60: Ephesians 1:11 – Chosen in Christ, Not Irresistibly Forced

Does Ephesians 1:11 teach divine determinism? In this episode, we explore Paul's message in context, showing how predestination refers not to individuals irresistibly chosen, but to the inheritance promised to all who are in Christ. We unpack how adoption, inheritance, and free will harmonize in God's redemptive plan. Far from coercion, Paul offers comfort: God's purpose includes you—if you choose Christ.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical
sermons or Bible studies.

(00:20):
My name is Eddie Lawrence.
God's plan of redemption is not a prison.
Ephesians 1.11 shows us a father who
invites, not one who
irresistibly forces faith.

(00:40):
Ephesians 1.11 sits in a rich section of
Paul's letter where he praises God for
the blessings believers have in Christ.
Many read this verse as a statement about
God predestining everything that happens,
including who will believe. But that

(01:01):
interpretation stretches
Paul's meaning beyond the context.
Verse 11 actually restates and builds on
what Paul already said in verse 5.
Far from supporting determinism, this
passage highlights God's loving plan for

(01:21):
those who choose Christ. Paul affirms
God's sovereignty without suggesting that
anyone is irresistibly
forced into salvation.
In him we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined according to the
purpose of him who works all things

(01:41):
according to the counsel of his will.
In verse 5, Paul says God predestined us
for adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ.
That language of adoption as sons
reflects Roman legal status, not gender.

(02:03):
In Roman culture, a son, by birth or
adoption, was the heir
of the family estate.
Daughters could inherit in some cases,
but sonship carried
specific legal rights and standing.
Paul uses this cultural reference to say,

(02:23):
"all who are in Christ, both male and
female, receive the
full status of heirs."
When Paul reaches verse 11, he echoes and
expands this same truth. In him we have
obtained an inheritance, having been
predestined. He shifts from the image of

(02:45):
adoption to its outcome, inheritance.
Sons inherit.
The shift in language deepens the
picture. Verse 5 tells us who we have
become in Christ, that is, sons, and
verse 11 tells us what we receive as a

(03:05):
result, an inheritance.
Paul repeats the idea to drive it home.
All who enter Christ receive what God
appointed long ago for his people.
Paul says God predestined those in him.
The key phrase "in him" or "in Christ"

(03:27):
appears repeatedly in chapter 1.
God didn't predetermine specific
individuals who would enter Christ.
Instead, he predetermined what would
happen to those who did.
God appointed ahead of time that he would
adopt all who trust in Jesus and give
them an inheritance.

(03:50):
This plan honors human free will.
Scripture calls people to believe, trust,
and repent, actions
that require real choice.
God initiates, but he does not override.
He desires all people to be saved. But
not everyone responds.

(04:13):
Calvinism teaches that God predestines
individuals to believe and others to
perish without regard to their response.
This view faces both
scriptural and logical problems.
For example, if God causes all things,
including sin, then he becomes the author

(04:34):
of evil. But James 1.13 says God cannot
be tempted with evil and
he himself tempts no one.
Another problem, if God causes someone to
believe, then that
person cannot not believe.
Their faith is not a true response, it's

(04:55):
a programmed reaction.
That strips faith of meaning.
Yet Paul says in Romans 10.17 that faith
comes by hearing, hearing the word of
Christ, and calls people to believe in
your heart, Romans 10.9.
Faith by nature is a response, not

(05:18):
something imposed upon us.
God's plan always
involved human cooperation.
Even in the Old Testament, God said,
"Choose this day whom you
will serve," in Joshua 24.15.
The New Testament never
sets aside that pattern.

(05:38):
God chooses those who choose Him.
So in verse 11, what does the phrase
"works all things" really mean?
Ephesians 1.11 continues by saying,
"According to the purpose of Him who
works all things, according to the
counsel of His will."

(05:59):
Calvinists often use this to claim that
God causes every detail of life,
including sin and rejection.
Dr. Jack Cottrell observes that this is a
failure to allow the context to define
the meaning of "works all things."

(06:21):
Calvinists speak of an eternal decree
that is all-inclusive and universal. Does
not Paul say all things? But those who
take this in an absolute sense have
ignored the immediate context and the
main theme of Ephesians as a whole.
The term "all things" is not necessarily
absolute and must be understood within

(06:42):
the limitations imposed by the context.
Paul just finished describing the mystery
of His will in Ephesians 1, verse 9. That
is, God's plan to
unite all things in Him.
Later, Paul explains this mystery
includes bringing Jews and Gentiles

(07:02):
together into one body in Ephesians 3,
verse 6. So when Paul says God works all
things, he is referring to all things
connected to His redemptive plan.
God works through history, not by
controlling every atom and molecule, but
by guiding people and events

(07:24):
toward His redemptive goal.
He guides nations, opens doors, and
raises up messengers.
But He allows people to
respond freely to His grace.
Paul's words offer comfort, not coercion.
God has a purpose. He

(07:45):
invites all to be part of it.
When we trust Christ, we step into a plan
He prepared before the world began.
That plan includes adoption, inheritance,
and a secure place in His family.
God desires a
relationship, not robotic compliance.

(08:08):
If He forced our response,
love would be meaningless.
An unhealthy relationship, to be sure.
Scripture never
describes salvation as coercion.
Instead, it speaks of grace through faith
and God's kindness
leading us to repentance.

(08:29):
This is a relationship that
is both healthy and mutual.
Relationships based on force or coercion
are not healthy, and we describe people
in those relationships with words such as
slave, hostage, or kidnap victim.
Ephesians 1.11 doesn't teach divine

(08:50):
determinism. It
restates the truth of verse 5.
God lovingly decided that all who are in
Christ would become His children and
heirs. This inheritance isn't for a
select few hand-picked without consent,
but for all who freely
respond to the gospel.

(09:12):
When Paul says God works all things, he
means God actively brings His redemptive
plan to completion not by overriding
human will, but by working through
history, the cross, and the church.
That plan includes real human choices and
genuine faith. In Christ, God chooses

(09:35):
you, not irresistibly forced, but invited
to respond through willing
trust in a gracious Savior.

(10:03):
The word "ready," the number four, and
the word "eternity."
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That's all for now. Keep studying your
Bible, growing closer to God, and getting
ready for eternity. See you next time.