Ephesians: God Designates ALL to be Saved

There are two major things that stand out to me when I read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

1. The numerous statements that teach the fact that believers were chosen since before the world even began.
2. The extreme emphasis placed on believers sharing an active role with Christ in the celestial realm.

So much of this information is in chapter one of Ephesians, I encourage you to read this book, it is mind blowing and tears the chains off of the religion that holds us in bondage.  Ephesians talks about pre-destination to the fullest extent and explains that we have nothing to do with being chosen, it is all of God’s grace and sovereign choice.  God chooses some to be saved and have a higher calling, then at the end, His grace will eventually save every single person that has ever walked the face of this earth and more.  

I don’t have fancy words to relate this to anyone, so I am just going to present the scripture that says this so plainly.  I will be referencing a lot of scripture is this paper because there is so much that talks so plainly about our destiny.  I am going to underline and stress the importance of the scripture speaking of the celestial realm, God’s sovereign pre-destined choice (lack of human free will), and our relationship to Christ.  The scripture will be presented and I will make key points in relation to those scriptures.   

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Jesus Christ; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the ‘Beloved.’  — Ephesians 1: 3-6

1. This is the first of many times the book of Ephesians mentions believers in company with the celestials.  The celestials are a heavenly realm that seems to be a different destiny for believers than for the earthbound, Jewish believers.  More on that as we proceed.
2. In these verses, Paul says that God chooses us, in Chirst, before the disruption of the world.  This verse is talking about believers.  So, if believers are chosen by God before the world ever began, before they were born, before they did anything good or bad, before they even had any knowledge, then how can this be a human free will choice to come to belief?  Simple, it has nothing to do with human free will.  God chooses, before time began, who will believe and who will not.  Those who believe in this life will have a special salvation and a special purpose both on earth and as Ephesians attests, in the celestial realm.  Those who do not believe or have not been chosen by God, are still under the almighty’s control, but will be saved at a later time.  
3. Again, the last part of these verses say the believers were designated beforehand for the place of a son for the delight of God’s will for the laud of the glory of His grace!  Humans having nothing to gloat over but God’s grace.  He lavishes that grace upon us because it is His sovereign choice, not our reward for following rules or being good enough.  God really seems to enjoy lavishing His grace upon His creatures, and eventually, though in a certain order, that grace will touch all.  

The next scripture segment I am going to refer to also speaks of the destiny of the believer and again, the prefix pre- and the word beforehand are used to describe the decision of God as choosing people before they made any action towards Him.

In Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory, who are pre-expectant in the Christ (Ephesians 1: 11-12).  

So God once again makes it clear that He has pre-destined certain people to a specific calling.  In addition these verses speak of God operating all in accord with the counsel of His will.  You see, God has planned each and every moment of our life before we came to be.  Then, our lives are carried out to this end as God operates all, and absolutely all according to His will.  God has a specific calling for each individual and has a specific journey set up to get each of us there.  It is all of God.  Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we are living and moving, and are …” We cannot escape God’s plan any more than we can operate without living, moving and being.  These things, God upholds and directs in all people. 

Okay, so now I am going to back track a little and go to the first line of the above scripture that says, In Him in Whom our lot was cast also… and I am going to talk about just what the destiny is for the believer and the manner in which Jesus Christ and His body of believers will complete God’s perfect plan of saving all humanity.  

So scripture says that the believer’s lot was cast also with Jesus Christ, in fact, the group of believers that have been pulled from the many to believe God’s truths are referred to as Chirst’s body.  Christ will not go anywhere without His body.  Therefore to know what the believer’s position is, we need to look at what Christ’s allotment or position is.  This is explained in Ephesians 1: 18 – 23.  The following are important parts from this portion of scripture:

• Revelation is the realization of Him, the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, for you to perceive what is the expectation of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of the enjoyment of His allotment among the saints … (Ephesians 1: 18 – 19).  This scripture says that the saints will enjoy Jesus Christ’s allotment.  They enjoy this allotment because they have been given a realization, by God, of who Jesus and God actually are.  The realization that Jesus is the savior of the entire world and that nothing can be added to His work on the cross.  It is of pure grace.  In addition to this, God orchestrates all according to His will and His delight to navigate all people on their personal road of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  All will come to this realization, but those who come in this life have a special salvation in which they are now to enjoy what Christ enjoys.  
• So what is Christ’s allotment?  … rousing Him from among the dead and seating Him at His right hand among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending: and subjects all under His feet…(Ephesians 1: 20 – 22).  I don’t think this comes as a major surprise to a lot of people that Jesus is above all.  However, the next bit of scriptural understanding might come as a shock.
• This is continued from Ephesians 1: 22 — … and gives Him, as Head over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the complement of the One completing the all in all.
• I am also going to add this verse in Ephesians 3: 10-11 which states that now may be made known to the sovereignties and authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons…Once again, we have the body of believers being used by God to teach beings in the heavens, whether good or bad.  

Okay, there is so much here.  This verse mentions that Christ is head over all, and then, and then, it mentions that He is given to the ecclesia (group of believers) and this ecclesia is Jesus Christ’s body!  Jesus goes nowhere without His body, that is why these people will share in all the glory that Jesus has.  In fact, as this scripture mentions, the body of believers are Christ’s complement.  The word complement means “the perfect completion of.”  Therefore, the believers perfectly complete Christ and will share in His glory and in His mission.  

What, then, is Christ’s mission that his faithful will partake in?  Jesus is the one completing the all in all, meaning that those who believe in Christ will be involved in completing the all in all as well.  In essence, believers will be involved in saving all beings in the celestial and earthly realms.   So here it is, the plan that God is using to save all mankind:

First, the bible teaches that many are called but few are chosen.  The few, very few chosen to be a part of the body of Christ are those who, in this earthly life, were given the realization that Jesus Christ is their savior apart from anything that they have or have not done.  Those that believe in the sovereignty of God and reject human free will completely.  Those that reject the doctrine of eternal hell and truly believe that Jesus Christ will save all of humanity.  These people have a special salvation and will join Jesus Christ in bringing the rest of creation to the realization of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.  

Second, the bible teaches that Jesus Christ will, with His body and all, save all those that were unbelievers in their earthly life and all celestial entities that opposed God throughout the ages, so that God will be all in all.  First come the believers of the truth, those who were called out of religion to the glorious freedom of Christ.  Then those believers, along with Christ, will be used to bring everyone else to the true realization of Christ and God’s sovereignty, love, grace and perfect plan that will save every man, woman and child that has ever walked this earth.  That is Jesus’s mission, to reconcile all things to God through His death and resurrection on the cross.  He will not fail, not at all, He will not fail even one person.  

Alright, now we are moving on through the book of Ephesians.  Can you believe that everything covered so far was only chapter one?  Well now, in chapter two there is another mention of the fact that believers will be seated in the celestial realm.  

…and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus, that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 6-8).

Not only does the above scripture speak of believers being in the celestial realm but also gives the reason and process for these believers having this high honor.  First, these scriptures mention nothing of believers earning this calling as the next scripture will solidify, however, the reason some people are chosen for this destiny is because God is displaying unlimited, unimaginable riches of His grace.  Why?  Because He is showing believers kindness in Christ Jesus.  

Now, the next verses I really want to focus on.  For this is how all humanity is saved, both those who are saved now and those who will be saved later.  The next scripture blows the doors off of every single religion that claims to know Christ and then require its congregation to do works for salvation or maintain salvation through works.  Here it is:

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not of you; it is God’s approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.  For His achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

There it is, we are saved by grace through faith.  Grace is completely unmerited on the part of the human, it is imparted in us no matter what, at our assigned time.  Yes, this grace does come through faith, but that very faith is also given to us by God.  Therefore, it is not of you, not at all.  Even if the human had some little part, for instance, like accepting the gift or being smart enough to make a faith choice for Christ, then they could boast in their part in the salvation process.  However, this verse says that no one can boast, why, because they have done NOTHING to receive salvation.  It is all of Christ Jesus.  

Are you going to believe this scripture?  Here are some things that are taught that deny the saving work of Christ that the church and individuals directly boast in:

• Lie #1:  Jesus Christ died for us but you must make a personal decision to accept Him into your heart.  This boasts in self because the person must be smart enough or aware enough to make the proper choice.  This puts the ultimate responsibility of salvation on the person’s decision rather than on God.  This is human pride at its worst.
• Lie #2:  You must follow the Ten Commandments or any other rules presented in the bible or concocted by the church.  Rule following for salvation directly denies grace.  Rule following has a place with Israel, for believers, rules and especially the Ten Commandments were given to show our failure and point us to Jesus Christ.  The second someone puts doing or not doing a specific act a condition of salvation, they are denying the full work of Jesus Christ.  
• Lie #3:  Jesus is just one of many ways to God.  Although all will be saved in the fullness of time and according to God’s perfect plan, there are not numerous ways to God and it does matter what a person does.  The bible says that no one will come to the father except through Jesus Christ.  We will all be saved, yes, but we will all come through the door that is Jesus Christ.  All will come to realize Jesus Christ as savior and all will be with God because and only because of the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  There is no other way, but all will find it in God’s timing and order.  
• Lie #4:  A man is self-made and works out his life and presents it to God.  The verses above mention that WE ARE GOD’S ACHIEVEMENT!  He creates us and showers His blessings upon us.  Just like in Psalms 139:16 where it is said that every day of our life was planned before one of them came to be, the plan is hand-crafted, specific to each individual and it is all of God, we have no say in the matter.  
• Lie #5:  We do good works of our own volition.  Ephesians 2:10 says that believers are being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has made ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them.  God appoints who will believe and when, then He created good works for them to do before they had any say in the matter.  People do not do good or bad of their own free will, their works were decided beforehand and they must complete them as God has ordained.  

You see, God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.  Now to each one of us was given grace in accord with the measure of the gratuity of Christ.  Wherefore He is saying, 

                Ascending on high, He captures captivity and gives gifts to mankind (Ephesians 4: 5-8).

These scriptures attest to the fact that we are all given gifts of grace according to God’s choice.  Not all people are given the same amount of gifts or grace but given a measure according to God’s favor and delight.  However, in all the works of humans, it is God who operates because He is over all and through all and in all as scripture attests.  In Him, in the Almighty, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  Indeed, God holds us in the palm of His hand until that day in which He perfects us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Paul spoke of the fact that he was given this grace.  A grace that has been concealed from the eons in God and now is being proclaimed.  God has created all and now, through Paul, God is letting all know of His transcendent grace that will be made known to even the celestials through the body of believers that receive this grace.  That now may be made known to the sovereignties and the authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons… (Ephesians 3: 10-11).  The ecclesia, the body of believers, will make known to the celestials the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  Believers have a great destiny to bring this message to entities of heaven, both good and bad, to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and just what the Lord has done for them.  Eventually, these chosen believers will have a hand in bringing all of heaven and earth, all who have ever lived, to the grace and perfect salvation that comes through the realization that Jesus Christ is the savior of all mankind and indeed, all of creation.

The last scripture we are going to look at in Ephesians again references the believers destiny with respect to the celestials.  Paul is talking to believers here when he says, for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials (Ephesians 6: 12-13).

Paul, once again, talks about the believers work with the celestials, in fact, here he speaks of the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.  Notice that these evil forces are in the celestial realm or the heavens, not in some dark fiery underworld.  Believers will have a hand in redeeming these celestial beings.  Yes indeed, the beings of wickedness will be saved just as the most evil human beings, will one day be saved.  

If one compares Ephesians 6:12 to Colossians 1: 15 – 20, it can be seen that the same evil entities mentioned in Ephesians 6:12 are reconciled to God in Colossians 1: 15 – 20.  This is the plan of God, to set beings against Him for a time and once the drama plays out, He brings them back to Him.  How does He do this, by making peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).