When the topic of predestination comes up in conversation, our minds tend to jump to a couple passages of scripture. Ephesians 1 is most likely one of them. Often there is a two-sided debate that goes on when we take a look at this chapter. We immediately focus on the word “predestine” and begin discussing whether it means that God chose us to be saved and others not to be saved OR if it’s just referring to God foreknowing who would be saved and predestining those. Regardless of our position, we are still caught up two things: the action of predestination and person of… ourselves.
I would like you to take a moment and take a fresh look at this chapter. Allow yourself to dwell on One much greater, more beautiful, and glorious than ourselves and understand a truth more rich, mysterious, and deep than simply a method of picking and choosing for salvation.
Start by reading through the chapter and noting how many times you see the phrase “in Christ,” “in Him,” “in the Beloved,” or “through Jesus Christ.” It might be helpful to underline each time that phrase or a similar one is used.
The letter is to those who are faithful in Christ, reminding them of the blessings that are found in Christ and what has been done for them through Christ. We learn that God has brought all things together, from heaven and earth, in Christ. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. Christ is far above all other rulers and dominions, and Christ is above every name for all ages to come. All things are subject to Christ. Christ is head over the Church and Christ fills all in all.
Paul clearly wants his audience to shift their minds to Christ.
There is much in Ephesians 1 regarding Christ that stretches our mind and imagination… All things, things in heaven and on earth, have been brought together in Christ? Christ fills all and all? I have thoughts, but every explanation that comes to mind does not seem to do either of those truths justice. Think of the fullness of God… His righteousness, goodness, glory, love… And the fullness of God’s creation… which God created to be good and reflect His Glory… all being found in one person. Think of the fullness of the heavens meeting earth in flesh. Every aspect of God being expressed in a form we can comprehend and witness. Think of one person being both the Temple of God and the High Priest which makes a way for the people into the Temple.
Whenever I begin pondering this I feel like I see a vague and glorious image, but each time I begin to catch a clear glimpse of one small part, the rest blurs. I keep trying to strain my eyes in order to see more than one glimpse simultaneously and piece each small part together, but am left longing to see the glory of it all.
Allow your mind and imagination to wrestle and wonder at this.
Paul is telling us that it is in and through Jesus Christ that we have salvation. All the fullness dwells in Him. In Him there is forgiveness, redemption, adoption as sons, and life. It is Christ who broke down the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles (ch.2) so that they would be one body. Christ being the way and Christ being the one to bring two nations into one body was a significant revelation to Paul’s audience. It wasn’t through the works of the law, such as circumcision (Ephesians 2 & Romans 4), that they were saved or united, but through Christ.
But when did this happen?
In Chapter 3 Paul explains that, while it is just now being revealed, it has always been the case. He says, “when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
He says in verse 8, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In 1 Peter 1:20, Peter says that Jesus was “foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last times for the sake of you.”
So while our eyes are just now being opened to this beautiful mystery of Christ, it is not new. What God carried out in Christ was an eternal purpose (Eph 3:11).
Ephesians 1:9-10 – He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, 10 regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.
God had predetermined, before the foundation of the world, that all things would be brought together in Christ at the fullness of times and redeem a people and unify them in one body through and in Him in order, “to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:15)
And who would be this people that God would redeem in Christ? Ephesians 1:11-12 “In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”
Read the beginning of Ephesians 1 again and think about God’s eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ. Put the focus of each statement on the eternality of Jesus, the eternality of God’s selection of Him, and the eternality of His purpose in saving and bringing back to Himself those who would be “the first to hope in Him.”