Today we began the first of a series of lessons in our study of Ephesians titled: "God's Eternal Plan - Past, Present, and Future".
It's hard to study verses 4 through 6a without mentioning the "mysteries" of God, something we will cover in more detail later. The word "mystery" is used 29 times in the New Testament but none in the Old Testament. The first use of the word in Ephesians is in 1:9: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself."
When used in scripture, mystery means "something that has been hidden and has now been revealed in the New Testament." There are three ways that God deals with His mysteries: 1) He never tells us; 2) He tells only believers; 3) He reveals them at a certain time. We will look more at the amazing mysteries of God as we progress through Ephesians.
Another word of importance that Paul uses is the word "body", as he refers to the unity of the "body of believers" who are in Christ. There are many metaphors used in the Bible to describe the Church (those that are "in Christ"), but the word "body" is only used in the New Testament. When you consider the human body--unified yet diverse--it is a perfect metaphor to describe the Church.
Below are my notes for today's lesson, followed by the slides. Next week we will continue with the remaining six aspects of "God's Eternal Plan - Past".
LESSON 3: GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN
PART 1: PAST – (Election)
Ephesians 1:4-6a
"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him, In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace."
God’s eternal plan includes three phases:
1) Past - Election
2) Present - Redemption
3) Future - Inheritance
SEVEN ASPECTS OF GOD’S PAST PLAN
I. THE METHOD: Sovereign Selection (Election)
1. Theocratic Election – Theo from the word Theos which means God. A theocracy is a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler. Therefore theocratic means God rules. Theos is also the basis of the word theology, “the study of God.” The nation of Israel was ruled by God. There was a theocratic election, that is, God chose a nation for a special place. “For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God has chosen thee to be a special people.” (Deuteronomy 7:6)
2. Vocational Election – God often chooses a certain person or persons to do a specific task. In Deuteronomy 18, God chose the Levites out of Israel to be His priests. Because you were a Levite did not necessitate the fact that you were granted absolutely salvation. God’s call to the Levites was a vocational election. In the New Testament Jesus called the 12 Apostles. He called 12 of them to a task but only 11 of them were called to salvation. Judas was not. “You have not chosen Me but I have chosen you.” (John 15:16). This has nothing to do with salvation.
3. Salvation Election – God has individually ordained who will be included in the body of Christ. He has chosen us. “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord.” (Romans 16:13). “No man come to Me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (John 6:44). But it is not without faith that we respond. Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37-39). In Romans 9 we see that the “children of the promise” were ordained before they were born. Also, Rebekah’s twins: “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” (Romans 11-13). Then in Romans 10, the next chapter, he says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13). You have sovereignty, that’s God’s side. You have human choice, that’s man’s side. That’s what the Bible teaches.
“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4)
We now understand why Paul blesses God in verse three. He is absolutely overwhelmed that God has chosen him before the foundation of the world. The METHOD by which God formed the body was election--sovereign selection.
Questions to consider:
Does God choose people to be saved before they’re ever born? YES
Before the world began, did Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit write down in the Book of Life who would be saved? YES
Was the Book of Life written “before the foundation of the world”? YES (Revelation 13:8; 17:8)
Does man have a choice about being saved? YES
Can anyone come to Christ and be saved? YES
But aren’t election and choice opposites? YES
The facts are that the Bible teaches that God chose us “before the foundation of the world”, and the Bible also teaches that “whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.” We must not try to find middle ground or worry about how God harmonizes the two concepts of sovereignty and choice. He is God! We must remember that as it says in Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord.” And Isaiah says: “That His ways are higher than our ways.”
The word "chosen" in Greek is eklego - a compound of the words ek and lego. The word ek means out, and the word lego means I say. Together these words literally mean Out, I say! It can also mean to call out, to select, to elect, or to personally choose.
In classical Greek writings, this word eklego referred to a person or a group of people who were selected for a specific purpose. For example, the word eklego was used for the selection of men for military service. It was also used to denote soldiers who were chosen out of the entire military to go on a special mission or to do a special task. Finally, it was used for politicians who were elected by the general public to hold a public position or to execute a special job on behalf of the community.
In every case where the word eklego is used to portray the election or selection of individuals, it conveys the idea of the great privilege and honor of being chosen. It also strongly speaks of the responsibility placed on those who are chosen to walk, act, and live in a way that is honorable to their calling. Because of the great privilege of being elected to a higher position or selected to perform a special task, those who are "chosen" bear a responsibility to walk and act in accordance with the calling that has been extended to them. They should look upon themselves as chosen, honored, esteemed, and respected - special representatives of the one who elected them!
So when Paul says that God "…hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…," he is saying that God looked out to the horizon of human history - and He saw us! And when God saw us, His voice echoed forth from Heaven: "Out, I say!" In that flash, our destinies were divinely sealed! We were separated by God from a lost and dying world, and He called us to be His own.
Look at when this selection took place. Paul says it occurred "…before the foundation of the world…." The word "foundation" is the Greek word katabole, a compound of the words kata and bole. The word kata means down, and the word bole means to hurl or to throw. These two words together mean to forcibly hurl something down, and it refers to the act of creation.
Thus, before God ever spoke the earth into existence - before His booming voice ever called out for the first layers of the earth's crust to be put into place - He had already spoken our names! He selected and elected us before the very first layers of the earth were created.
Verse 4 could be paraphrased to read as follows:
"When God saw us, He said, ‘Out, I say!' In that moment, He separated us from the rest of the world and enlisted us in His service. And think of it! He did all of this before He ever hurled the first layers of the earth's crust into existence...."
God elected Israel as the chosen nation. God elected the angels (1 Timothy 5:21). God elected Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6). God elected all who make up the body of believers (2 Timothy 1:9, 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) all “…before the foundation of the world…”
Interesting how Paul says, “I endure all things for the elect’s sake that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:10). In other words, Paul said he was trying to reach the elect; the ones who were already chosen that they might take hold of the faith that has already been granted them in God’s sovereign plan. Paul understood the sovereignty of God and the choice of man and found no conflict.
If you are a member of the body of Christ, you are blessed… as Paul said in verse 1:3. You are a value eternally in the heart of God. You matter to Him. Jesus came to shed His blood to purchase you. You are important! And so God has eternally formed His body. If you are a Christian, you’re a part of it. There is no reason for you to ever struggle with a sense of self-worth; you are worthy. Don’t struggle with a sense of inadequacy; He has blessed you with all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. The resources that are available to you are unlimited and you need to use them. Use them to build the church that Jesus purchased with His own blood.
The six remaining aspects of "God's Eternal Plan - Past"
II. THE OBJECT - The Elect
III. THE TIME - Eternity
IV. THE PURPOSE - Holiness
V. THE MOTIVE – Love
VI. THE RESULT – Sonship
VII. THE GLORY - Himself
