For He chose us in HimThis phrase emphasizes the doctrine of divine election, where God selects individuals for a specific purpose. The concept of being "in Him" refers to the believer's union with Christ, a central theme in Pauline theology. This union is not based on human merit but on God's sovereign will. The idea of being chosen is echoed in other scriptures, such as
John 15:16, where Jesus tells His disciples, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." This reflects the biblical theme of God initiating a relationship with His people.
before the foundation of the world
This phrase indicates the eternal nature of God's plan, suggesting that His purposes transcend time and human history. It implies that God's decision to choose believers was made before creation itself, highlighting His omniscience and sovereignty. This pre-temporal choice is also mentioned in2 Timothy 1:9, which speaks of God's grace given "before the beginning of time." It underscores the idea that salvation is part of God's eternal purpose.
to be holy and blameless in His presence
The purpose of God's choosing is for believers to be "holy and blameless," reflecting God's own character. Holiness involves being set apart for God's purposes, while blamelessness suggests moral integrity. This echoes Old Testament themes, such as inLeviticus 19:2, where God commands His people to be holy because He is holy. The phrase "in His presence" implies living a life that is pleasing to God, aligning with the call to live righteously as seen in passages like1 Peter 1:15-16.
In love
This phrase can be seen as the motivation behind God's choosing and the believer's call to holiness. Love is a fundamental attribute of God's character, as seen in 1John 4:8, which states, "God is love." This love is not only the basis for God's actions but also the expected response from believers, as they are called to love God and others. The concept of love as a driving force is central to the Christian faith, encapsulating the essence of the gospel message.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
God the FatherThe one who chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world, emphasizing His sovereignty and eternal purpose.
2.
Jesus ChristThe "Him" in whom believers are chosen, highlighting the centrality of Christ in God's redemptive plan.
3.
BelieversThose who are chosen to be holy and blameless, indicating their identity and calling in Christ.
4.
The Foundation of the WorldRefers to the creation of the world, underscoring the eternal nature of God's plan.
5.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the letter to the Ephesians, writing to encourage and instruct the early church.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereign ChoiceUnderstand that God's choice of believers is rooted in His sovereign will and eternal purpose, not based on human merit.
Identity in ChristEmbrace your identity as chosen in Christ, which provides assurance and purpose in your Christian walk.
Call to HolinessRecognize that being chosen involves a call to live a holy and blameless life, reflecting God's character.
Eternal PerspectiveAdopt an eternal perspective, knowing that God's plan for you was established before the foundation of the world.
Love as MotivationLet love be the motivation for living out your calling, as God's choice is rooted in His love for us.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Ephesians 1:4?
2.How does Ephesians 1:4 inspire you to live a holy life today?
3.What does "chosen in Him before the foundation of the world" mean?
4.How does Ephesians 1:4 connect with Genesis 1:1 on God's eternal plan?
5.In what ways can you reflect God's love in your daily interactions?
6.How does being "blameless in His presence" affect your relationship with others?
7.How does Ephesians 1:4 support the doctrine of predestination?
8.What does "chosen in Him before the foundation of the world" imply about God's sovereignty?
9.How does Ephesians 1:4 relate to the concept of free will?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Ephesians 1?
11.Can one be saved without being predestined?
12.How does Ephesians 1:4 align with evolutionary science when it speaks of believers being chosen “before the foundation of the world”?
13.Is reality governed by predestination or free will?
14.What were the key outcomes of the Synod of Dort?What Does Ephesians 1:4 Mean
For He chose us“ You did not choose Me, but I chose you ” (John 15:16) echoes Paul’s words and reminds us that salvation begins with God’s initiative.
• Election highlights God’s sovereign grace (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
• It is consistent with how He set Israel apart (Deuteronomy 7:6).
Because the choosing rests with Him, our assurance rests with Him as well.
in HimAll of God’s choosing happens “in Christ.”
• Our new identity is secured by union with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17;Romans 8:1).
• Hidden “with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), we receive every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).
Outside of Christ there is no election; inside Him there is complete acceptance.
before the foundation of the worldGod’s plan predates creation itself.
• He “saved us … according to His own purpose and grace … before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
• The Lamb was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), showing the cross was always central.
• Even Jeremiah was known before birth (Jeremiah 1:5), illustrating God’s timeless foreknowledge.
Nothing takes God by surprise; His redemptive design is eternal.
to be holy and blamelessElection is not merely about destination but transformation.
• Through Christ’s sacrifice we are “holy and blameless and above reproach before Him” (Colossians 1:22).
• We are called to live out what God has declared, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).
• Sanctification is the evidence of God’s choice (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
Grace that saves also purifies.
in His presenceThe goal is intimate fellowship with God Himself.
• We can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16).
• One day He will “present you blameless before His glorious presence with great joy” (Jude 24).
• Only “clean hands and a pure heart” can stand in His holy place (Psalm 24:3-4).
Election brings us all the way home to nearness with the Father.
In loveLove is the atmosphere of the entire plan.
• “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us” (1 John 4:10).
• “God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
• The Father’s motive mirrors the famous promise ofJohn 3:16 and Paul’s own words, “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love … made us alive” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Love initiated, carried out, and will complete our salvation.
summaryEphesians 1:4 reveals an eternal, Christ-centered plan. Long before creation, God lovingly chose a people in His Son, guaranteeing their transformation into holy, blameless children who enjoy His presence forever. Our confidence, identity, and purpose flow from this breathtaking truth.
(4)
According as (
i.e., inasmuch as)
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.--Again it should be,
He chose us for Himself.The eternal election of God is inseparably connected with the blessing of the Spirit. This passage stands alone in St. Paul's Epistles in its use of this word "chosen" in connection with God's eternal purpose, "before the foundation of the world"--a phrase only applied elsewhere to the eternal communion of the Son with the Father (
John 17:24), and to the foreordaining of His sacrifice in the divine counsels (
1Peter 1:20). The word "chosen" itself is used by our Lord of His choice of the Apostles (
John 6:70;
John 13:18;
John 15:16-19); but in one case with the significant addition, "one of you is a devil," showing that the election was not final. It is similarly used in the Acts (
Acts 1:2;
Acts 1:24;
Acts 6:5;
Acts 15:7;
Acts 15:22;
Acts 15:25) of His choice or the choice of the Apostles; and once (
Acts 13:7) of the national election of Israel. In
1Corinthians 1:27-28 (the only other place where it is used by St. Paul), and in
James 2:5 it refers to choice of men by God's calling in this world. Clearly in all these cases it is applied to the election of men to privilege by an act of God's mercy here. In this passage, on the contrary, the whole reference is to the election "in Christ," by the foreknowledge of God, of those who should hereafter be made His members. From this examination of Scriptural usage it is clear that the visible election to privilege is constantly and invariably urged upon men; the election in God's eternal counsels only dwelt upon in passages which (like this or Romans 9, 11) have to ascend in thought to the fountain-head of all being in God's mysterious will. It will be observed that even here it clearly refers to all members of the Church, without distinction. . . .
Verse 4. -
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world; literally,
he chose us out, or
selected us (
ἐξελέξατο)
for himself (middle voice). The Father chose the heirs of salvation, selected those who were to be quickened from the dead (
Ephesians 2:1) and saved, they chose them
in Christ - in connection with his work and office as Mediator, giving them to him to be re-decreed (
John 17:11, 12); not after man was created, nor after man had fallen, but "before the foundation of the world." We are here face to face with a profound mystery. Before even the world was founded, mankind presented themselves to God as lost; the work of redemption was planned and its details arranged from all eternity. Before such a mystery it becomes us to put the shoes from off our feet, and bow reverently before him whose "judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out."
That we should be holy and without blame before him in love. This is obviously the design of God's electing act;
ε1FC0;ναι ἡμᾶς cannot denote the ground, but the purpose, of the choice. God did not choose some because he foresaw their holiness, but in order that they might become "holy and without blame." These two terms denote the positive and negative sides of purity: holy - possessed of all the fruits of the Spirit (
Galatians 5:22, 23); without blame, or blemish - marked by no stain or imperfection (see
Ephesians 5:27). The terms do not denote justification, but a condition of sanctification which implies justification already bestowed, but goes beyond it; our justification is a step towards our complete final sanctification. This renewal being "before him," must be such as to bear the scrutiny of his eye; therefore not external or superficial merely, but reaching to the very heart and center of our nature (
1 Samuel 16:7). The expression further denotes how it is of the very nature and glory of the new life to be spent in God's presence, our souls flourishing in the precious sunshine which ever beams out there from. For, when thus renewed, we do not fly from his presence like Adam (
Genesis 3:8), but delight in it (
Psalm 42:1;
Psalm 63:1). Fear is changed to love (
1 John 4:18); the loving relation between us and God is restored. It has been much disputed whether the words
ἐν ἀγάπῃ ought to be construed with the fourth verse or with
προορίσας in the fifth. The weight of authority seems in favor of the latter; but we prefer the construction which is given both in the Authorized and the Revised Version, first, because if
ἐν ἐγάπῃ qualified
προορίσας, it would come more naturally after it; and second, because the scope of the passage, the train of the apostle's thought, seems to require us to keep
ἐν ἀγάπῃ in ver. 4. We never could come to be holy and without blemish before God unless the loving relations between us were restored (comp.
Ephesians 3:17, "Rooted and grounded in love"). The spirit of love, trust, admiration, directed to God helps our complete sanctification - changes us into the same image (
2 Corinthians 3:18).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Forκαθὼς(kathōs)Adverb
Strong's 2531:According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.He choseἐξελέξατο(exelexato)Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1586:To pick out for myself, choose, elect, select. Middle voice from ek and lego; to select.usἡμᾶς(hēmas)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.Himαὐτῷ(autō)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.beforeπρὸ(pro)Preposition
Strong's 4253:A primary preposition; 'fore', i.e. In front of, prior to.[the] foundationκαταβολῆς(katabolēs)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2602:From kataballo; a deposition, i.e. Founding; figuratively, conception.of [the] worldκόσμου(kosmou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2889:Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).to beεἶναι(einai)Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.holyἁγίους(hagious)Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 40:Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.blamelessἀμώμους(amōmous)Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 299:Blameless, without blemish, unblemished, faultless. Unblemished.in His presence.κατενώπιον(katenōpion)Preposition
Strong's 2714:Before the face of, over against. From kata and enopion; directly in front of.Inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.loveἀγάπῃ(agapē)Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26:From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.
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NT Letters: Ephesians 1:4 Even as he chose us in him (Ephes. Eph. Ep) 
