I AM ADOPTED
“In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:5-6
A straight forward rendering of this verse is God predestined us, God is the subject, and predestined the verb in the active voice which places the action on God; we are the object and recipients of the action. The English lesson is to point to the fact that God placed His love upon us before time began that we should be part of His family.
In Romans 8, Paul said it this way, “For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” To know someone in the Bible is to know them intimately, as Adam knew Eve and she conceived and brought forth a son. Therefore, when it says God foreknew us it means He determined to love us intimately, and this He did before the race was created.
Everyone has a tough time with predestination, but for those who embrace this doctrine the terms grace, love, and freedom from the works of the law take on a whole new dimension. God does not love me because of anything I have done or anything I am, but because He decided to set His special love upon me. God loves us all by not destroying us the first time we sin; He loves some specially by redeeming them from their sins.