God's Real Eternal Decree
Greetings saints, I have decided to set down some thoughts on a much debated theological concept. It has been going on for centuries. Does God select us individually to be saved, or is He saying the Saved are the Chosen in Christ, and it is the saved who are predestined to glory? I believe this is what must be examined. In Eph. 1 is a good place to start.
[Eph 1:1-6 KJV] 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace [be] to you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: 4 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: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In verses 1 and 2, Paul introduces himself to the faithful saints at Ephesus. In verse 3, it is God the Father who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, there can be no blessings and no salvation. Verse 4 clearly states it is the Father who has chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the World, and that we should be Blameless and Holy in love. This is our Standing before God. Completely and totally Forgiven in Christ. We who believe are imputed the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Vines Expository Dictionary it reads as follows: Choice, Choose, Chosen: "to pick out, select," means, in the Middle Voice, "to choose for oneself," not necessarily implying the rejection of what is not chosen, but "choosing" with the subsidiary ideas of kindness or favor or love, Mar 13:20; Luk 6:13; 9:35 (RV); 10:42; 14:7; Jhn 6:70; 13:18; 15:16, 19; Act 1:2, 24; 6:5; 13:17; 15:22, 25; in Act 15:7 it is rendered "made choice;" 1Cr 1:27, 28; Eph 1:4; Jam 2:5.
Please note what He has chosen us to, and what He has not chosen us to. It is difficult to read the text if you are persuaded by Augustine, Calvin, etc. At first glance, it seems the text suggests that the Father chose each individual in Christ and predestined them to glory. According to Calvin, lost sinners cannot believe the gospel. They are not regenerated or born again by hearing the gospel and believing. They are chosen and made to believe through Irresistible grace. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit must come first for them to believe. This is the problem. These are philosophical suppositions. This is a mindset some have brought to the scripture. All it says is: He has chosen US. Who are the US? You move up to the first verse while staying in context. Who is he speaking of? To the Faithful saints in Ephesus. In other words, to people who were already saved in Christ. They are the ones predestined to glory. I am not saying that salvation is not personal, or that individual saints do not make up the whole of the Body of Christ. In this particular text, it does not say you were unconditionally elected individually and irresistibly graced. This is a Theological system based on a philosophical view invented by the Council of Dort in the 1500's to answer the Armenians.