John Calvin Commentary Ephesians 1:11

"in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;" — Ephesians 1:11 (ASV)

Through whom also we have obtained an inheritance. Until now he has spoken generally of all the elect; he now begins to take notice of separate classes. When he says, WE have obtained, he speaks of himself and of the Jews, or, perhaps more correctly, of all who were the first fruits of Christianity; and afterwards he comes to the Ephesians. It tended significantly to confirm the faith of the Ephesian converts that he associated them with himself and the other believers, who might be said to be the first-born in the church. It was as if he had said, “The condition of all godly persons is the same as yours; for we who were first called by God owe our acceptance to his eternal election.” Thus, he shows that, from first to last, all have obtained salvation by free grace, because they have been freely adopted according to eternal election.

Who worketh all things. The circumlocution employed in describing the Supreme Being deserves attention. He speaks of Him as the sole agent, and as doing everything according to His own will, so as to leave nothing to be done by man. In no respect, therefore, are men admitted to share in this praise, as if they brought anything of their own. God looks at nothing outside of himself to move him to elect them, for the counsel of his own will is the only and actual cause of their election. This may enable us to refute the error, or rather the madness, of those who, whenever they are unable to discover the reason of God’s works, exclaim loudly against his design.