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Bible Question: Please
explain Ephesians 1:4-6.
Bible Answer: Ephesians
1:4-6 tells us that God selected certain people to be saved. There
are several previous related questions that you might want to read.
Here is a list of the past questions.
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Passage |
Question |
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Ephesians
1:4-5 |
If
you are not chosen, then does it really matter when you die? |
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John
6:37-39 |
Does
the Bible teach that Christ died for everyone or just the elect
(some)? |
|
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John
6:70-71 |
Does
a man choose salvation, and does God choose a man to be saved? |
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1
Timothy 2:3-4 |
Who
are the elect? |
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Chose Before. The message of
Ephesians 1:4 is that He chose people to become Christians. Then He
created our world before
He created us.
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Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world . . . (NASB) Eph. 1:4 |
Now we should ask the question, "What does it mean that He chose
us?" The answer is found in the meaning of the Greek word "chose."
The Greek word is EKLAGOMAI and it means "to pick out, choose
out a person or thing." It refers to a person's free selection.
This is an important word because it will help us to understand this
passage. Therefore, we need to ask, "How is this word used somewhere
else?" When we go looking we discover the word in Acts 1:24-25.
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Then
they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show
us which of these two you have chosen to take over this
apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs."
(NIV) Acts 1:24-25 |
In this passage the apostles are praying and asking God to show them
which man they should "choose" to be an apostle. The apostles
were seeking God's direction in finding a replacement for Judas. This
Greek word was sometimes used to speak of selecting men for a military
draft. So here in our passage, it refers to God's free selection or
"drafting" of men and women.
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