Having Been Predestinated: (1:5)

The word “predestine” means to determine something before it exists. The nature and extent of the predestination depends upon the context. In this context, the word is used as participle. This is in distinction to the word “chose” which was a finite verb. Since both terms are in the aorist tense it means that the predestination was contemporaneous with God’s choice and that it further elaborates on the same idea as God’s choice. Because of this, the participle must have the same subject; therefore, the one who predestines, is God. Also, once again we are told that the object of predestination is “us” (meaning believers were the ones predestined). Next, Paul wrote that the purpose of God’s predestination of the saints was “to adoption as sons”. This parallels the goal God had in choosing Christians, for it again refers to the conclusion of the redemptive process. However, this time the emphasis is not upon the change in our character and nature; rather it is upon the change in our relationship to God. Adoption did not exist among the Jews, so the backdrop of this analogy is from the Roman world. In their time, infants and small children were not adopted, instead in their culture wealthy families, or at least those with sufficient means to have an inheritance, would adopt adult men. The individual would legally be brought into the family as a son with all the privileges that a child born to the couple would have, despite having no birthright claim. In the same way God predestines the lives of Christians to ensure that they will eventually be brought into the family of God to share in His inheritance. Another parallel with the previous verse is that the means of the Father’s predestination is “by Jesus Christ”. Once again it is emphasized that the redemption process is accomplished through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul added that this predestination was “to Himself”. Though Christians are the ones who are blessed, this is not seen as an end in and of itself. Instead, God apparently makes us part of His family for His own sake. This indicates that the adoption is not impersonal, God wanted to make us His own. Finally, we are told what motivated God’s predestination of the saints; it was “the good pleasure of His will”. It is often asserted that what motivated God’s choice is that in God’s foreknowledge He was aware of who would believe and who would not. Therefore, some believe God chose those who would be willing to receive rather than reject the Gospel. There are so many things wrong with this assertion that they need to be listed:

1. The definition of foreknowledge is wrong. It is true that elsewhere (though not here in Ephesians) foreknowledge is linked to both election (I Pet.1:2), and predestination (Rom.8:29). However, knowledge of a person, whether pre-known or not, always implies relational knowledge not informational knowledge (see Matt.7:23). Therefore, usage indicates that the word foreknowledge does not imply information about the individual prior to their being chosen. 2. Even if informational knowledge were implied, there is no place in the Bible where it ever refers to what God has foreknown about someone that would make them a candidate for predestination, much less specifically state that this was a pre-knowledge of faith. Therefore, the entire idea is rooted in speculation or assumption. 3. It involves an unbiblical philosophical framework. It requires God to have foreknowledge of a person’s existence prior to Him decreeing anything about that person. That would suggest Deism where God sets life in motion and then walks away. The only departure from Deism being the idea that afterward God decides at some point to re-involve Himself and respond to the circumstances that human choices creates. However, the Bible describes God as the initiator, and not one who simply responds to human choices (Dan.4:35; Isa.46:9-10; Rom.9:14-24). 4. It requires that one ignore the Bible’s assessment that apart from God’s grace, human beings will not respond in faith to God (John 6:44; Rom.3:10- 12; I Co.2:14; Eph.2:1-3); therefore there would be no faith to foresee. 5. It requires that we ignore that the NT teaches that no one will have any reason to boast that they are in some way responsible for their salvation (Rom.4:2-4; I Cor.1:29-31; 4:7; Eph.2:9). If some were predisposed to believe and that is why they were chosen that would represent a morally praise- worthy distinction that would be a legitimate reason to boast. 6. It ignores that this passage itself teaches what led God to predestine believers, and it does not attribute it to foreseen faith.

Paul said it was an expression of His will and intent that Christians are predestined to become His children. Further Paul adds that it involved “good pleasure”, meaning He delighted in doing what He was doing; it brought Him pleasure to will our salvation. Therefore, God chose and predestined us for reasons that lay within Himself. What we are or what we are not had nothing to do with God’s predestination of us to salvation; only God’s kind intentions toward us.

 Since Christian have been adopted, what implication does this have about our relationship to God prior to conversion?

 Predestination does not rule out that human beings make moral choices and are responsible for them. How does Acts 2:22-24 illustrate both God’s predestination of what will happen, and the moral responsibility of the human beings involved?

 Paul explains here that our predestination to adoption as God’s children delights Him. What insights does that give us regarding what we mean to God?