Ephesians Part 6

Unpacking Eph. 1:11-14

all things ‘in him’

Meeting Purpose

To reconcile God's sovereignty with human free will, prompted by a question from Peter.

Key Takeaways

-             Reconciling Sovereignty & Choice: God's sovereignty (omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence) and His compassionate nature (2 Peter 3:9) are not in conflict. He knows who will choose Him but never prevents anyone from having the opportunity to do so.

-             Predestination as a Blessing: Predestination is God's eternal plan to conform believers to Christ's image (Romans 8:29-30). It is a blessing that enables our free choice, not a deterministic force that removes it.

-             Standing vs. State: "Standing" is our eternal, unchangeable position in Christ. "State" is our daily, changeable condition, which is being sanctified. This distinction helps manage the tension between our perfect identity and imperfect experience.

-             The Trinity's Role: Salvation is a unified work. The Father chose us (Eph 1:4-6), the Son redeemed us (Eph 1:7-11), and the Holy Spirit seals us (Eph 1:12-14), all "to the praise of His glory."

Topics

-             The Problem: Sovereignty vs. Free Will

o  The discussion was prompted by Peter's question: "If God chose me, what about the guy right there that he didn't choose?"

o  This tension between God's sovereignty and human free will was the core issue to be resolved.

-             The Solution: God's Attributes & Compassion

o  God's Attributes: God's sovereignty is defined by His:

§ Omniscience: All-knowing (Psalm 139:1-6)

§ Omnipresence: Everywhere at once (Psalm 139:7-12)

§ Omnipotence: All-powerful

o  God's Compassion: His character is also perfectly compassionate and loving.

o  2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow about His promise... but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."

o  Reconciliation: God's foreknowledge is not a passive prediction but an active, causative knowing. He knows who will choose Him but does not prevent anyone from making that choice, which would violate His compassionate nature.

-             The Application: Standing vs. State

o  This framework, from J.S. Strombeck's Disciplined by Grace, helps manage the tension between our perfect identity and imperfect experience.

o  Standing (Position): Our eternal, unchangeable identity in Christ, established by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9).

o  State (Condition): Our daily, changeable condition, which is being sanctified. We are saints but still reside in "sin-proficient bodies."

-             The Outcome: Predestination & Salvation

o  Predestination: God's eternal plan to conform believers to Christ's image (Romans 8:29-30).

o  Romans 8:29-30 Chain: Foreknew → Predestined → Called → Justified → Glorified.

o  Sanctification: The process of being conformed to Christ's image occurs between justification and glorification.

o  Salvation: A rescue from the guilt and pollution of sin, appropriated by hearing the gospel and believing.

o  Sealing: The Holy Spirit seals believers upon faith, guaranteeing their inheritance.

Next Steps

-             All: Examine the scriptures (Acts 17:11) to confirm the teaching on sovereignty, free will, and predestination.

-             All: Use the provided handout from Disciplined by Grace (Chapter 10) for personal study.