Ephesians 1:5

You and I would not understand our own birth if someone had not explained it to us. I wouldn’t even know what my birthday was if somebody hadn’t told me. In Ephesians chapter 1 Paul is explaining the hidden eternal truths about salvation. As far as I’m concerned, the night I was saved I heard the Gospel, the preacher told me how to be saved, I trusted the Lord Jesus and He saved me. Then I started to read my Bible and I discovered how wonderful, how profound is this whole experience of salvation. Ephesians 1:5 introduces us to several aspects of salvation that are really overwhelming. Listen, “Having predestined us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

He’s talking about God the Father of course. This word “predestination” bothers a lot of people. It simple means God’s perfect plan for His people. Predestination does not refer to lost people. I don’t read anywhere in the Bible where God predestines people to go to hell. Predestination is God’s perfect loving plan for His own people. Now He has predestinated that we should be adopted and we should have a special standing before God. You don’t get into God’s family by adoption. You see an adopted child does not have the nature of the parents. You get into God’s family by being born-again. When you’re born into the family, you have the nature of the parent, and you can’t get into heaven without God’s nature. Adoption means the minute you were born-again God gave you an adult-standing in His family.

And because you are given an adult-standing in God’s family God treats you like an adult. He lets you write checks and draw upon His riches. You can walk, you can talk. No baby can do those things. It’s for the good pleasure of His will that He predestined us to be adopted. Today if you are one of God’s children born into God’s family, you are adopted. That means you have an adult-standing. That means you can have responsibility and privilege in the family of God.