jesus that God sees in you because God chose you in Jesus before the foundation of the world so that you should be holy and blameless before Him.
Study Questions
1. Who is Paul, what do you know about him, and why does he say he is “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” in Ephesians 1:1? Read Paul’s testimony in Galatians 1:11-24.
2. What is the blessing that Paul discusses in Ephesians 1:3 and how can God bless us in Jesus with every spiritual blessing?
3. How has God chosen believers in Ephesians 1:4 before the foundation of the world and predestined them in Ephesians 1:5?
4. In Ephesians 1:5-6, how do you understand the idea of adoption? How and why has God predestined us for adoption to Himself?
5. What does "saint" mean in Ephesians 1:1? Can humans declare other humans as saints based on their good religious works?
6. What does "grace" mean in Ephesians 1:2? What role do we play in our conversion and the conversion of others?
Deeper Study Questions
1. How do you bless God through praise and worship?
2. Ephesians 1:4 says that God chose us in Jesus so “that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Discuss the idea of being holy and blameless before God. Focus on your personal life individually and share how your life shows that holiness. Do other people around you witness the holy work of God in your life?
3. What role do your good works, that is, works of righteousness, play in the salvation process? Read Paul’s testimony about his own good and righteous works in Philippians 3:1-11.
4. Share your testimony of faith about how you were saved and share why you think if you die tonight you believe God will let you in His heaven.
5. What is the gospel?
6. How often do you share the gospel? Plan a trip to a public place to engage in evangelism.
Comments