Ephesians 1:3–14 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus
Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise
of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of
time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel
of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ
might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also,
when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in
him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the
guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise
of his glory.
NOTE: This paragraph
is one long sentence in the Greek which extends from verse 3 to verse 14.
Constable identifies nine spiritual blessings, "election,
predestination, adoption, grace, redemption, forgiveness, knowledge, sealing,
and inheritance. Stott summarized them as three: past election, present
adoption, and future unification." The passage starts with
"God chose us" (vs 3-4) and ends (vs 13-14) with us "having
believed," all in the one long sentence emphasizing that both, God's
choosing and our believing are essential aspects of our salvation. Both are
required. Salvation is not possible without God's choosing and our believing.
So debating the point seems somewhat like a waste of time. I accept what
scripture says. And I admit that I do not comprehend the mind of God, which is
a little like saying that I am having a hard time grasping infinity or the size
of the universe. The statements are "easy" to speak, but unbelievably
weak in describing my limitation. I can live with that discrepancy as well. Why
God did do what he did; how God did do what he did--well, I am just glad, no …
humbled, no … the more I comprehend, the more speechless I become-- … why me?
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