The Body of Christ, the Believer’s Predestination

[Below is the transcription of a study done on Ephesians 1:5 by Pastor Rich Jordan, Jr.  To listen to or download the audio of the message go to ButNow.org and search for the date: 9.18.11.  It and many fine studies can be found for the serious Bible student's edification.]

Ephesians 1:4-5

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 children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Predestination: to be marked out beforehand for a purpose.

Pre [beforehand] destined [marked to go somewhere].

Verse 5 talks about having been predestined before[hand] at the foundation of the world.  So therefore, before the foundation of the world, he did a choosing of—an election of—the agency of the Body of Christ (BOC), a corporate entity that would be made up of individuals who voluntarily of their own will trusted in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ…and that trust alone is what it takes to be placed therein. 

At the same time, before the foundation of the world, God said, I’m going to predetermine something about this people.  In the verse 5, he is talking about the adoption of children: it was predetermined here that this group would have and hold a “status of the adoption of children.”  So then, it is important to understand what the adoption is, because that is what members of the BOC were predetermined to do. 

Usually, when you talk about predestination and you hear all the theology groups (Reform, Covenant, Replacement), they are talking about being predetermined to go to heaven.  But, as a BOC member, isn’t that your destination?  Yes, but here in this verse that is not what he is talking about.  He predetermined that you would have the adoption of children!   It is interesting that when you study adoption, to wit the redemption of our body…what are we talking about?  Our heavenly places!  We get there [to heaven] but in this verse 5 of Ephesians, he doesn’t say: ‘I predetermine you to go to heaven.’  Rather, he says,   Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. 

When you talk about predestination, Paul uses the word four times: twice in Ephesians, verse 5 and in verse 11…

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

…predestinated—predetermined destiny…a situation that is going to have to be marked out beforehand that this is what is going to happen to you—according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. 

The other two times is in Romans 8.   (Romans 8 is where everybody likes to run, because they like what it says but they don’t believe what it says!)  Again, predestination has to do with saved people in the BOC.  So when somebody says:  “You were predetermined before…to get saved,” you can say “No!”  Because, ‘predestination’ only deals with saved people.  An unsaved person’s destiny is not determined yet because they can do what?  They can choose to get saved, then their destiny goes to heaven; or they can choose to die in their sins and go to Hell.  You see, they still have the road not chosen yet.  But once you choose to get saved, guess what your destiny is—it’s determined, it’s set.  But, if someone is on their deathbed and they are unsaved and the light bulb goes on, they ‘see the light’ and they say: “Ah hah!” (believe, trust, receive Christ’s payment for their sins) then guess what!?  Now their destiny just got shifted.    

Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow…

Now then, who did he foreknow? The BOC—that’s who he did foreknow.  And, he did what? 

…he also did predestinate to be …

Notice: “predestinated to be,”  that is, predetermined, beforehand, marked them out to be something, that is…

…conformed to the image of his Son, that he [the BOC] might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Romans 8:30

Moreover whom [the Body of Christ] he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

“…them he also called…who he called…also justified…also glorified” Who is God talking about here?  The BOC!  Because, [now then, did He know you were going to believe and accept Him?  Sure He knew you and that you were going to—after all he is an all-knowing God, is he not!?]  But the ‘whom’ in verse 30 isn’t the individual, it’s the BOC.   Well, how do you know that?  Let’s keep reading…

Romans 8:31-33

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?”   Well, who is that?  …we learned last week that is the BOC.  So again, the “whom” there in v30 isn’t some individual, he is talking about the group; and, what does he say?  You’ve been predestinated…to what? To be...conformed to the image of his Son!.  Now, that’s a little different than the adoption, isn’t it?  You see, you can’t always say predestination means that you’re going to die and go to heaven.  What is helping us here to understand that?  It’s the context that it’s sitting in; the verses around it.  We are predestinated to something very specific here in the verse. In Romans 8:29, it’s to be conformed to the image of his Son.   Come to chapter 12, notice if you will…

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We’re not to be conformed, pressed into the mold of the world. But we are to be conformed to what?  To the image of his Son!  His life is to be our life.  And, our life is to be his life. And, we’re to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.  How does the conformity happen?  How does that come together?   By renewing your mind! 

So, come back to Ephesians…

Ephesians 1:5

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Again, we are predestinated to something very specific in the verse and that’s the Adoption of Children. 

When you talk about the adoption of children in the bible, adoption is not like what you and I think of adoption in our culture, our society.  In our society, adoption is I come over here and I take Suzie and adopt her into my family; I bring her into my family through adoption.  I say, Suzie, do you want to be part of our family, she says yes, we fill paperwork out, we pay the fees and she becomes my family member.  That is how we think of it!  

But, in scripture, in Ephesians 1:5, he is already talking to people where?  In the family! Now then, in scripture how did you get in the family?  By faith through the Cross, right? Now then, you’re in the family and because you’re in the family, God says I’m going to give you a status of ‘adoption of children.’   Do you follow that?  It is totally different—it’s not the same.   So, we have to let the bible define what he is talking about when he talks about the adoption of children. 

Notice children—that is, a “born one.”  A child is “a born one.”  You are a child of somebody, whether your parents are living or dead, you are still their ‘child;’ you were ‘born of them.’

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration,

See the word regeneration?  That’s the ‘born one’ issue.  What does this show that God does?  You were dead in your trespasses and sins, he (God, the Holy Spirit) comes into you and quickens you, you become alive—a born one!  Now, you are already existing, that is, physically, so we’re not talking about a physical thing, but a spiritual thing. 

Which, by the way, just so as to get it out in the air, the born again issue of John 3, the nation Israel was born once physically—the Exodus, out of Egypt; the nation is called by God His ‘firstborn.’  

Exodus 4:22

...Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Jesus not only tells Nicodemus that you need to be born physically of Israel, but you need also to be spiritually born; and, that’s where you need to be ‘born again.’   The Greek word for born again is the same Greek word for regeneration; and, actually in Matthew, he uses the word regeneration.  So you get all concerned with the Greek nonsense, I’m well aware of what it is and I’ll just tell you that verse says ‘regeneration!’  Paul never tells you you must be born again.  Why?   Because he’s not talking about a physical birth.   You weren’t ‘born of God’ physically.  (I was born of Richard and Cynthia.  That’s who ‘borned’ me originally; and, you of your parents.)  But, we need to be regenerated!  We need to be made alive.  So, again, we’re not talking about heaven or hell, we’re not talking about where you are going to spend eternity.  We are talking about adoption; we’re talking about a special place of blessings…

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

One of the first things out is, okay, he chose this Body to be holy and without blame; he also chose them to have the status of adoption of children by Jesus Christ.  What we’re seeing in Ephesians is this is the status you have in Jesus Christ.  Do you follow that? He’s talking about: this is what I gave this group of people, this agency; and because you are in this agency then guess what?  You have this status!

Look at Galatians 4 because here is the great passage on adoption.  And, the issue of adoption and being in a special place in the family is that you are being dealt with on the issue of being an adult.  You are not being dealt with in the family of God on the issue of being a child—it’s on the issue of adulthood.   When he looks at you, he doesn’t see a child or a teenager, or little ones; he sees adults!  Why? Because adults are who he is after—it’s that ‘perfected saint’ idea.

Galatians 4:1-5

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

So you see, there is an heir issue…as long as he is a what? “A child.”  Now, he’s already one of the members of the family, he’s not somebody coming outside in—he’s already in the family, but he’s got the status of a child.  There is a time in scripture when the child is under what? Tutors and governors!  You know what a tutor is…he tells you what to do. A governor restrains you and that is what the law does.   The law is designed to come along and tell you what to do and then to constrain your activity to slow you down.  

Notice in verse 2, you are under tutors and governors but the key word there is ‘until.’  There is a timing issue.  He is a child until the time appointed of the father.  So, here you are, you are a child until the father comes along, verse 7

Galatians 4:7

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;…

You see, there is a great dispensational issue going on here, by the way; but there is a timing issue where you start over there like this and one day the father looks at you and says, “Okay, you can become an adult.” And then you become a what?  A son!  And that is what we are dealing with here.  No more a child, no more the servant, no more the one that needs to be directed, told what to do, told you went too far, ‘come back’…that’s what you do with children.  What do you do with children?  I have three teenagers in my house.  “This is what you can do!”  “You went too far!” “Come back over here.”  Why? Because one day I’m hoping to bring them to some maturity that they lack right now so I can someday say, ‘okay you can sit at the table as an adult.’   But, who determines that? The father does.  That’s why it’s important that dads know their children; because it’s the dad’s job to sit there and say, ‘okay, you’re ready to go.’  Or, ‘you’re almost there!’  So, adoption in the bible is taking that child and then saying ‘Okay you are now a son.’ 

Now, how do you do that?  You renew your mind and you’re growing.   That’s how you do that.  But, God the Father doesn’t see it that way.  The Father doesn’t wait for you to renew your mind.  The Father says “because you trusted in my Son, you became my child, you are of the family of God; but I’m going to place you immediately as an adult over here.  And I’m not going to look at you as a child, I’m going to look at you as an adult.  Now grow up…you need to go and renew your mind.”   It’s important to get the understanding that this isn’t coming from your viewpoint—it’s coming from God, the Father’s viewpoint. Your viewpoint is, what?  I’m still a child and I don’t know enough. I’m still learning! Right!  I’m still renewing my mind.  I’m still growing.  God’s viewpoint, the Father’s, is…

Galatians 4:6-7

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

You see, you come through salvation, through the cross, saying wow, look at everything I’ve got!  The moment you trusted Christ, you know what the Father said?  Because you are in my Son, you have the same status as he does, as an adult.  Before the foundation of the world, I want this group of people to immediately have the image of my Son and to conform to that and to immediately have ‘the adoption of children’ BY JESUS CHRIST.  You see, your status in the family of God isn’t something you are continually to work on.  You’ve already got it!  If you had to continually work to make your status better in the family of God then, it is legalism and not grace. 

You are brought into the special position of full mature sons, in his viewpoint because it is the time appointed of the Father.  And, do you know what the time appointed of the Father is?  At the moment of salvation—the moment of justification, he says you are full grown sons! Because you are where?  Because you are in my Son!...who is the only one, by the way (see verse 6) that can cry Abba, Father.  But, you know who else can cry it?  We can!  Why?  Because the viewpoint of the Father is that we are in His Son.  That is our status before the Father—in the Lord Jesus Christ!

We have been predestinated to the position (status) to be His full grown son, as members of the body of Christ. 

Just as there are four 'elections' in scripture: the angels, Israel, the church, the body of Christ, and Jesus Christ, there are three 'biblical' adoptions: the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel, and the church, the body of Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Back before the foundation of the world, he had a program; he had a plan. The plan was that: …when 490 years ended…after the going forth (Nehemiah 2) to build it, we’re going to have 69 weeks…and at the end of the 69^th week the Lord was going to be cut off, he’s going to be crucified, so we need to back that up 33 years to when the time was right and guess what!?  He’s going to be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, all the prophecies are going to be fulfilled and it’s going to be over there and, voila, there He is!  He was predetermined to show up at that exact point in time.   But that wasn’t enough!  He was what?  He was made of a woman, Mary (a type of the nation Israel); and He was made under the Law!  He came into existence…I know the verse in John that says He brought in grace and truth and Moses was the Law—that’s true, but He lived under the Mosaic Law system!  The eighth day out he was circumcised; he was taken up to the Temple, Mary and Joseph forget him and leave and he’s there arguing with the guys in the Temple.

The first person to have the issue of adoption in the bible is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 5:8

Though he were a Son [that’s who he is, capital S, to show deity], yet(!) learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Know what he did?  He came as deity and he took the place of a ‘child under the Law’ (Galatians 4).  He is the Heir of all, but yet he was a child differing nothing than a servant under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the Father.  He is the Heir, he’s going to inherit everything—the universe; yet he differed nothing than a servant!  What does the book of Mark depict him as?  The Servant!  He took the place of a child under the Law, he was obedient until the Father declared him to be what?  The Son! Look at chapter 1, you can see this happen…

You see, as believers, we are so identified with Him that when you see what He went through, we are going to do the same thing because of our co-identity at His death, burial and resurrection.

Hebrews 1:1

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  Hath in these last days [so when is Hebrews? “in the last days”…over in the ‘Ages to come’] spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things [Gal 4:1-2], by whom also he made the worlds;  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. [When did this happen? …when he had by himself purged our sins… So, when did this happen?  At the cross!  When he hung there at Calvary paying the sin debt for Israel—and ultimately for the world—under that program, He BECAME the ‘adult’ Son (as so declared in the next verse) and sat down.  What does it mean when you ‘sit down’?   You’re done!  The work is done. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  [When did he ever say that to the angels?  He never did!  He said it to the Lord Jesus Christ…when?  When he accomplished Calvary!  He didn’t say it to Him before.]

It’s interesting to note about the statement ‘this day have I begotten thee’, look at this…

Acts 13:30, 33

But God raised him from the dead…God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm [v7], Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

When was Christ begotten?  When He raised Him from the dead.  It wasn’t over there when He was born of Mary, it was when He was raised from the dead!  Why? Because He is the firstborn from the dead!   

What is happening here is the adoption of the Lord Jesus Christ has to do with the issue of resurrection.

Romans 1:3-4

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:  

So how was He declared to be the Son?  By His resurrection!  So, if the adoption of the Lord Jesus Christ has to deal with resurrection, then what do you think the adoption of Israel and the Body have to deal with?  Resurrection!

So, with the adoption of the Lord Jesus Christ, He is a Son, an heir, He is a child and differeth nothing from a servant until the time appointed of the Father.  He was under the Law, He was under tutors and governors.  At the time appointed of the Father, He was raised from the dead and at that moment, He is declared by the Father to be no longer a child, but a Son!   Then He comes along to you and I, as believers, and He says, okay, I predestinated you to be in the adoption of children by Jesus Christ—that status He has at resurrection, God says that is the same status you in the Body have!  And guess what, you had absolutely NOTHING to do to get that status—and that is the point of Ephesians 1.

Romans 9:3-5

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came […note: He came for them--Israel! He didn’t come for the benefit of the gentiles [Matthew 15:24].  Gentile salvation in Times Past is accomplished through the nation Israel; so he has to get Israel ‘right’ first; then they can go get the Gentiles (Matthew 28)], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Paul is describing Israel’s advantage in Time Past and is saying to them hey look, there is going to be a time when you are declared the sons.  Israel’s adoption is a FUTURE event.  It is not like you and I with our PRESENT possession, but theirs is a future event. 

Acts 3:18-21

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye [Israel, the group, the whole!] therefore, and be converted, that your [Israel, the individual inside of the nation] sins may be blotted out, [what’s the next word here…] WHEN [notice: it doesn’t say “by the cross” or “by Jesus Christ”…when] the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of [who?] the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Notice the timing element of when they are going to receive their forgiveness of sins and the blotting out of them.  It isn’t when they believe! It’s a future event.  I love verse 19: when the times of refreshing shall come from presence of the Lord.  Now, wait a minute…what’s that presence!?     They just had the Lord walking among them for 33 years.  That isn’t it, is it?  No, it’s when He comes again.  So, the event of the blotting out as a present possession they don’t have like you and I do.  They have it coming…future! 

Romans 11:26

And so all Israel shall be saved [future context]: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

By the way, when the times of the refreshing of the Lord shall come, what’s going to happen?  The believing saint in Israel gets what?  Ressurected!  When they get resurrected into this issue of in the Kingdom having the situation of the New Covenant applied to them…having that perfect body (which isn’t a heavenly body; it is an earthly body) that will never see disease, it will never die.  It is a new body, they get a new name, they get a new existence, physically, but yet they are now not children but sons!)

Romans 8:14-17

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received [a present possession!] the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Notice how Paul uses that terms ‘sons' and 'children’ interchangeably there, talking about you (the believer).  So every time you read the word ‘children’ don’t think of someone that doesn’t “know.”    You are a ‘child’ of God because you have been regenerated, you’ve been made alive to Him, you’ve been born of Him.  You came through Calvary; you are in the family and He says, okay, I’m going to set you at the table, not as a child, but as an adult.  Now, look at verse 18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Notice the ‘shall be,’ the future event.  But, you have that Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father.  


Now look at verse 22 and 23: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the […the what? …]  [firstfruits of the Spirit [What do you think is going to be the firstfruits of the Spirit?  …let’s keep reading…], even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for [the what?  One of the firstfruits of the Spirit is the issue of...] the adoption [you have that!  Now watch how the word adoption is defined in the end of the verse here…], to wit, the redemption of our body.  One of the firstfruits of the Spirit is the issue of resurrection life!   And, you know what?  We’ve GOT that!.  He predetermined before the foundation of the world to give the Body of Christ the status of Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ.  This is a reality RIGHT NOW.  Adoption is the actual possession…right now…that we have right here, right now!

Look again at these verses…

Romans 8:23

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Ephesians 1:13-14

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

So then, what do we have that tells us He is going to redeem us?  We have His holy Spirit…that’s the earnest.  The Holy Spirit, based on the word of God, is the one that we have to the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed [to what?] unto the day of redemption.

‘Unto the day of redemption’ is commonly called the Rapture.  (The better bible term is day of redemption.)  What is going to happen there on that day?  He’s going to redeem us; He’s going to rapture us out; He’s going to take us out of the way; He’s going to get us up there, and then verse 29 comes in…

Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed [to what?] to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  

…then He’s going to take us and put us out there display us out there (in the heavenlies) and it’s going to be “…IN THE IMAGE OF HIS SON!” 

…that is that future event. But, (according to Romans 8) guess what we get to live in… the same thing—we get to live in that same condition (of being ‘in Christ’).  Right now, we have the equipping to have that public declaration of the body of Christ as full grown sons, right here right now—in your neighborhood where you live.  Know what they (your neighbors) see?  They see a little bit of heaven right there.  The world around you can look at you and say, there’s the expressed image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, that puts in context a little about what your activity Is, doesn’t it?  Makes you kind of bring every thought into captivity, doesn’t it? 

So, we have the Holy Spirit, we can cry Abba Father, we have the Spirit of adoption, we don’t have the spirit of bondage of fear again, we’re not living under the law, we are living under grace.  We have our future position in adult sons out there in the conformity of it; right now is the present reality—it’s right here, right now… and we are to live as who we are in Christ right now! 

Romans 8:15

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received [past tense; we already have it right here,right now!] the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Our adoption is one of the spiritual blessings (v3), it is the status whereby God the Father looks at us and because we stand here in His Son [Phil 4:1; 1 Cor 16:13; Gal 5:1].  When He looks at us, He sees His Son (in whom He is well pleased) and says there’s My Son, He’s My begotten one, He’s the Beloved, He’s holy, He’s without blame—there they are!   We have that as a present possession; it is a present reality in our life. 

Ephesians 1:3, 5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

But when in our reality do we actually get to experience it in its completion?  At the redemption of our body, at the Day of Redemption.  You have it right now.  You can live in it right now, if you choose to.  I choose to (…you should too) because it will liberate you from the constraints of the world around you real quickly.  It will give you a whole different viewpoint on it.) 

Although you have that ability to live in it, yet in reality you are still stuck here in the nasty now-and-now; but until you get out of here, you don’t get to experience it.  

Now then, back to…

Ephesians 1:5

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Notice, ALL of this is pleasing to God the Father. It's His doing of this that pleases Him--gives Him pleasure--to do.  

Ephesians 1:9, 11, 7

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

It is the purpose and plan of the Godhead to be doing this!  Now, what happens?  He does ALL of this according to what? …His will. We see also that it’s according to the riches of his grace.  That’s the measuring stick:  His will! His grace!

You see, He does all of this and we are to love it, we are to understand it, we are enjoy it, we are to grown into it—remember, we’re past foundational Romans and now into edifying doctrine of Ephesians!  Therefore we’re a little more mature now; we know we have a handle on Romans, we have the reproof and correction out of Corinthians and Galatians.  That’s why in verse 1, Paul writes: 

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Let’s us—the ‘faithful’ ones, faithful to the divine design of edification, flowing through this—grow up a little bit.  Paul is saying ‘Look, don’t let them come along and take it away from you.  Love it, understand it, enjoy it; come to see His wisdom, His love, His mercy, His grace, His purpose, His plan…that He is setting forth in that body of Christ.  And, you and I participate in it 110%...we’re IN IT! 

Does that mean we know every little detail?  NO!  But, he isn’t talking about you knowing every little detail.  He’s talking about the Father’s viewpoint of the body:  When I look at the body, I see them as My agency, holy without blame, predestinated, adopted, beloved, forgiven, secure, seated in heavenly places, complete!  That’s how God the father deals with and sees “the saints and the faithful” in Christ Jesus.

As to the individual aspect/basis—which is what Romans does…deal with and refer to us as individuals. But, that’s why we’re not in Romans anymore.  Because as individuals, we should have already ‘got your deal down and, if you don’t have your deal down, you need to get your deal down!’    (If you don’t have it down—settled in your mind, you need to go back and do so.)  That’s what Romans does, it deals with the individual.  Then, okay, now you got the individual aspect down and now Ephesians comes along and here’s what He’s going to do with those individuals!

Now then, in Ephesians, Paul is going to deal with a couple individual things with you here because as a member of the body of Christ, this is what your behavior is going to be.  And, if your behavior isn’t that, you need to go back to Romans and correct the behavior. 

In future studies, we’ll get into all that.  But at the moment, just come to see that this is the Father, it is His will, and He’s the source of all of our blessings.  The Son is going to be the channel and the Holy Spirit is going to be the energizer—He’s the one that’s got you plugged in. 

See what is going on here.  This is important as it is the viewpoint of God the Father.   If you ever wanted to know how God views you, here it is!  Not because you are some wonderful ‘catch.’  But, because you stand in His Son that is why it is so critical to understand your identity in His Son.  And, that’s why Galatians teaches you about being in grace—not under the Law, and regarding the ‘identity issue’ you are learning that here Ephesians.  

Dear heavenly Father,

We thank you for your viewpoint of the body and that we get to participate in that completely.

 And we thank you for your wisdom and your grace and your mercy. 

We give you the praise and glory!

Amen