60: Ephesians 1:11 – Chosen in Christ, Not Irresistibly Forced

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61: Who Were the Sons of God in Genesis 6?

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Welcome to the Ready for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to inquisitive

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Bible students exploring biblical truths that might not be fully explored in typical sermons or Bible studies.

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My name is Eddie Lawrence. God's plan of redemption is not a prison.

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Ephesians 111 shows us a father who invites, not one who irresistibly forces faith.

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Ephesians 111 sits in a rich section of Paul's letter where he praises

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God for the blessings believers have in Christ. Many read this verse as a statement about God predestining everything that happens, including who will believe, but that interpretation stretches

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Paul's meaning beyond the context. Verse 11 actually restates and builds on what

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Paul already said in verse 5. Far from supporting determinism, this passage highlights

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God's loving plan for those who choose Christ. Paul affirms

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God's sovereignty without suggesting that anyone is irresistibly forced into salvation.

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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.

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In verse 5, Paul says God predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.

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That language of adoption as sons reflects Roman legal status, not gender.

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In Roman culture, a son by birth or adoption was the heir of the family estate.

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Daughters could inherit in some cases, but sonship carried specific legal rights and standing.

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Paul uses this cultural reference to say all who are in Christ, both male and female, receive the full status of heirs.

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When Paul reaches verse 11, he echoes and expands this same truth.

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In him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined. He shifts from the image of adoption to its outcome, inheritance.

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Sons inherit. The shift in language deepens the picture.

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Verse 5 tells us who we have become in Christ, that is sons, and verse 11 tells us what we receive as a result, an inheritance.

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Paul repeats the idea to drive it home. All who enter

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Christ receive what God appointed long ago for his people. Paul says

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God predestined those in him. The key phrase in him or in Christ appears repeatedly in chapter 1.

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God didn't predetermine specific individuals who would enter Christ. Instead, he predetermined what would happen to those who did.

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God appointed ahead of time that he would adopt all who trust in Jesus and give them an inheritance.

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This plan honors human free will. Scripture calls people to believe, trust, and repent, actions that require real choice.

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God initiates, but he does not override. He desires all people to be saved, but not everyone responds.

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Calvinism teaches that God predestines individuals to believe and others to perish without regard to their response.

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This view faces both scriptural and logical problems. For example, if God causes all things, including sin, then he becomes the author of evil.

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But James 1 .13 says God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one.

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Another problem, if God causes someone to believe, then that person cannot not believe.

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Their faith is not a true response, it's a programmed reaction. That strips faith of meaning.

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Yet Paul says in Romans 10 .17 that faith comes by hearing, hearing the

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Word of Christ, and calls people to believe in your heart, Romans 10 .9.

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Faith, by nature, is a response, not something imposed upon us.

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God's plan always involved human cooperation. Even in the

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Old Testament, God said, choose this day whom you will serve, in Joshua 24 .15.

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The New Testament never sets aside that pattern. God chooses those who choose him.

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So in verse 11, what does the phrase, works all things, really mean?

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Ephesians 1 .11 continues by saying, according to the purpose of him who works all things, according to the counsel of his will.

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Calvinists often use this to claim that God causes every detail of life, including sin and rejection.

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Dr. Jack Cottrell observes that this is a failure to allow the context to define the meaning of works all things.

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Calvinists speak of an eternal decree that is all -inclusive and universal. Does not

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Paul say all things? But those who take this in an absolute sense have ignored the immediate context and the main theme of Ephesians as a whole.

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The term all things is not necessarily absolute and must be understood within the limitations imposed by the context.

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Paul just finished describing the mystery of his will in Ephesians 1 verse 9.

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That is, God's plan to unite all things in him. Later, Paul explains this mystery includes bringing

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Jews and Gentiles together into one body in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 6.

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So when Paul says God works all things, he's referring to all things connected to his redemptive plan.

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God works through history, not by controlling every atom and molecule, but by guiding people and events toward his redemptive goal.

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He guides nations, opens doors, and raises up messengers, but he allows people to respond freely to his grace.

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Paul's words offer comfort, not coercion. God has a plan he prepared before the world began.

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That plan includes adoption, inheritance, and a secure place in his family.

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God desires a relationship, not robotic compliance. If he forced our response, love would be meaningless.

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An unhealthy relationship, to be sure. Scripture never describes salvation as coercion.

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Instead, it speaks of grace through faith, and God's kindness leading us to repentance.

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This is a relationship that is both healthy and mutual. Relationships based on force or coercion are not healthy, and we describe people in those relationships with words such as slave, hostage, or kidnap victim.

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Ephesians 111 doesn't teach divine determinism. It restates the truth of verse 5.

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God lovingly decided that all who are in Christ would become his children and heirs.

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This inheritance isn't for a select few hand -picked without consent, but for all who freely respond to the gospel.

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When Paul says God works all things, he means God actively brings his redemptive plan to completion, not by overriding human will, but by working through history, the cross, and the church.

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That plan includes real human choices and genuine faith. In Christ, God chooses you, not irresistibly forced, but invited to respond through willing trust in a gracious Savior.

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Thanks for listening to the podcast. We hope this episode has deepened your understanding of Scripture.

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If you found this content valuable, please share it with your friends. For more biblical studies, visit our website at ReadyForEternity .com.

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That's the word ready, the number four, and the word eternity. ReadyForEternity .com.

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That's all for now. Keep studying your Bible, growing closer to God, and getting ready for eternity.