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| Day 83 Part 2: Ephesians Chapter 1: Election and Dominion |
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 Chapter 1: Election and Dominion
Chapter 1 of Ephesians is a beautiful discourse on God's sovereign choice and a proclomation that Jesus reigns. I don't want to debate "free will" but I can't just skip over what Paul says here. Feel free to comment, but I'm not going to argue about this.
Election
Verses 3 and 4 of chapter 1 say, 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: 1:4 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: This is really mind blowing if you just stop and think about it. God chose us before he even created the world...before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. That means that God, before he created us, was already planning to send Jesus to save us. I think there are a lot of implications that can be derived from this, but this is not the place for that. If you have anything to share, please do :-) 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
When we think of "free will" who's will do we think of as being free? Is ours free or is God's free? They can't both be free because that would make us equals...right? If our will is free, then we determine our own destiny (which is a contradiction in terms), but If God's will is free, then He is the one who determines our destinies (before the foundation of the world). If both man's and God's will are free, then those freedoms cancel each other out. I don't think that anyone would say that we can determine God's choices, but thats what we believe in practice. I would say, however, that God does determine our choices because He is free to do what He wants. 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Praise God that He is in control and that I don't have to determine my own destiny. I would make an absolute mess of things. The truly amazing thing is that His choices are all for His glory and our good. When you read this chapter you get a sense of God's amazing love and the glory that He wants people to see. He saved us, blessed us with every spiritual blessing, lavished His grace on us, gave us an inheritance, and sealed us with His Spirit. He did all these thing for us, not because we demanded them, or even because we asked for them. He did them because He wanted to. He didn't have to show us His love, but He wanted to and so He did. God is truly awesome.
Dominion
God's election flows naturally into thoughts about His dominion over all things. Verses 18-23 say 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 1:19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Christ is King! He reigns Now! Everything is subject to Christ's rule. As I have said before, if Christ doesn't have all the authority, then we have no basis to go fulfill the great commission. The thing that really stand out to me is that the power Christ has to rule the world is the same power that works in us. |
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| To add a comment to "Day 83 Part 2: Ephesians Chapter 1: Election and Dominion" |
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| December 15, 2007 |
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Woohoo!! Dude we've waited so long for this!!! :-)
Regarding free will (and I really don't want to debate either...) From God's perspective, being outside of time, seeing everything that's going to happen as if it already happened, I would say it's pretty easy to view us a "chosen" and "predestinated". Again looking at what will happen as if it already happened, everything God does for those who "will" accept him (remember God is outside of time) is just being done for those who will accept him. For these reasons, I've never had a problem with these verses in Ephesians. That is also why I feel like a Calvinian, or an Arminist, on this issue. :-)
Regarding "who's will do we think of as being free? Is ours free or is God's free?" Would it be fair to say both, to an extent? Warren Wiersbe writes the following: "God didn't create a world because he needed anything but that he might share his love with creatures who, unlike the angels, are made in the image of God and can respond willingly to His love."
Zach, I am encouraged, we will get through this book yet!! Great to hear from ya. :-)
~mike |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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I see that from both sides. Both Arminius and Calvin considered each other to be Christians in good standing with heaven. However, some, particularly hyper-Calvinists seem to want to call Arminians heretics. The word heretic is more accurate in describing those who teach things contrary to salvation. Neither side of this divisive debate has exclusive truth and neither teaches things contrary to salvation. They only cause unnecessary division with their exclusivism.
Looking at it linearly in time, God could choose someone from the foundation of the world without knowing their specific name. He could simply choose a group and choose who would make up that group later. Looking at it from outside of time, if indeed God can look at all time at the same "time" whatever that means, he can still give free will and could simply know ahead of time what our choices would be.
I too think that it's fantastic that God knew us and chose us from the beginning. The other debate really gets into arbitrary definitions, false dichotomies and logical box canyons. For example, to say that either God has freedom of choice or we do is a false dichotomy. Why should it be either/or, why not both? I think that this just gets into splitting of hairs and that the Scriptures have more important lessons to teach us than this incessant Calvinist/Arminian divisive debate.
I think the fact that most top theologians end up being Calvo-Arminian or is that Calvinian, is really very telling. |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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Thank you Mike and Grant for your comments. Its great that you guys picked up on the most controversial things I wrote and left the other more agreeable things alone :-) Its human nature right? Anyway...here is where I stand on the issues you guys noticed in this particular chapter.
"The truly amazing thing is that His choices are all for His glory and our good. When you read this chapter you get a sense of God's amazing love and the glory that He wants people to see. He saved us, blessed us with every spiritual blessing, lavished His grace on us, gave us an inheritance, and sealed us with His Spirit. He did all these thing for us, not because we demanded them, or even because we asked for them. He did them because He wanted to. He didn't have to show us His love, but He wanted to and so He did. God is truly awesome." (qouted from above).
What do you guys think of that? Also, what do you think about God's dominion and does my correlation to His election make sense? |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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| Thanks for the comment Rachel. It seems that what you've thrown has been very popular to throw so far :-) |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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| You ROCK Zach!!!! Totally awesome!! You had to know you would eventually get a visit from me on this one :) Merry Christmas Bro!! Praise the Lord for His Sovereign Grace! Amazing indeed! |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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| Thanks Sue! I always love how enthusiastic your comments are :-) |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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"Looking at it linearly in time, God could choose someone from the foundation of the world without knowing their specific name. He could simply choose a group and choose who would make up that group later. Looking at it from outside of time, if indeed God can look at all time at the same "time" whatever that means, he can still give free will and could simply know ahead of time what our choices would be."
I agree that God "could" do whatever He wants to, but I have a hard time making Scripture say that His will is contingent upon ours. This is a much deeper topic than can be discussed thoroughly here, but suffice to say that the collective testimony of the Bible exalts a truly free and sovereign God. (Poor Zach had to wait so many years to hear me say that.)
Side note: It seems very dangerous to me to theorize about scenarios in which God does not have infinite knowledge of all reality, past, present and future. The biblical God is omniscient; He most certainly knows all our choices before we make them. The more pertinent question is, can radically depraved, God-hating creatures independently choose to believe and joyfully delight in the Gospel of Christ? Biblically, we cannot. Left to ourselves, apart from the miraculous intervention of God, we would all respond to the Gospel with rebellious unbelief and scorn.
"I think the fact that most top theologians end up being Calvo-Arminian or is that Calvinian, is really very telling." What top theologians might that be? Historically, the most scholarly theologians and most zealous missionaries (at the same time) have been Calvinists. I was forced to confess that even before I was one myself. |
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| December 16, 2007 |
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| The wait has been well worth it my friend :-) |
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| December 17, 2007 |
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Thanks Zach, it is good to be reminded of His choosing, and our need for obedience to His choosing. For some reason Larry Norman popped into my head when I thought of this, and even though it is probably off topic...
"And if there's life on other planets.
I'm sure that He must know.
And He's been there once already.
And has died to save their souls."
We were talking of God being outdside of "space" and time, right.....
From UFO by Larry Norman |
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| December 18, 2007 |
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| Thanks for the comment Dennis...its kind of a weird song though... |
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| December 26, 2007 |
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10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 10:31 [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
6:4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
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