Ephesians 1:15-23

Order of Service

• Sunday School Lesson — Ephesians 1:15-23
• Prayer of Dismissal

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Sermon Title: Chosen Before the Foundation of the World — Election and Predestination

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

I. Review of Ephesians 1:3-14 — Spiritual Blessings in Christ

A. Blessings surveyed in prior session: election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, unification, sealing by the Holy Spirit, and the inheritance as a foretaste of glory B. Paul's doxology in Ephesians 1:3: "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" C. The Greek connector ("even as" / "because") links the blessing of verse 3 to the doctrine of election that follows

II. Context: Paul Writing as a Prisoner

A. Paul was under house arrest in Rome, handcuffed to a Roman soldier B. Paul was at his best under duress — his greatest letters and insights came during suffering C. Application: The difficulties believers face are placed there by God for a purpose

1. God is molding and shaping his people — they are his workmanship
2. Faithfulness under trial leaves a generational legacy for children and grandchildren

III. The Doctrine of Election — He Chose Us in Him

A. Core statement: "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4)

1. Election occurred before creation — before anything existed but God himself
2. God purposed adoption through Christ before the cross ever took place B. The goal of election: "that we should be holy and blameless before him"
3. God chose us knowing we were anything but holy and were blameworthy
4. He chose us despite our sin, not because of any merit C. The basis of election: love and the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:5)
5. "He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will"
6. Election was not based on human accomplishment or merit D. Fatherly accountability implied: calling us to be holy "before him" means he holds his adopted children accountable, as a father does

IV. Election Illustrated Throughout Scripture

A. Israel chosen in Deuteronomy 7:7-8

1. Not chosen because of their numbers or power
2. Chosen because God loved them and kept his oath to the fathers B. Three generations of election in Romans 9
3. Abraham — chosen out of a family of idol worshipers in Ur; nothing in Abraham merited selection
4. Isaac — the child of promise over Ishmael; God supernaturally enabled the birth; Isaac was chosen, not Ishmael
5. Jacob over Esau — the decision made before either was born, before either had done good or bad, so that God's purpose of election would stand (Romans 9:11-13) C. Key principle: as God intervened supernaturally for Sarah and Abraham, so he intervenes through the Holy Spirit to regenerate sinners and bring them to saving faith

V. Three Views of Election Within the Church

A. View 1 — Denial of election

1. God provided salvation through Christ, but the individual chooses by his own free will
2. Reflects secular humanism's confidence in human capability
3. Assessed as unbiblical B. View 2 — Election based on foreknowledge of faith (Arminian view)
4. God chose those whom he foresaw would believe or perform some good work
5. In effect, the individual ordains himself rather than God
6. Calvin's response: God cannot foresee faith in us that he himself did not first put in us; fallen man left to himself will only sink deeper into condemnation
7. Background: Jacob Arminius (d. 1609), professor at the University of Leiden; his followers' five articles (1610) prompted the Synod of Dort, which produced the Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP) in response
8. Arminian five articles summarized: election based on foreseen faith; universal atonement; grace necessary but resistible; perseverance uncertain C. View 3 — Unconditional election (Reformed/biblical view)
9. God sovereignly chose sinners apart from any foreseen merit or faith
10. Grounded in the total (or "radical") depravity of man

VI. Total (Radical) Depravity — The Root Issue

A. The core objection to election is the unwillingness to accept the full depravity of man B. Three positions on the fall contrasted

1. Secular humanism: man fell upward; humanity is progressively improving
2. Arminianism: man fell, but retains enough ability to choose God
3. Scripture: man is so fallen that only God can rescue him C. Key texts affirming depravity
4. Romans 3:11 — "None is righteous, no not one; no one seeks for God"
5. Ephesians 2:1 — "You were dead in your transgressions and sins" D. "Radical depravity" preferred over "total depravity" to avoid the misreading that all people are equally depraved; the point is that the corruption goes to the root — man cannot save himself and must be rescued by God alone