Chosen, Predestined, Accepted In Christ

Ephesians 1:3–6 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Chosen In Him

Just as - Meaning such as or for example.

So now Paul begins to brake down or explain these spiritual blessings in heavenly places. And what better place to begin than with the blessings of grace that God poured out before the foundation of the world. This is in the eternal now, before time, where God exist. What did God do? He chose us in Him (Christ). This divine choice is the spring head from which flows every other blessing.

So the question is, what is the choice.

There are three main views which I’ll share along with which view I personally hold.

The first view

That this choice is God the Father choosing Christ and subsequently all those who are “in Christ” are chosen. In this view God did not chose individuals to be in Christ. He chose Christ and all who chose Christ by faith are in Christ and therefore chosen.

The second view

God choses individuals but he does so by His foreknowledge that they will by faith chose Christ. So God choses us because we will chose Him.

The third view and my own view

God sovereignly chose individuals before the foundation of the world that they would be in Christ. That this choice is unconditional grace and therefore is not based on any merit in the one chosen.

So let’s begin with the first view and see if we can compare scripture with scripture to shed light on this.

First view God choose Christ not individuals.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (NKJV)

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

God has chosen

the foolish

the weak

the base

the despised

the things that are nothing

The purpose -that no flesh should glory in His presence.

But of Him that is because of Him (God) you are in Christ.

So that he who boast let him boast in the Lord.

These are clearly individuals that are chosen not Christ that are chosen and it is also clear that God’s choice is the cause of individuals being in Christ not the other way around.

The second common view of election is that God choses us as individuals before the foundation of the world but he does so based on His foreknowledge that we will chose Him.

To consider this theory lets look at Rom 9:1-13

Romans 9:1–13 NKJV

1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. 6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Here Paul tells us that God’s choosing is specifically not based on foreknowledge of the individuals. Surely God has foreknowledge and knows us, our responses to Him our acceptance of Christ or not our repentance or not. However, His choosing us is not based on any of that His purpose according to election might stand.

To say that God’s choice is based on His foreknowledge of my choice prioritises my choice over God’s choice even though His choice was before the foundations of the world. It makes my choice sovereign not God’s. This view is attractive because it help us to eliminate the great mystery of why God choses some and not others. Unfortunately it is based on our rationalisation of this great mystery rather than on God’s Word.

In case we think that maybe we have misunderstood what Paul was saying in Romans chapter 9 we can continue reading and find that this is exactly what Paul has said.

Romans 9:14–16 NKJV

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

God’s choice is sovereign and it is grace our choice is subservient to God’s choice, not the other way around.

However, this does not mean that our choice is irrelevant. We must chose Christ but if we do know this, That God chose you first before that foundations of the world.

John 6:35–45 NKJV

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” 41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

What were we chosen for

Ephesians 1:4 NKJV

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

Holy - meaning pure, consecrated, a saint.

without blame - faultless without spot, blameless.

Romans 8:1 NKJV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

So how should we receive this truth?

If you have not yet repented of your sins and given your life to Christ but you are here and the Father is drawing, teaching you, then God has chosen you to receive the abundant riches of His grace. It is your calling to follow Christ so give your life to Him and fulfil your calling.

If you have seen the Son of God and have believed in Him then we stand in awe of His glory and grace and we praise Him who choses because He is worthy.

This is a hard teaching for a lot of people but I assure you that it is not radical. It is not a new teaching. It has been greatly ignored and avoided but it is as old as Christianity. Some will fine it difficult and will wrestle with it. We all must at some point. Some will just reject it because they cannot rationalise it. Others will accept it and rejoice in it, resting in the peace of God’s sovereign grace and praising God for his many blessings. Those who have ears to hear let them hear. And worship God blessing His name.