Ephesians 1 - God Chose You Before You Could Choose Him!
Paul's letter to the Ephesians is one of the most important letters in the New Testament. The church in Ephesus was probably the most influential church in the early church due to its location and economic influence in the world. The first three chapters are theological in nature and contain many theologically important truths. The second, three chapters give a foundation of how we practice our faith in the church and in the world. More than any letter Ephesians gives the blueprint for how a healthy church operates.
Historical & Cultural Context (The Gospel Coalition)
The Location: Ancient Ephesus was a major, wealthy Roman port city in modern-day Turkey, world-renowned for the Temple of Artemis.
The Spiritual Landscape: The city was deeply entrenched in occult practices, magic, and superstitious fear of spiritual powers. Paul specifically emphasizes Christ’s supreme authority over all cosmic forces to reassure these believers.
The Audience: The letter was likely a circular letter meant to be passed around to multiple churches in the region, addressing both Jewish and Gentile converts.
The Purpose: Unlike other Pauline letters, Ephesians was not written to correct a specific crisis or heresy. Instead, it was crafted to deepen the believers' understanding of their identity in Christ and encourage a unified, holy lifestyle.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace. Ephesians 1:3-6
One thing you will notice about the first chapter of Ephesians is it is all about what God has done for us. In these verses alone he says,
1. God has blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
2. God has chosen us before the creation of the world.
3. God predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ.
Often we get caught up in what we did for God. Or, how we made a decision to accept Christ, which of course is not a bad thing. But I think this puts the "cart before the horse". Before we were even born, God made a decision to adopt us as His sons and daughters. That alone should blow you away.
This fact also helps us to realize that He (Jesus) who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). Paul's teaching negates the belief some Christians hold that one can "lose their salvation". This overemphasizes human power, and underestimates God's sovereign plan and the efficacy of salvation in Christ alone.
We were not only were we predestined to be God's sons and daughters, but we were also chosen to be "holy and blameless". Like being saved, we could never earn or achieve holiness on our own. so often we focus on what we can do to become more holy, but it is God who declares us holy through what Jesus did for us on the cross. The word we used for being made holy is "sanctification". This does mean we don't have a part to play in our sanctification, but it is God who made us holy. He is at work in us to act in accordance with his will. (Philippians 2:13). We will also see this concept in Ephesians 2:10 and 3:10.
Paul says we have received every spiritual blessing in Christ. What does this mean?
This describes both the kind of blessings and the location of those blessings. These are spiritual blessings, which are far better than material blessings. These blessings are ours in the heavenly places in Christ, they are higher, better, and more secure than earthly blessings. - (Guzik)
“Our thanks are due to God for all temporal blessings; they are more than we deserve. But our thanks ought to go to God in thunders of hallelujahs for spiritual blessings. A new heart is better than a new coat. To feed on Christ is better than to have the best earthly food. To be an heir of God is better than being the heir of the greatest nobleman. To have God for our portion is blessed, infinitely more blessed than to own broad acres of land. God hath blessed us with spiritual blessings. These are the rarest, the richest, the most enduring of all blessings; they are priceless in value.” (Spurgeon)
I think some people put way too much energy and effort into the debate about free will and predestination. While in some ways I can see the importance, to me it is clear that God is the One who choses us, before we can choose Him. If I do "make a decision for Christ", it is only because God chose me first. In fact, he chose me before the Creation of the world. That's pretty early.
Practically speaking as a pastor, I find this so helpful because it maintains the purity of the gospel that we are not saved by works but by God's grace. We will see this in Ephesians 2:8. The gospel is not what I can do for God but what God for me in sending His Son. When I understand the nature of the gift of God, and what he has done to adopt me as His child, I can live out my calling in gratitude for this indescribable gift!
How does it make you feel knowing that God predestined you before the beginning of Creation to be adopted as His son or daughter?
How might this change how you approach him, or redefine the motive you have for serving him?
Take a moment reflect on and thank God for what choosing you to be His son or daughter before the beginning of the world! Meditate on the fact that there is nothing you can do to make God love you more than He already does.
Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me to be your child. As you have set me apart to be holy, may I become more and more like Your Son, Jesus, to show the world who You are. Send the Holy Spirit to continue to sanctify me and you finish your work in me. Amen.
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