Ephesians 1:5-6 “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.”
The word predestinate means to “decide beforehand.” What an amazing thought! God himself, realizing who we would be, and what we would do, decided beforehand to adopt us into his family.
He didn’t make the decision grudgingly, but rather according to His own good pleasure. The thought is at the same time ridiculous and wonderful. How is it that a holy God could choose to redeem sinful humanity, by the sacrifice of His only son? The second verse gives us a hint: it was in accordance with His glorious grace.
One of the chief mysteries of the scripture is how that God offers the free gift of salvation, which man is responsible to accept, while at the same time revealing that we are saved by His choice and direct action. No one understands exactly how it works, but anyone can understand how wonderful it is!
Ephesians 1:5-6 “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.”