Question:

I was reading Ephesians chapter 1 yesterday and there’s all this talk of predestination, such as in verse 4,5,11. Does this affirm the U in the TULIP acronym (unconditional election)? What is your response? Also, what’s your response to verse 13 saying we were marked with the Holy Spirit at belief, versus receiving the Holy Spirit at baptism.

Answer:

A good question.  Some say that predestination is not a biblical doctrine, but these passages prove this claim false.  Paul tells us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that ” He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship, through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5). Ephesians 1:11 repeats this.  One thing we can say with certainty is that some sort of predestination is biblical.  These are not the only passages, but they are perhaps the clearest in telling us that our salvation was predestined.
The question, then, is what form does this predestination of God take?  You ask whether the “U” in TULIP is proved by this passage.  This is the doctrine of unconditional election, which claims that if God has elected a person, then it is absolutely inevitable that this person will in fact be saved.  It follows, logically, on the “L” of Tulip, which is Limited Atonement.  This is the teaching, found in the theological system known as Calvinism, that Christ died, not for all persons, but only for the limited number who were elected for salvation.  As to the others, labeled as the “reprobate” by Calvinists, these poor souls were pre-selected for damnation.  If “L” is not true, then “U” also is not true.
So, what is this biblical predestination.  Who is predestined by God for what?  What I can say with absolute certainty is that Limited Atonement is not a biblical teaching.  Many passages can serve as solid proof-texts against limited atonement.  For example, there is 1 John 2:2, which tells us that “Jesus Christ… is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.”  In other words, Jesus died for ALL persons.  All are capable of being saved if they will do what John suggested earlier in his book.  So many other passages can be mentioned, such as 1 Timothy 2:3-4, which says, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  And there is 2 Cor 5:14, where we are told by God that “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.”  The all in this passage means Christ died for all persons.  There is no other reasonable interpretation of these three passages.  It is God’s will that all be saved.  This is obvious from these passages, but also from the tenor of the entire Bible.
So what, then, is the nature of biblical predestination?  It is this:  God has predestined all for salvation. Every single human being is predestined to be saved, but not all persons accept this chosen destiny of God because God gives us free will.  We are free to choose to serve God, to humble ourselves before him, and to accept the gree gift of salvation, but we are also free to rebel against God, to reject the future he has in store for us, and to therefore be lost.  All of God’s acts of predestination are for our salvation, not for our damnation. Paul mentions a couple of these in Romans 9.  His act to choose Jacob and his act to “harden” Pharaoh’s heart both served toward his saving acts.  God’s election is available to all who choose, by faith, choose to put their faith in the blood of Jesus.  This is shown by so many passages! Romans 3:21-26.  The suggestion of Calvinism that God created the majority of human beings so that he could predestine them to hell is not only unbiblical, it does great dishonor to God, who loves all of us.
No, the “U” in Calvinism is not biblical.  Not at all!
As for Ephesians 1:13, this seems to me to not be a particularly difficult passage to interpret.  When we repent of our sins and are baptized into Christ, we receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38).  It is this Holy Spirit, whom God gives to all who obey him (Acts 5:32), by repenting and being baptized, which is a deposit, a seal, guaranteeing our inheritance.  The fact that Jesus and others called people to repent, is further evidence that God’s predestination is for all who choose to repent.
John Oakes