The last few articles focused on what Ephesians 1:3-5 does not mean about predestination. To embrace biblical truth, we must first unlearn errors. Erroneous teachings cloud our understanding, and we must replace them with Scripture. Surprisingly, many errors in Western churches trace back to the Protestant Reformation. This quote of NT Wright’s hits the nail on the head:
“For too long, we have read scripture with nineteenth-century eyes and sixteenth-century questions. It’s time to get back to reading with first-century eyes and twenty-first-century questions.”1
This is the problem: we’re too focused on the philosophies of the Protestant Reformers who themselves were grappling with the issues of their day. One key mistake they made was relying on Augustine’s teachings. Augustine, a major influence on several Reformers, was the one who successfully introduced gnostic ideas into the church—ideas that earlier Christian leaders had fought against for centuries. Instead of looking primarily to the teachings of Christ and His apostles, the Reformers filtered Scripture through Augustine’s false teachings.
What we need now is a return to the first-century Jewish roots of our Christian faith. We must reject centuries of corrupt teachings that stray from Scripture. In this article, I’ll focus on what this short passage truly means.
God’s purpose in election: Adoption
Ephesians 1:4, Paul writes, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” The “choosing” (aka, election) mentioned here does not refer to choosing individuals for salvation apart from their choices. Instead, God has chosen Christ as the means of salvation. To be “chosen in Him” means that God has provided a way of salvation through Christ to all who choose to be “in Christ” by obedient faith.
Verse 5 states the key purpose of God choosing all who are in Christ: “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.” Adoption is not a secondary aspect of salvation; it is the goal. When Paul speaks of “adoption as sons,” he refers to the legal standing of believers as heirs of God’s promises. This adoption is available to all who are “in Christ.” It is the result of choosing to trust in Christ, which brings believers into God’s family.
Adoption in the ancient world meant that an adopted child received all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child. In the same way, God adopts believers as His children and grants them full rights as heirs.
Predestination: God’s predetermined plan
Ephesians 1:5 speaks of God’s predestination of believers “to adoption as sons.” The predestination Paul refers to is not about God choosing certain individuals for salvation and others for damnation. Rather, it is God’s predetermined plan to bring all who are “in Christ” into His family. This is the essence of God’s predestination: He has chosen the means of salvation, and that means is Jesus Christ. God includes all who choose to be “in Christ” through faith in this predestined plan.
This aligns with passages like 2 Timothy 1:9, which says, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” The call to salvation through Christ has been God’s plan from the beginning. The blessings of adoption and inheritance are the result of being part of this plan, accessible to all who believe.
The Universal invitation
The passage clearly states that anyone who chooses to be “in Christ” can receive salvation and the blessings of adoption. God’s intention is for all to have the opportunity to be part of His family. The universal offer is foundational to the Christian message. In 1 Timothy 2:4, Paul writes, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God’s heart is that all would come to salvation through Christ. Ephesians 1:3-5 highlights the inclusive nature of God’s plan, which invites everyone to respond to His call.
The blessings of being “in Christ” are not contingent upon God’s arbitrary selection of certain individuals but on the personal decision to place one’s trust in Jesus Christ. Christ extends the offer to all, and every individual has the choice to accept it. Those who accept are in Christ and will be adopted as sons. This is the biblical concept of predestination.
The assurance of God’s plan
Ephesians 1:3-5 teaches that God has chosen Christ as the means of salvation and has predestined that all who are “in Christ” will receive the blessings of adoption as His children. Ben Witherington notes that this idea is similar to the election of Israel:
“The concept here is not radically different from the concept of the election of Israel. During the Old Testament era, if one was in Israel, one was a part of God’s chosen people, and if one had no such connection, one was not elect. Individual persons within Israel could opt out by means of apostasy, and others could be grafted in (see the story of Ruth).”2
Like Israel’s selection (i.e., election), the New Testament speaks of our selection as being corporate. The choice to be “in Christ” through faith is the key to receiving “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 1:3).
The purpose of God’s election is not to exclude but to offer an inclusive invitation to all who believe. Adoption as sons and heirs is the goal, and this adoption is available to anyone who makes the choice to trust in Christ. In Christ, God guarantees believers the blessings of His family, both now and for eternity. As 1 John 3:1 declares, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are!”