Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 2

Paul Explains the Spiritual Blessings from God the Father

Ephesians 1:4-6 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. KJV

Paul opens up the unfolding of the Ephesians and our spiritual blessings with one of, if not the most controversial teaching in all of Holy Scripture and that is “election”, but despite its controversy it cannot be ignored. I read that a Seminary Professor (his name is unknown to me) said, “Try to explain election and you may lose your mind. But try to explain it away and you may lose your soul!” Paul uses the English phrase “he hath chosen” and this phrase is translated by the Greek word eklegomai. The first two (2) letters of this word is from a primary preposition which refers to origin (the point or the source where the action proceeds or comes from or out of), and the entire word means in its primary sense to select or make a choice or to choose out.

The very beginning of this verse has divided many well-meaning people over many centuries, but despite the human division or misunderstanding of what Paul wrote here to these Ephesian believers it cannot be extracted from the Holy Scripture. This is Paul pulling the lid off the “mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:9) and making it known to these Ephesians and to every truth seeking believer of every century. This is a dreaded word in many circles “election” or God through His foreknowledge choosing every son and daughter that He would adopt unto Himself. It is a smack in the face of religious heritage or pedigree, which was the essence of the Jewish life and sadly many families of Christian background.

Paul declares with these words that background, heritage, nor pedigree makes any difference to the salvation of souls. Paul declared to the Roman believers that every soul born into the human family is born lost and separated from God the Father despite being born in the Palace in London England or born into a Jewish family or born into a family where the Father and Mother are born again Christians when he wrote, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.’” (Romans 3:9-12).

Despite the reality of none being born good or desiring God, God the Father (who sees the end from the beginning) sent His Son our Lord Jesus Christ into this sin cursed world to retrieve, regain, and recover those Ephesians and those of us today and of every generation that would believe on Him (Jesus Christ) as Paul wrote to brother Timothy speaking of himself with these words, “The saying is sure {and} true and worthy of full {and} universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth {and} display all His perfect long-suffering {and} patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

Paul writes that God the Father blessed these Ephesians and us to be “holy” and this word is translated by the Greek word hagios which means to be sacred, clean, pure, morally blameless, consecrated, or a saint and it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes us holy as Paul also declared with these words, “Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God {and} bring glory to Him in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God the Father has blessed us by choosing us “in Christ” (the Son of His Love) and because we are “in Him” we are now blameless (not sinless), but we have an intercessor a mediator between Him and us Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Timothy 2:5).

We have through Christ received the blessing from God the Father that gives us an eternal fixed position of being in His agape love as Christ our advocate ever lives to make intercession (Hebrews 7:25) in our favor for us before the Father’s Throne always making reparations, expiations, and amends for our sins in the Father’s Presence, hence we are “without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). Paul declares that our Heavenly Father predestinated us to this eternal loving relationship with Him through Christ’ Sacrifice. This English word predestinated is translated by the Greek word proorizo which means to predetermine, mark out, appoint, specify, declare, or ordain. In other words God the Father through giving us our Lord Jesus Christ has “marked out” (for Himself and for His “good pleasure”) eternal children. The English phrase Paul uses here “good pleasure” is translated by the Greek word eudokia which means for His (God the Father’s) satisfaction and eternal delight.

Paul wants to make it understandable to these Ephesians and to us that our Heavenly Father purposed our redemption through Christ before He ever said “let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) because He then already saw each one of us (His children) in a loving and lasting eternal relationship as Paul wrote in this manner to the believers in Rome, “For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].” (Romans 8:29-30).

God the Father spoke out of Heaven when our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist and made it clear how He felt about Him when He said, “And lo a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17). Therefore, God the Father has blessed every one of us whom He chose “in Christ” to be His Beloved sons and daughters as our Lord Jesus Himself declared with these words, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:22-23).

My own Personal Note: The renewed man acts upon new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company. The true believer or new creature’s heart is not merely the old heart set right, but he has an entirely new heart and new nature! Ezekiel 36:25-27 (AMP): “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. In addition, I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.” In these three verses of scripture spoken by the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord uses the pronoun “I” six times. He does this to confirm what He will do and accomplish. The lost sinner is passive in this work of regeneration or new birth. It is the full and complete work of Almighty God. I became the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus for good works (that is morally excellent and virtuous actions, deeds, and lifestyle). My character and my conduct have changed, even though in this life I am still a mortal man. These words mean more than an outward reformation. I formerly saw no beauty in the Lord Jesus Christ now I love him above all things. Excerpt from my Book entitled “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs

“Does the sinner respond to God’s Grace against his own will? No, he responds because God’s Grace makes him willing to respond. The mystery of Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility will never be solved in this life. Both are taught in the Bible (John 6:37). Both are true, and both are essential.” Warren Wiersbe

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…