Let's start by reading Ephesians 1:4-11 so we can understand what it says.
4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.
5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ
10 as a plan for the right time — to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will." Ephesians 1:4-11 (CSB)
When reading Bible passages like Ephesians 1:4-11 about God choosing people for eternal life, the Former Adventists Philippines focus on what the gospel reveals. They take Romans 9:15 seriously, where God says, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' They try to understand who God wants to show mercy and compassion to, and they believe the answer is found in the gospel. Their view is that God’s decision to save people is based on the good news, not on a strict legal system. So, whenever election is discussed, it should be explained using the language of the gospel — a message that’s meant for everyone.
Understanding God's Eternal Choice
When we think about God’s eternal decision to save people, our view sticks closely to the simple, clear message of the gospel. Verses like John 6:40, where Jesus says it’s the Father’s will for everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him to have eternal life, and Romans 10:9, which says if you confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved — these are at the heart of how we understand this. We believe these verses reveal what God’s eternal plan for salvation really is.
For us, these gospel promises answer the question: Who does God, from eternity, want to show mercy and compassion to? The answer is believers — those who trust in Jesus. We believe God’s eternal choice is simply the eternal version of what He’s already doing now: declaring believers righteous through faith in Christ.
So, when trying to understand why God chooses certain people, we think you should look to what He’s clearly said in the gospel, not search for some hidden, mysterious plan. This gospel-centered way of seeing election and predestination is what shapes our belief.
In short, God’s will, as shown in the gospel, is that He desires to have mercy on those who believe. He offers enough grace for anyone to be saved, though people are free to accept or resist it. From eternity, God decided to make salvation possible for everyone through the good news about Jesus so that anyone who believes can be saved. His will has always been the same: everyone who looks to Jesus in faith will have eternal life. And while no one can do this by their own strength, God gives everyone grace in His own way and timing to make it possible. That’s the clear lens through which we read and understand Bible passages about God’s eternal plan and election.
Understanding God's Choice for Salvation
This article will explain that God chooses people for eternal life based on how He sees the worth of what Christ did being applied to them through their faith, especially as shown in Ephesians 1:4-11, with a focus on verse 4.
Basically, it’s the belief that God chooses people for eternal life based on the value of what Jesus did, which people receive through faith. In other words, God looks at what Jesus accomplished and counts it for those who truly believe.
Historically, this belief in what’s called conditional election — meaning God chooses people for salvation based on the faith He knows they’ll have — has been a pretty common view. Many well-known theologians throughout church history, including most of the early church leaders and even Augustine in his earlier years, believed this. After Augustine, aside from a few exceptions, this idea stayed the main belief in both Eastern and Western Christianity.
Later on, during the time of the Reformation, many church groups — including followers of Luther and the Anabaptists — also held to different versions of this idea: that God’s choice to save someone takes into account Christ’s work, received through a person’s faith. While we won’t get into a full history lesson here, it’s worth knowing that this teaching has deep roots in the early church, through the Middle Ages, and in much of Protestantism during the Reformation.
Elect in Christ
Ephesians 1:3-11 praises God for the amazing blessings He’s given us through Christ. One of those blessings is that He chose certain people in Christ before the world was even created (verse 4), so they could be holy and blameless. These people were also predestined — meaning God decided ahead of time — to be adopted as His children (verse 5). This decision wasn’t random; it was something God genuinely wanted to do. It pleased Him and was part of His will (also in verse 5).
Now, when the Bible talks about God acting according to His will or good pleasure, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s without conditions. Sometimes God chooses to act unconditionally, and other times He acts based on conditions He sets. The phrases about God’s will don’t by themselves tell us which one it is in a specific situation, but everything God does flows from what He truly desires.
The blessings listed in verses 3–6 were set in motion in eternity past, and because of them, believers have every reason to praise God for His grace (verse 6). Then in verse 7, Paul shifts to what God does for us in time, like redeeming us through Jesus’ blood and forgiving our sins. He also reveals the mystery of His eternal plan for salvation. Verses 9–10 show how God’s blessings in time connect to what He planned in eternity.
Verse 11 wraps up this idea by repeating that God predestined those He chose and promised them an inheritance. This was all done according to His purpose, His counsel, and His will — different words that all express what God desires.
The important phrases about predestination and election in these verses are:
“For he chose us in him (Christ)” (verse 4)
“He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ" (verse 5)
“Predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will" (verse 11)
These verses highlight how God’s eternal plan and His actions in time all come together through Christ.
Is God's Election Conditional or Unconditional?
When examining passages like Ephesians 1:4, which speaks of God choosing individuals "in him" (referring to Christ), some interpreters argue that these verses do not support the idea of unconditional election (meaning God's choice is not based on any human condition).
Some who hold a Calvinistic view, for instance, suggest that "in him" means Christ acts as a representative or "federal head" for those chosen. They argue that individuals were chosen for holiness and eternal life because of what Christ would do on their behalf. However, this interpretation can seem to align with the view that election is based on God considering Christ's merit, which is then received through faith. This perspective suggests it's not a strong argument for the election being truly unconditional.
Furthermore, there's no indication that "in him" in verse 4 refers to Christ being part of God's act of choosing, as some suggest. This interpretation doesn't fit with how the Apostle Paul typically uses the phrase "in Christ," which appears many times in Ephesians 1. When Paul talks about individuals being "in Christ," he consistently means they have a saving connection and union with Christ.
The core question then becomes: Is the election and predestination mentioned in Ephesians 1:4, 5, and 11 conditional (based on something, like faith) or unconditional (not based on anything from humans)?
Those who argue for conditional election believe that the idea of God choosing us "in Christ" naturally implies a condition. They reason that once God considers Christ's merit, a condition is introduced. As some scholars point out, Paul consistently teaches that the only way people are "in Christ" is through faith. Therefore, when Paul says God chose us "in saving union with Christ," it logically follows that election is conditional, meaning it's election in consideration of the merit of Christ received through faith.
God's Choice for Salvation Must Include Christ's Work
Some interpretations argue that a certain theological view creates a problem by claiming God chose people for salvation even before Christ’s sacrifice was planned. The issue is that this doesn’t line up with what the Bible teaches or with how atonement works, because God’s grace can’t bring someone into a personal relationship with Him without applying Christ’s death and righteousness to them. In other words, God couldn’t have made an eternal decision to choose someone without already knowing they would be connected to Christ.
Historically, some theologians agreed, stating that due to the strictness of divine justice, Christ's intercession was necessary not only in the present (when believers are made righteous) but also in God's eternal plan (election). Therefore, Christ's merit satisfied divine wrath even in eternity. This means that Christ is considered the cause of election, or, to put it another way, God made His eternal choice with Christ's future sacrifice and its reception by faith in mind. Since the Bible clearly states that there is no redemption or forgiveness of sins apart from Christ, it follows that election also didn't happen apart from Christ.
There seems to be a conflict in some theological ideas. On one side, it’s taught that God, being perfectly righteous, can’t be pleased with the sin He sees in people. That’s why Christ’s sacrifice is needed for God to show favor to anyone. But on the other side, it’s also said that when we talk about Christ’s worth or merit, we shouldn’t focus on Christ Himself, but trace it back to God’s original decision — that God, by His own choice, appointed Christ as the Mediator to bring salvation.
Because of this, it’s argued that people are made right with God purely because of His mercy, while Christ’s merit is important but secondary to that mercy. The problem with this view is that it makes it hard to find assurance in God the Father alone, without considering the Son. In the end, it paints a picture of God’s eternal plan that seems to leave out the full role and wisdom of Christ in it.
From another point of view, people believe these two ideas can’t just be accepted together without working out the conflict. The thought that God, who is perfectly righteous and can’t love sin, would choose people for salvation before their sins are dealt with isn’t just a mystery — it’s seen as a contradiction. As it’s been said, 'Anyone not in Christ can’t be loved in Christ, and no one is in Christ except by faith.' In other words, God doesn’t recognize or love a person for eternal life unless He sees them as a believer, joined to Christ through faith. This belief holds that God’s justice and His love must go hand in hand, meaning God’s eternal choice to save someone has to involve Christ’s merit, applied to them through faith.
In one belief system, it’s taught that God has two kinds of wills, two kinds of callings, and even two types of grace. One is the grace of choosing people for salvation before time began, and the other is the grace that comes through Christ’s sacrifice in time. The idea is that God’s decision to choose people happens before grace is even given. Some critics point out a problem with this thinking, asking: if grace comes from the loving God we know through Jesus, then who is this God who makes eternal choices before offering grace?
Another viewpoint argues that God’s will, calling, and grace are always in harmony. There’s no conflict between what God has secretly planned and what He openly reveals, or between His inward and outward call to people. In the same way, there’s no contradiction between God choosing people for salvation and the grace that comes through Christ’s sacrifice to make them right with Him.
Christ's Role in Salvation: From Eternity to Today
There's no conflict between how God saves us in the present and how He planned our salvation from the beginning of time. As some theologians explain, God included Christ as the source of all our spiritual blessings, both those we receive now (like adoption and being declared righteous) and those He planned for us before the world began (like election and predestination).
This is why the Bible passage uses phrases like "in him" or "in Christ" or "in the beloved" so often and interchangeably—eleven times in Ephesians 1:1-13! It uses these phrases to refer to all of God's saving blessings, whether they're for the here and now or for eternity. It just doesn't make sense to suggest that God considers Christ's work for one type of blessing but not the other, given how smoothly the Bible connects them.
God doesn't change His mind. We can't say He decided one thing in eternity and then acts differently in our lives. Ephesians 1:3-4 tells us that God "blessed us [in time] in Christ with every spiritual blessing... even as he chose us in him [in eternity]." God's eternal plans, purposes, and decisions are perfectly aligned with what He tells us He will do and what He actually carries out in the world.
So, there's no hidden plan or secret decision from God in eternity. His eternal plans are fully consistent with the gospel message He publicly announced. This is clear from Ephesians 1:9, which says God has revealed His eternal saving purpose to us. He has "made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he outlined in Christ." As the Apostle Paul explains elsewhere, the reason he shares the good news is "to bring to light for everyone" the "plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God." In another letter, Paul describes the gospel as revealing a "mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations."
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