EPHESIANS—NOTE ON Ephesians 1:11 Have obtained an inheritance means being assured of eternal life. predestined. God is firmly in control of history. This is in sharp contrast with the pagan gods of the time, who were often viewed as inconsistent or unable to act. who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Everything that occurs is in some sense predestined by God. As for tragedies and evil, the writers of Scripture never blame God for them (see Romans 5:12; 2 Timothy 4:14; also Job 1:21). They are confident that evil will eventually be defeated. They believe God’s good plans will be fulfilled. How God’s sovereignty and human responsibility work together is, nonetheless, a mystery no one fully understands.

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