just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, - Ephesians 1:4-5
STOP! If you haven't read Part I, please do so before you continue.
Now, let's get on with the matter at hand.
Ephesians 1:4-5 makes one thing very clear. There is such a thing as "predistination" in Christianity. We who are Christ-followers were predistined. The question that has created great division in the Body of Christ is "what are we predistined to?"
For most Calvinists, the verse supports the notion that God decided who would be saved. So, the Calvinist answers the question with the word "salvation". We are predestined to be saved.
But, is that really what Paul is saying to us? I don't think so. First of all, the text does not say that. It does not say "we were predestined to be saved" or "God decided who would be saved." Instead, I think Paul is talking about those who are already saved. In other words God predestined the believer (the one who accepted His free gift of salvation) to be holy and blameless before Him.
In John 16, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to convict the world of sin. Everyone will be convicted by the Holy Spirit. Each will respond to the conviction by making Jesus Lord of our lives or by rejecting Him.
God decided, before the foundations of the world, that whoever trusts in Jesus will be presented as holy and blameless. He predestined all believers to that.
Paul clarifies the order of things in Romans 8.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:29-30
God has always known who, when the Holy Spirit convicted them, would trust Him and who would reject Him. Everyone He foreknew (knew beforehand) would trust Him, He predestined them to become like Jesus, to a calling, to be justified and to be glorified.
Here's an analogy. I can decide that everyone who reads this blog will get a $10 bill. In a sense, everyone who reads the blog is predestined to receive $10 because I decided beforehand this would happen to anyone who reads it. I did not decide who would read it. I did not predestine some to read it. However, I did predestine those who do read it to a crisp $10 bill.
Now, unlike God, I don't know who will read it. But, God, of course has always known every move we would make. Because of this, He can foreknow (know beforehand) who will choose Him rather than reject Him. He decided that everyone who trusts Him, they're predestined to a bounty of blessings too extravagant to measure.
He's a good God. He's especially good to those who call Him Lord.
Your comments and questions are welcome.
