Ephesians 1:4

“even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in love”

“Even as”: “The first stanza now turns to the past. It traces these blessings to an eternal purpose. It states that they are in accordance with the divine choice” (Erdman p. 33). “Paul penetrates to the very bottom and does not stop halfway” (Lenski p. 355). “He chose us”: “He chose us. We were not forced upon Him--He wanted us! Neither was this. last-minute concession on His part--He made this choice before the world was even created” (Boles p. 203) (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 5:6). “In Him”: That is, in. relationship with Christ we become the chosen.

The Bible does teach predestination, but not after the Calvinistic variety. Notice the phrase "In Him". God foreknew, before the foundation of the world, that He would save people "in Christ". Both the realm and conditions of salvation were foreknown (1 Peter 1:20; 1 Peter 2:4; Romans 1:17). But to say that God chose specifically "who" would be saved or lost, without any consideration of what decisions they would make in life, is false. The people to whom Jesus and the Apostles preached were called upon to "repent" (Mark 1:15; Acts 17:30). As Boles remarks, “and their destiny depends upon their response” (p. 203). (Acts 2:38; Acts 2:40; Acts 13:46; Revelation 22:17; 2 Peter 3:9). The gospel, the means by which God "calls" (2 Thessalonians 2:14), was to be preached to all creation (Mark 16:16). Hence, God has not pre-determined the saved or lost status of any individual, because everyone is given the same opportunity. “Jesus taught that to be included among the ‘chosen', people must not only be invited-- they must also accept the invitation (Matthew 22:1)” (Boles p. 203). God is no respecter of persons.(Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). Calvinistic predestination makes God look like. hypocrite for He wants all men saved (2 Peter 3:9), but if Calvinism is true He has already acted in. manner contrary to that professed belief. The very people "chosen" in Ephesians 1:4. are expected to live. life that is "holy and blameless" (Ephesians 1:4), and these same people can forfeit their salvation (Ephesians 5:6). Hence if. Christian can end up lost (which the Bible clearly teaches, Galatians 5:4), then we know that God has not "locked" anyone into. "saved" or "lost" status. The "chosen" are those "in Him", that means in Christ. Thus becoming one of the "chosen" is conditional (Galatians 3:26).

“Before the foundation of the world”: The universe is not eternal, but rather it did have. definite beginning. The term foundation here means founding or creation of the world. God's plan to save people “in Christ” is not some addition to Judaism, rather it is the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. Premillennialism with its insinuation that the death of Christ was. last minute decision, contradicts this verse. Before God created the universe, God decided that salvation would be placed "in Christ", i.e. Jesus would die for the sins committed by mankind. And the relationship which such obedient believers in Christ would compose, would be called "the church" (Ephesians 3:10-11)

This of course brings up the question, “Why did God create mankind, if He knew that such. creation would result in the sacrificial death of Jesus?”

I like what Stott said, “That He destined us for. higher dignity than even creation would bestow on us” (p. 39). Even many Christians think that God "blundered" somewhere in His creation of mankind. They think, “Why create. free-willed creature, with. mind of its own? Aren't such creatures an easy prey for the devil?” Ephesians 1:4. gives me another view of the creation of Adam and Eve and the fall. You see, some think that the devil pulled one over on God, with his temptation of the first couple. But when you see the whole "eternal picture",. think that God pulled one over on the devil! God places two free-willed people in the garden. He knows the devil will think that such are easy prey. He knows that eventually mankind will sin, for He did not create robots. But such "sin" will then allow Him to implement His plan of deliverance. The long range plan was to get man to heaven and in the process destroy all the powers of evil.(Genesis 3:15). In other words, the devil thought he had "entrapped" Adam and Eve and the whole human race, when in reality, God had just entrapped him. Sin opened the door for. powerful Savior.. Savior, who in turn would break the back of the devil---forever (Matthew 25:41). This also shows how much God desires that we end up saved! God thought such an investment, such. high price for our deliverance, was worth it.

“That we”: God also foreknew what type of character He would expect from those "in Christ". Ephesians 2:10 also reveals that God knew the type of mission or service in which those in Christ would be involved. “Holy and without blemish”: A condition which is only possible when one is forgiven (Romans 4:7). Here is what God was looking for when He made His plan, people that would separate themselves from the sins of the world (1 John 2:15), and dedicate their lives to His service. (Galatians 2:20). Some people try to become "without blemish" by watering down the moral standard of the Bible. Others argue that they have earned or merited perfection. Some say that when God looks at me, He really does not see the real me, but He sees the perfect Christ, hence. always look good to God. In reality the only way that. person can stand before God "without blemish", is to be forgiven. and such requires that. person confess and repent of their sins (1 John 1:8; 2 Peter 3:9). In addition, such. state is also conditioned upon remaining faithful (Colossians 1:22).

“In love”: Does this expression modify God's choosing us or our motivation to be holy and without blemish? In the end, either would be true. Boles points out: “The qualifying phrase ‘in love' may be taken with the end of verse 4. In this case it would add. specific quality to holiness and blamelessness; they would be ‘coupled with love'. If ‘in love' is taken with verse. (as RSV and NIV), it expresses God's attitude toward the people he is choosing to adopt” (p. 204).