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NASB | Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 1:5 He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will-- |
Subject: Theological Term: Predestination |
Bible Note: "God is going to adopt you as His son. He has predestined you to adoption as sons. So before the foundation of the world when He, God chose you in Christ Jesus He also predestined, He pro-oridzed you, He determined beforehand that He was going to take you and He was going to adopt you into His family so that you would become His child. I want us to look at a Scripture that shows us this pro-orizo that shows us this predetermined plan, this predestining of God. You know to some people, they say O, that's a Presbyterian doctrine and I'm a Baptist or I'm a Lutheran, or I'm a Catholic, or I'm whatever... When we open the Word of God and we observe the text and we look at it to see exactly what God is saying, when we seek to understand the meaning of His words and the meaning of His words is clear when you go back to seeing what the original language said and how that word was used at that time. So when we see the meaning of His words, when we watch these key repeated phrases and we take those key repeated phrases and we analyze what we learn from marking each one of those, then you and I, despite our denominational differences, will come to the same conclusion, because God speaks clearly. He means what He says and He says what He means. "Acts chapter 4, verse 27 and 28. Now what has happened is the apostles have been out and they have been sharing the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. They were put in prison. When they were released they came back and they told what had happened. And it says, 'And when,' in verse 24, 'they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, 'O Lord, it is You who made the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and all [the] that is in them,' it is You. They knew who the Creator was. ...it says, 'Who by the Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, 'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the people devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.' (vv25-26) This was what was happening in the days of Jesus. The world came against Jesus. The chief priests came against Jesus. The rulers of Rome came against Jesus. They were gathered together against Him. And I just want to pause here and say this that God allows us as His children and as His sons, to suffer. As His children you and I can know it is given unto us not only to believe in Jesus, but to suffer for His name sake. And God knows this. And He warns us and He tells us about this. But this is not a sign that God does not love you. God is carrying out an eternal purpose, and you and I are part of that eternal purpose. So he goes on to say, '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, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.' (vv27-28) ...all that Jesus suffered on that cross was not an accident. It looks like it's the act of men. It looks like it is the decision of Rome. It looks like the chief priests and the scribes are in cohorts with Rome, but listen, this is God's predetermined plan. This is what God predestined. And God predestined the death of His Son, because as John 3:16 says, 'God so loved [you] that He gave His only begotten Son.' So before the foundation of the world, you were chosen in Christ Jesus. Before the foundation of the world you were predestined to adoption as sons. Before the foundation of the world God knew that His Son would come, ...that He would be tempted in all ways as we are and yet without sin, that God, in the fullness of time and at the right time, when the hour had come that Jesus would be the corn of wheat that would fall into the ground and die so that He would not abide alone, because He died not just for sin, but He died for your sin. "...He did all this for the sake of you. And this is why you and I then can go to that wonderful wonderful verse in Romans, chapter 8. And in Romans, chapter 8, once again you see the word 'predestined.' And I want you to understand this. ...it says, 'And we know that God [keeps on causing],' present tense in the Greek, 'all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are [the] called according to His purpose.' Remember all of this is according to God's purpose, the kind intention of His will. 'For those whom He foreknew,' When? Before the foundation of the world. 'Those whom He foreknew He predestined,' He marked out beforehand, 'to become conformed to the image of His Son.' Verse 30: 'And those whom He predestined, He called; and those whom he called, He justified; and those whom He justified, He glorified. What shall we say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?' (Romans 8:28-31) You are loved by God." --Kay Arthur (June 2008) |