Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ephesians 1:5-6

"having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure 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 (ASV)

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

See how Paul goes on taking one city after another of this heavenly Canaan. It was election, now it is adoption, now it is acceptance in the Beloved. He is a good Joshua for us if we will only really and truly follow him, and take possession of the promised land.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

It is well said, by an old writer, that there is no book which is written with such brevity as the Bible; it seems to give us the condensed essence of truth in the smallest possible space. What a mass of thought there is in those few lines that I have just read to you! We see here that we become the children of God by adoption, whatever the universal Fatherhood people may say: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself; and that this adoption is the result of predestination, and is not because of our own merits, but according to the good pleasure of his will. Some systems of theology have much of logic, but little of God; but in Paul's teaching, it is God first, and last, and in the center, and over all.

To the praise of the glory of his grace. What a wonderful expression this is—not only the glory of his grace, but the praise of that glory! God has done all things with a view to magnifying his grace in the hearts of the sons and daughters of men: wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. There seems to me to be a sacred poem in these words, accepted in the beloved. To my heart, there is more heavenly music in those four words than in any oratorio I ever heard. Accepted in the Beloved. Oh, what honey this is in the mouth, what cheer this is in the heart! Are all of you, dear friends, accepted in the beloved?

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Adoption follows predestination. We were chosen by God before time began; and the result of that choice is, that he puts us into his family. In the fifth verse, the apostle declares that the only reason for our adoption, or for our election, rests in the good pleasure of God Almighty. There is nothing in man which can merit God's regard; and when we enter heaven, we shall even there sing—

"What was there in me that could merit esteem,
Or give the Creator delight?
It was even so, Father, I ever must sing,
'Because it seemed good in your sight.'"

Mark here the channel through which all God's mercies run.

Jesus Christ is the channel through which grace flows to us; we are chosen in him; we are adopted by Jesus Christ to himself; and we are "accepted in the Beloved." It is said of that eminently holy man, Harington Evans, that, when near death, he asked his friends to give this message to his church. "Tell them," said he, "I am accepted in the Beloved." Can we say, my fellow believers, that we are accepted in the Beloved? Can we put our hand upon our heart, and each one say, "I may not be accepted by my fellow creatures, I may not be acknowledged by them; and, certainly, before my God, I can never be accepted in myself; but in the Beloved, clothed with his righteousness, and standing in his person, as a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, I am 'accepted in the Beloved'?"