Christian Living

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Good News (Day Three)

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5).

To understand the above text, we need to clean it up a bit. In almost every generation, there is a need to make linguistic adjustments. It's the need to make corrections in grammar. In the process of time, the need for more words to make up a sentence has grown.

In the text, we have two problems, one being a punctuation problem. The original message did not have any punctuation. The translator added punctuation for clarity.

Secondly, there was no sentence structure, and as a result, the translator added structure in the form of verses. We have a problem when words separate from connecting concepts. In this case, there are two words in verse four that belong in verse five.

Thirdly, the translator, some times, added words to the original message for clarification. The problem being in all cases is that if he made the wrong decision, we can not see nor receive the full benefit of knowing the facts. But with the leading of the Spirit of God, we can make the correction. We will begin by looking at the two verses together.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. (Ephesians 1:4-5).

The word 'having' in verse five is not in the original text and need to be removed if we are to see the full picture. Al-so, the two words 'in love' in verse four begins the statement of verse five. Thus, verse five would begin as follow,
In love, predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. (Ephesians 1:5).

God, in His love for us, predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself.
Yet we have even another situation; The words 'the adoption of' is not in the original message as well but added by the translator. Therefore, we need to remove the phrase 'the adoption of' from the text. Thus it reads,
In love, predestinated us unto children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. (Ephesians 1:5).

The word 'predestinate' is a Greek word that means to limit in advance. In other words, God, in His foreknowledge in love, decided to place us as his children in Christ Jesus.

We are more than the adopted children of God; we are the seed of God. We are children with the nature of our Father God. What we see at present is not who we are. We are what we cannot see at present. Though who we are is yet to appear none the less it is who we are. We are the children of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. We are partakers of the divine nature.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he appears, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2).

We are not adopted children, but we are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. We are the seed of Almighty God. Why settle for less when God has made us his best?
James R Manning

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