Ephesians 1:3-6 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Matryoshka – Russian Nesting Doll

Ephesians 1:3-14 We are blessed with being chosen by God who is the Chooser. (v. 4) We are blessed with holiness and blamelessness in Christ. (v. 4) We are blessed with adoption through Christ, having been predestined as such by His will. (v. 5) We are blessed with God’s glorious grace, which He blessed us with in the Beloved.  (v. 6-7) We are blessed with redemption through Christ’s blood (v. 7) We are blessed with the forgiveness of our trespasses. (v. 7) We are blessed with the knowledge of the mystery of His will to unite all things in Christ.  (v. 9-10) We are blessed with unity and therefore inclusion in Christ. (v. 10) We are blessed with an inheritance in Christ, of which we will one day take possession. (v. 11) We are blessed with the seal of the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.  (v. 13-14)

Ephesians 1:3-6 The blessings of salvation from the Father: Divine Election (1:3-4) Divine Predestination (1:5) Divine Grace (1:6)

Ephesians 1:3-6 Divine Predestination (1:5) Predestined us… In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… Predestined us… In the Greek, the word proorizo means to mark out or determine something beforehand. The teaching of divine predestination is the all-inclusive pre-determined purpose of God in which He sovereignly ordained all things that come to pass, all according to His own timing.

Ephesians 1:3-6 Divine Predestination (1:5) To adoption as sons… In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… To adoption as sons… Through the process of adoption, the once non-family member is legally brought into the family to assume all of the rights and responsibilities of his or her new family.

Adoption Analogy use by the Apostle Paul The biblical doctrine of adoption is found in (Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5; and here in Ephesians 1:5). In Romans 8:15-17, Paul speaks of the present reality of the believers’ adoption saying: 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

Ephesians 1:3-6 Divine Predestination (1:5) Through Jesus Christ… In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… Through Jesus Christ… “How can I know whether God has chosen me; that I am one of God’s elect? ” “How do we know that God has elected us before the creation of the world? By believing in Jesus Christ.” ~John Calvin

Ephesians 1:3-6 Divine Predestination (1:5) To Himself In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… To Himself Not only does God bestow upon His chosen all the wealth of His spiritual blessings in Christ; but He also brings us into an intimate relationship with Himself, whereby we now know Him as “Abba! Father!”

Ephesians 1:3-6 Divine Predestination (1:5) In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will… According to the kind intention of His will “according to the good pleasure of his will…” (KJV)

We must understand… We were not blessed according to our will, but “according to the kind intention of His will…” (v.3) We were not chosen according to our will, but “according to the kind intention of His will…” (v. 4) We were not predestinated according to our will, but “according to the kind intention of His will…” (v.5a) We were not adopted according to our will, but “according to the kind intention of His will…” (v.5b) and, (as we will see next week); We were not the recipients of grace and accepted according to our will, but “according to the kind intention of His will…” (v. 6)

Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (KJV)

2 Thessalonians 2:11-13 “11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power; 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 1:3-6 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Ephesians 1:3-6 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.