2. The Father Selected Us (vs. 4-6)
• He chose us before the foundation of the world
• To be holy and blameless
• He predestined us to be his adopted children
The Son Saved Us (vs. 7-12)
• Purchased
• Forgiven
The Spirit Sealed Us (vs. 13-14)
• Assured the inheritance
3. The Blessing:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places,
4. The Father Selected Us:
4 even as he chose us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he
predestined us for adoption as sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his
will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with
which he has blessed us in the Beloved
5. The Son Saved Us:
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches
of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom
and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his
will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in
Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all
things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 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,
12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might
be to the praise of his glory.
6. The Spirit Sealed Us:
13 In him you also, when you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and
believed in him, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee
of our inheritance until we acquire
possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
7. 3 Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with
every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places,
Blessed be to God
• By praising Him for
what he has done.
• By showing grace to
others
His blessings to us:
• When? Aorist tense
“Has blessed us”
• How? “Every Spiritual
Blessing”
• Where? “heavenly
places”
8. 4 even as he chose us in
him before the
foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and blameless before
him. In love
The Father Chose us
• When? before the
foundation of the world
• Why? So we may be
holy and blameless
before the Father, in
love
9. 5 he predestined us for
adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ,
according to the
purpose of his will, 6 to
the praise of his
glorious grace, with
which he has blessed
us in the Beloved
He predestined
(foreordained,
predetermined) us
• Why? Motive
For us: To be adopted
children
For Him: To the praise of
his glorious grace
• How?
Through Jesus Christ
• According to the
purpose of his will
10. Acts 4:25–28 25 who through the mouth of our
father David, your servant, said by the Holy
Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the
peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth
set themselves, and the rulers were gathered
together, against the Lord and against his
Anointed’— 27 for truly in this city there were
gathered together against your holy servant
Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the
peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand
and your plan had predestined to take place.
11. Romans 8:29–30 29 For those whom he
foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order
that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined
he also called, and those whom he called he
also justified, and those whom he justified he
also glorified.
He Foreknew them He Predestined them
He called them He justified them He
glorified them.
12. Acts 13:46–48 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out
boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of
God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it
aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal
life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For
so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have
made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may
bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” 48 And
when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing
and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many
as were appointed to eternal life believed.
13. It is God “who has blessed” (verse 3),
chosen (verse 4),
“predestined,” “freely bestowed” (verse 5),
lavished redemption and forgiveness (verses
7–8), “made known” and “purposed” (verse
9),
given an inheritance, working everything
according to His will (verse 11),
sealed (verse 13),
and given the Holy Spirit (verse 14).
Therefore, it will be His glory that is praised (vv.
6, 12 and 14).
14. “Only two times in the entire doxology does
Paul clearly refer to a necessary human
activity. In verse thirteen, he declares the two
pre-conditions of the Holy Spirit’s sealing:
hearing and believing, both of which are also
dependent on divine activity.”
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation, and
believed in him, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit,
15. Ephesians 2:4–5 4 But God, being rich in mercy,
because of the great love with which he loved
us, 5 even when we were dead in our
trespasses, made us alive together with
Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Ephesians 2:8–9 8 For by grace you have been
saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of
works, so that no one may boast.
18. “An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its
destination has been determined by proper authorities.
Nothing can change it. This is at least a faint picture of
sovereignty. “On board the liner are scores of passengers.
These are not in chains, neither are their activities determined
for them by decree. They are completely free to move about
as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck,
read, talk, altogether as they please; but all the while the great
liner is carrying them steadily onward toward a predetermined
port. “Both freedom and sovereignty are present here, and
they do not contradict. So it is, I believe, with man’s freedom
and the sovereignty of God. The mighty liner of God’s
sovereign design keeps its steady course over the sea of
history.”
Knowledge Of The Holy, A.W. Tozer
19. Many people want to know their election before they look to
Christ. But they cannot learn it thus; it is only to be discovered
by ‘looking unto Jesus.’ Look to Jesus, believe on Him, and
you shall make proof of your election directly, for as surely as
you believe, you are elect. If you will give yourself wholly up to
Christ and trust Him, then you are one of God’s chosen ones.
Go to Jesus just as you are. Go straight to Christ, hide in His
wounds, and you shall know your election.
Christ was at the everlasting council. He can tell you whether
you were chosen or not, but you cannot find out in any other
way. Go and put your trust in Him. There will be no doubt
about His having chosen you, when you have chosen Him. -
Charles Spurgeon
20. John 1:11–13 11 He came to his own, and his
own people did not receive him. 12 But to all
who did receive him, who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children
of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of
the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but
of God.
21. Those who are elect do follow Christ:
• John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know
them, and they follow Me.”
Those who perish do so because they did
not receive the truth:
• II Thessalonians 2:10 “and with all the deception
of wickedness for those who perish, because they
did not receive the love of the truth so as to be
saved.”
22. God’s choice does not eliminate the need
for man’s exercise of faith:
• II Thessalonians 2:10 “But we should always give
thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the
Lord, because God has chosen you from the
beginning for salvation through sanctification by
the Spirit and faith in the truth.
• I Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of faith; take
hold of the eternal life to which you were called,
and you made the good confession in the
presence of many witnesses.”
23. God’s choice does not eliminate man’s need
to teach the truth:
• II Timothy 2:24-5 “And the Lord’s bond-servant must
not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach,
patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting
those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant
them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape from
the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him
to do his will.”
• Charles Spurgeon
24. John 3:16–18 16 “For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only Son of God.
25. … That you have been chosen from the
foundation of the world?
… That you have been predestined to be a
child of God?
Believe that Jesus is the only begotten son of
God. Believe that you are a sinner. Believe
that he died for your sins. Believe he rose
from the dead and sits beside the Father
interceding in your behalf.
Receive Him. Believe in Him.