Ephesians 1:9

He did this when he revealed to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,

It is the revelation of Christ in you that Paul is calling salvation. 

Even though the plan was before the world was formed, the execution is in time.

The instant you gain the revelation of Christ is when that grace is lavished upon you, or the lavishing of the grace is the revelation of Christ, when you experience the redemption and forgiveness of sin (Ephesians 1:7). Not a moment before. 

For you, it becomes a before-and-after experience as you taste and see the Lord's goodness to you, and you will also be able to exclaim, as Paul did, "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3).

Then you can step into the holy and blameless category (Ephesians 1:4). 

Remember that Christ is going to present to Himself a church not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27). 

But now you are God's legal heir (Ephesians 1:5). He signed the papers, so to speak, by sealing you with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). 

How cool is that!

Those who believe in Jesus become born from above, born again, born of the seed of God (John 1:12-13, 3:7, 1 Peter 1:23). Born by God's initiative. God infused you with Himself. How fun is that! 

You are as dear to Him as His son because you are in His child. Glory to God! And He lavished His grace on us (Ephesians 1:7-8). 

Some people want to fixate on what comes first in the order of salvation, but they don't tell you why it matters. 

It's like the Pharisee telling the man born blind that the person who opened his eyes was a sinner (John 9). 

Who cares? Once I was blind, now I see, the man said. And later Christ would reveal Himself to him, and he bowed down and worshipped Him. 

So the sequence is revelation, then worship. 

Revelation from God means a direct unveiling of who Christ is to your heart, which moved you from the camp of the cursed because of sin to the camp of the blessed because of the gift of righteousness. 

See it like flash 3-D printing, where everything happens at the same time, not in sequence, where the whole thing is formed as a whole at the same time, even though you can see the parts. 

Since everything is Christ, it's one whole package at once. It's not like a cafeteria where you pick one thing, then the other.

It's like ordering a piece of clothing to wear, though it has different parts. But the different parts do not concern you. It has been brought together, and now you are wearing it.

Verse 5 spoke of the pleasure of His will; we now encounter the same word - will -in this focus verse, when talking about His good pleasure.

Verse 5 emphasized the divine choice (predestination); this verse emphasizes God's goodness to us.  

And we also read that God did it. He did not delegate it; He did it Himself. 

God mediated the Old Testament through angels (Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2), but this He did himself. That distinction should not be lost on us. 

Just as He himself created man from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). This new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) was hands-on for Him. 

It was something He orchestrated, beginning with Abraham, then an ethnic people through Abraham, and now a spiritual people. 

This is a series of divine choices that has now led to you being chosen at this time. How wonderful is that!

If everyone will be saved, then the divine choice makes no meaning; it is no longer personal but general. 

But God, and as Paul is explaining here, makes a choice. And there is a mystery about that, meaning you cannot explain through any analysis why God chose someone and not the other person. 

Note that it is not mysterious if everyone is saved.

Paul explained the divine choice elsewhere (Romans 9). And over and over again, that plays out. He chose Isaac rather than Ishmael; He chose Jacob rather than Esau; He chose Israel among the nations of the world. 

It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you—for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. Rather it is because of his love for you and his faithfulness to the promise he solemnly vowed to your ancestors that the Lord brought you out with great power, redeeming you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:7-8: 7)

In another place, Paul expands on the divine choice:

Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

Rejecting Money-For-Blessings Schemes in the Church

Rejecting Money-For-Blessings Schemes in the ChurchAre you tired of the spiritual pressure to “sow a seed” for divine favor? Have you been left disillusioned by doctrines that portray God as a cosmic merchant who must be paid before He will bless you?This book, Rejecting Money-For-Blessings Schemes in the Church, offers a critical and deeply scriptural examination of modern financial doctrines that have crept into the church. It meticulously dismantles the notion that giving is a transaction meant to control God or “activate” a miracle.In this essential work, you will: Reclaim the True Picture of God: Understand God as the generous Father who gives to all—even the unrighteous—and whose nature is to give freely, not to withhold until a price is paid. Discover Biblical Giving: Uncover the true foundation for Christian giving, which begins with acknowledging that “everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours” (1 Chronicles 29:14). Expose Misinterpretation: Systematically refute the false application of biblical parables, such as the Sower, and historical accounts, like the widow of Zarephath, to money-for-blessing schemes. Embrace a Cheerful Heart: Be released from the compulsion and fear-based giving tactics and learn to give “just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Reaffirm Christ’s Supremacy: Solidify your belief that “Christ who is your life” (Colossians 3:4), not material wealth, is the center of your devotion. This is a vital resource for anyone who has felt exploited, confused, or burdened by financial demands in a spiritual context. Return to the pure, unadulterated devotion to Christ, where the access to every good gift is secured by His blood, not your money. Reclaim the joy of true giving as an act of worship, not a down payment on a blessing.