Select few not true

 Select few not true

God’s plan is for all men and women to be saved, not a select few predetermined! 

We are where we are today because of the prayers of others, our parents, grandparents, friends, relatives, etc. Prayer works, Praise the Lord God Almighty.

1:3-6 Is this not clear proof that God has predetermined who will be saved as many in the church believe?

No, although this scripture is used by some in the church to teach that. They claim that God is sovereign in the matter of salvation and no one can be saved without being predestined to salvation by God; they teach that nothing anyone does has any bearing on the matter; that God decided it arbitrarily, without any respect to human worth, before they are even born. This teaching is called Calvinism, which was formulated by John Calvin and introduced into the New Testament church during the reformation period of the church in the early 1500's. Proponents of Calvinism call this teaching the "doctrine of unconditional election". It holds that because man is totally depraved and incapable of initiating any move toward God that would gain or contribute to his own salvation, God must be free to save whom He will, and has already determined who should, and who should not be saved.

This is a fallacious teaching which contradicts all that God Himself teaches in His word. It denies that God's redemptive plan provides for all men, which makes a mockery of Christ's death on the cross, rendering it efficacious only for a select few. This implies that God plays games with the souls of men by calling them all to repent, but determining that only those He has predestined to salvation will be saved. (CP Isa 45:22; 55:13; Joel 2:32; Mt 11:28 30; Jn 3:16 17; 5:40; Ac 2:21; Ro 10:13; 1Ti 2:1 4; 2Pe 3:9; Rev 21:6; 22:17). Those scriptures teach that all men are called to be God's elect, and can be if they choose God (CP De 30:19; 2Chr 15:2; Isa 55:6 7; Eze 18:21 30; 33:13 20; Jn 1:6 7, 12; 3:14 15; 5:24; Ac 10:34 35; 16:31; Ro 1:16; 4:5 25; 1Co 1:21; 8:3; Ga 3:7 9; 1Th 1:1 10; He 5:9). God has not already determined for or against any man's salvation as is plainly evident in those passages. His plan is the same for all men - everyone is invited to avail themselves of His offer to save them on the sole basis of their individual choice and conformity to God's plan of redemption (CP Mt 22:1 14).

There are two great truths illustrated here in the parable of the marriage feast, and like the scriptures we have just looked at, they too refute the doctrine of unconditional election. The first truth is that as the king called all men to the marriage feast of his son, so God calls all men to partake of the kingdom benefits of His Son. God's invitation to salvation is a universal call, and as the parable teaches, no one is excluded from responding to it (CP Mt 11:28 30; Jn 3:16; Rev 22:17). The second truth the parable reveals is that sadly not everyone who responds to God's call are true believers. Many within the professing church are not surrendered to God. They are not wearing a wedding garment; they have not put on Christ (CP Ro 13:14; Ga 3:27). Wearing the wedding garment in the parable is symbolic of our having put on Christ as true believers. It means being completely yielded to Christ in continued obedience to His word. If we have not put on Christ then we cannot partake of His kingdom benefits. Just as the man without a wedding garment in the parable could not partake of the feast, and as he was thrown into outer darkness, so we will be damned for eternity (CP Mt 7:1314; Lu 13:23 30).

The call to salvation goes out to the many, however only those who unite and identify with Christ will inherit the kingdom of heaven. That is what Jesus means when He said "Many are called but few are chosen" in Mt 22:14. It has nothing to do with our eternal destiny being predetermined by God as Calvinism teaches. Those who conform to God's plan will become the elect and be saved, while those who do not will be lost (CP De 30:1518; Isa 1:18 20; 8:13 15; Eze 18:20; 33:12; Mt 21:42 44; Mk 16:16; Lu 13:1 5; 20:17 18; Jn 3:18, 36; Ac 3:19; 17:30 31; Rev 21:8). It is the plan of redemption and the saviour through whom it will be accomplished, the Lord Jesus Christ, that has been foreknown, elected and predestinated by God - not the individual conformity to the plan (CP Ge 3:15; Nu 24:17; Psa 118:22; Isa 9:6 7, 28:16; Mt 1:20 23; Lu 2:25 28; 24:25 27, 44 48; Jn 1:29; Ro 1:1 6; Eph 3:1 12; 2Ti 1:1, 8 10; 1Pe 1:18 20; 2:6 8; Rev 13:8).

Rev 13:8 does not teach that the names of those whom God has decreed to be saved have been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world as Calvinism teaches.  Rev 13:8 teaches that it was the redemptive death of Christ for the salvation of humanity that God decreed from the foundation of the world. Every member of the human race has their name written in the Book of Life, but it is whether their name stays written in the Book that counts in eternity. Only the names of those who conform to God's plan of redemption remain in the Book. The rest are blotted out (CP Psa 139:15 16; Ex 32:31 34; Psa 69:28; 109:13; Dan 12:1; Php 4:3; Rev 3:5; 17:8; 20:12 15; 21:27; 22:18 19). Here God confirmed that names can and will be blotted out of the Book of Life when men sin and incur the eternal death penalty. This should make every one of us want to examine ourselves every day to see that we are still in the faith (CP 2Co 13:5). If believers are unconditionally elected or predestinated unto salvation as Calvinism teaches, it is not necessary for Paul to warn us to examine ourselves to see that we are still in the faith.

Individuals choose for themselves if they want to be saved (CP Jn 3:36). The word believeth here is from the Greek word pisteuo, which means to place confidence in; to trust; to be persuaded of. It implies obedience to as a moral choice, not merely mental acceptance of a historical fact (CP Jas 2:19). Demons believe in Jesus too but they do not obey Him as a moral choice, and they are not going to heaven. He that believeth is he that chooses to believe, or who chooses to obey, whereas believeth not is from the Greek word apeitheo, which means refuse to be persuaded; refuse belief; refuse to obey. Thus he that believeth not is he that chooses not to believe, or who refuses to obey. This is clear evidence that salvation can be rejected; that it is the personal choice of the individual.

There is no reference in scripture to any election of God whereby one person is chosen for salvation and another is not, as the Calvinistic system of theology teaches. Election is God's choice of a people in Christ for Himself. It refers to the church as a divinely ordained spiritual institution, and pertains to every person, Jew and Gentile alike who conforms to God's plan of redemption. Election is primarily corporate and embraces individuals only in association and identification with the body of Christ - the church (CP Ro 3:21 26; Eph 1:313; 2:4 10; 3:1 12; 2Th 2:13 14; Tit 1:13; 2:11 14; He 2:9 13; 1Pe 2:3 9). See also comments on Mt 11:28-30, 13:10-11, 20:16, Jn 1:12-13, 3:14-15, 3:36, 6:37, 12:37-40; Ac 2:37-38, 3:22-23, 13:48, 28:23-29; Ro 1:16-17, 3:24-26 (A), 8:28-30, 9:1-3, 9:7, 9:10-13, 9:14-18, 9:19-21, 10:14-17, 11:2, 11:4, 11:7-10; Eph 1:11-14, 2:8-10; 1Th 1:3; 2Ti 1:8-9 and 1Pe 1:2 and author's studies Salvation - a Free Will Choice or Predestinated? and Chosen by God? in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1).

1:9-12 What is the mystery of God's will Paul refers to here?

This mystery is that at the end of this age, in the millennium, God will unify the whole creation - every created being and thing - animate and inanimate, in heaven and earth, as one in Christ (CP Dan 7:13-14;  Ac 3:20-21;  Ro 8:18-23;  Php 3:20-21;  Col 1:20). This is not teaching Universalism as some believe - that everyone who ever lived will be saved. It only applies to those in Christ, as scriptures clearly teach (CP Jn 3:3, 5, 16-18, 36; 1Th 4:13-18 with 1Cor 15:51-58; 1Ti 4:10). See also comments on Ac 3:19-21 and Ro 8:19-21. 

1:11-14 What plain truth underlies what Paul says here?

The plain truth is, as V13 clearly proves, that the Ephesians got saved as a result of hearing the gospel and believing it, which is the only way scriptures teach that anyone can be saved (CP Mt 24:14;  28:18-20;  Mk 13:10;  16:15-16;  Lu 24:46-48;  Ac 1:8;  10:42-43 with Ro 10:14-17). Like our study on Eph 1:3-6 also proved, V11 is not teaching that believers are predestinated to salvation by God, but that it is the believer's inheritance in Christ which was predestinated. It is the plan of redemption, and the Saviour through whom it will be accomplished, the Lord Jesus Christ, that was predestinated by God (CP Gen 3:15;  Nu 24:17;  Psa 118:22;  Isa 9:6-7;  28:16;  Mt 1:20-23;  Lu 1:26-33;  2:25-28, 24:25-27, 44-48;  Jn 1:29, Ro 1:1-6;  Eph 3:1-12;  2Ti 1:1, 8-10;  1 Pe 1:18-20;  2:6-8;  Rev 13:8). Immediately upon hearing the gospel and believing it for their salvation, believers are set with God's seal - He gives them the Holy Spirit to assure them of their future resurrection and eternal inheritance in Christ (CP Eph 1:13-14 with Ro 8:23;  2Cor 1:20-22, 5:5;  1Pe 1:5). See also comments on Ro 10:14-17; 2Cor 1:21-22, 5:5; Eph 1:3-6, 2:8-10 and 1Jn 5:10-13.

1:15-23 What is the significance of this prayer?

This is a prayer we can all pray, not only for others, but for ourselves too, knowing that it conforms with God's will for every believer in Christ. God wants believers to receive more wisdom and revelation of His plan for them, and to experience greater abundance of Holy Spirit power in their lives. The spirit of wisdom and revelation in V17 is not the Holy Spirit but our own spirit - the element of life within us. God wants our spirit to be full of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (CP Mt 7:7; Jas 1:5-8 with Eph 3:14-21).  Eph 3:20teaches us that God will do for us not only more than we desire and ask in prayer, but even more than our imagination can perceive, depending upon the degree of the Holy Spirit's presence, power and grace outworking in our lives. The word power here refers to our faith.

Faith is the power of God within us to enable us to reign in life and to receive answers to prayer. The word worketh refers to the exercising of our faith to believe God to do it. Faith makes prayer work (see also comments on Eph 3:20).

Val Boyle

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Ephesians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realmswith every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightenedin order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be headover everything for the church, 23 which is his body,the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.