Doctrine of Unconditional Election

[Everlasting-Grace]

Wait a second, now that I think about it you've said over and over that I refused to answer this question of yours. Now
you say that we've discussed it many times. Hmmm - interesting.

We did discuss the prodigal son

We have yet to discuss the actually passages I have been wanting to discuss

Once again, there you go trying to turn the conversation away from the actual discussion.

Your begining to act like so many who come before you

1. Refuse to look at the actual verses
2. Direct to other verses, which have nothing to do with the actual verses
3. Claim you have discussed actual verses, even though you have not
4. Point the direction to something else (like are you saved or not)
5. If all else fails. Try to make the other person look like he is trying to do something he is not doing, to take the focus off you.

dude, if you do not want to discuss Gen 12 - 15 - 17 and lev 26. Just say so. I will leave you be

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

Pre flood doesn't make any difference. According to those in the know, it is accurate out to 10-15,000 years.

That completely covers and beyond the YEC claim about age of the earth.

And carbon dating doesn't even come close to those numbers. They are WAY beyond those numbers.

And Gen 1:2 shows an indeterminant time gap between v.1 and 2.

Those who know?

Did they live pre flood? Did they take scientific examples pre flood?

Did they witness anything pre-flood?

if not. They do not know anything, They are hypothesizing.

A hypothisis is not scientific proof.

 

[FreeGrace2]

Those who know?

Did they live pre flood? Did they take scientific examples pre flood?

Did they witness anything pre-flood?

if not. They do not know anything, They are hypothesizing.

A hypothisis is not scientific proof.

I don't believe any of this matters. Gen 1:2 has been badly translated, given how the key words are translated everywhere else in the OT.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth, BUT the earth BECAME an UNINHABITABLE WASTELAND.

Isa 45:18 says - For thus says the LORD , who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited ), "I am the LORD , and there is none else.

Let's just look at the Hebrew word: 'tohu'

In the traditional translation of Gen 1:1,2 it says "God created the earth and the earth was tohu".

Isa 45:18 says - "God did NOT create the earth tohu".

With proper translation, there is no conflict between the 2 verses.

The Septuagint translates the conjunction as "but" because it is a disjunctive, which indicates a contrast between v.1 and 2.

I don't know why you think what I post is a "hypothesis". My focus is strictly on how the Hebrew words are used elsewhere in the OT.

The traditional translation of 1:2 creates a conflict with Isa 45:18.

 

[rogerg]

You want to talk about whether I placed my faith in Christ or not. I want to talk about Gen 12, 15 17 and lev 26. something with which you keep trying to avoid.

Okay, what specifically are your questions about those Genesis and Leviticus chapters? But first, I'd like you to clarify your foundational
beliefs, which clarifications, you have refused thus far to provide. So, do you believe that Christ alone is the Saviour, and do you believe the New Testament is correctly part of the Bible? Simply an explicit yes or no - no evasion this time.

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

I don't believe any of this matters. Gen 1:2 has been badly translated, given how the key words are translated everywhere else in the OT.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth, BUT the earth BECAME an UNINHABITABLE WASTELAND.

Isa 45:18 says - For thus says the LORD , who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited ), "I am the LORD , and there is none else.

Let's just look at the Hebrew word: 'tohu'

In the traditional translation of Gen 1:1,2 it says "God created the earth and the earth was tohu".

Isa 45:18 says - "God did NOT create the earth tohu".

With proper translation, there is no conflict between the 2 verses.

The Septuagint translates the conjunction as "but" because it is a disjunctive, which indicates a contrast between v.1 and 2.

I don't know why you think what I post is a "hypothesis". My focus is strictly on how the Hebrew words are used elsewhere in the OT.

The traditional translation of 1:2 creates a conflict with Isa 45:18.

You have death and destruction occuring before the fall.

Good luck with that.

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

Okay, what specifically are your questions about those Genesis and Leviticus chapters? But first, I'd like you to clarify your foundational
beliefs, which clarifications, you have refused thus far to provide. So, do you believe that Christ alone is the Saviour, and do you believe the New Testament is correctly part of the Bible? Simply an explicit yes or no - no evasion this time.

You make me want to scream

Don;t ask me what I want to know about those chapters. I have only asked you multiple ties over multiple days.

There is only one gospel. Through christ and him alone. Why you would think I even think otherwise is for the birds. In fact you know what. I am continuing to lose respect for you.

As for the NT, I think it answers itself. All scripture is God breathed.. Last I looked, the NT was scripture.

 

[FreeGrace2]

You have death and destruction occuring before the fall.

Good luck with that.

I don't need luck. I see that you have no problem with Gen 1:2 and Isa 45:18 being in DIRECT OPPOSITION to each other, though.

You'll need a lot of luck with that contradiction.

The problem is that people don't know the reality that Satan was ON EARTH way before Adam was. Ezek 28-
11 The word of the LORD came to me:
12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

This is actually describing Satan: v.12 describes his perfection and beauty. v.13 plainly says he was in Eden, the garden of God. v.15 notes that he was created. Only Adam was created, the first human being. All angels were created. There is no evidence from Scripture that angels were born. Also note that Satan was blameless until wickedness was found in him.

This establishes that Satan occupied the garden of Eden way before Adam was created. And v.16 shows that after he fell, he was filled with violence. Which is evident on this earth.

See? No luck needed. Just a solid knowledge of the Bible.

Please take your wrong translation of Gen 1:2 and try to reconcile it with Isa 45:18.

Gen 1:2 - God created the earth tohu.
Isa 45:18 - God didn't create the earth tohu.

Which one you gonna believe?

 

[Duckybill]

God created man in His own image. Meaning, body, soul and spirit.


What this verse doesn't say is that God created wickedness. He did create ALL humans, including the wicked.

God does not cause wickedness.

God couldn't stop all wickedness?

 

[rogerg]

You make me want to scream

Don;t ask me what I want to know about those chapters. I have only asked you multiple ties over multiple days.

There is only one gospel. Through christ and him alone. Why you would think I even think otherwise is for the birds. In fact you know what. I am continuing to lose respect for you.

As for the NT, I think it answers itself. All scripture is God breathed.. Last I looked, the NT was scripture.

Ditto the screaming

" There is only one gospel. Through christ and him alone. Why you would think I even think otherwise is for the birds. In fact you know what. I am continuing to lose respect for you.
s for the NT, I think it answers itself. All scripture is God breathed.. Last I looked, the NT was scripture."

Finally, now was that so difficult? You could have done that fifty posts ago. It may be hard for you to believe this, but your losing respect for me really isn't too high a priority on my worry about list - matter of fact, it isn't on it all. How much lost sleep do you think I'll lose over that?

Anyway, given that you believe what you say you believe, to include the New Testament, then how is it
these verses don't unquestionably and completely demonstrate to you who God's promises pertain to?
The promises were intended only for the true believers and were not given to physical linages, nor affiliation with earthly nations.
Do you see the "to them that believe" part? Do you find any promise to the nation of Israel from/in the below? All of the Bible,
both Old and New Testaments, must conform to, and support, these verses and Christ, whether or not it is immediately obvious.

[Rom 9:6-8
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

[Gal 3:22 KJV]
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

[2Co 1:19-20 KJV]
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, [even] by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20 For all the promises of God in him [are] yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

I don't need luck. I see that you have no problem with Gen 1:2 and Isa 45:18 being in DIRECT OPPOSITION to each other, though.

You'll need a lot of luck with that contradiction.

The problem is that people don't know the reality that Satan was ON EARTH way before Adam was. Ezek 28-
11 The word of the LORD came to me:
12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

This is actually describing Satan: v.12 describes his perfection and beauty. v.13 plainly says he was in Eden, the garden of God. v.15 notes that he was created. Only Adam was created, the first human being. All angels were created. There is no evidence from Scripture that angels were born. Also note that Satan was blameless until wickedness was found in him.

This establishes that Satan occupied the garden of Eden way before Adam was created. And v.16 shows that after he fell, he was filled with violence. Which is evident on this earth.

See? No luck needed. Just a solid knowledge of the Bible.

Please take your wrong translation of Gen 1:2 and try to reconcile it with Isa 45:18.

Gen 1:2 - God created the earth tohu.
Isa 45:18 - God didn't create the earth tohu.

Which one you gonna believe?

I understand it fully

Gen 1: 1 is a general statement

the rest of Gen 1 is a more detailed explantion of how Gen 1 came to be.

You still have sin and death on earth occuring before the fall. So yes. You have a major problem.

 

[FreeGrace2]

I understand it fully

Gen 1: 1 is a general statement

the rest of Gen 1 is a more detailed explantion of how Gen 1 came to be.

You still have sin and death on earth occuring before the fall. So yes. You have a major problem.

No problem at all. I explained this.

The Bible tells us that Satan was in Eden, the garden of God when he was blameless. When Satan shows up in the garden after God created man and woman, he was evil. It should be apparent that Satan fell BEFORE God created mankind, a lower creation.

After Satan fell, he was thrown out of heaven. He had access to all of the universe.

I don't know why you reject the proper translation of 1:2. Why don't you do your own research? I used biblehub.com to see how the key words in v.2 were rendered in the rest of the OT. That's how I confirmed what I had been taught earlier about a time gap between the 2 verses.

iow, I used the Berean study method.

In any case, using the traditional rendering of v.2 creates a direct contradiction with Isa 45:18.

Are you OK with that? I sure am not OK with that.

And there is no contradiction or problem with the proper translation of v.2 and Isa 45:18.

 

[Thewatchman]

Everlastinggrace Did you read my post on this subject and if so let me know what you thank
Thewatchman

 

[awelight]

FreeGrace2 said:
Awelight, it seems you are unhappy with post #3040. Is it all the verses that prove election isn't about salvation but about service, or something else?

If you believe that God's election is to salvation, please quote a verse that makes that clear. Thank you.

OK, from this reponse, it appears you don't actually read posts before responding. So I'll take you through it.

You marked my post 3040 with an unhappy face. So I asked you WHY you were unhappy with it.

All the verses I shared prove that election is to service, and not to salvation. Is that what bothers you?

Then I challenged you to quote a verse that clearly shows that election is to salvation.

But you respond with such a silly question: why would you want such Scripture? What Christian wouldn't want to see the truth?

Then you make the bold but factless claim that I don't believe "in what Scripture clearly teaches".

Do you see the irony here? I asked for such a verse and you just blow it off and tell me what I don't believe what the Bible "clearly teaches".

That is what so many Calvinists do when they are cornered and know it. You know good and well that there are NO such verses that show election is to salvation. So you blow smoke.

How can I believe a claim when NO ONE can show me the Bible making that claim?? Please answer this.


All my posts have verses that ACTUALLY say what I believe. Which is WHY I believe what I believe.

The real question is: why do YOU believe election is to salvation when you know full well you can't quote any verse that says so.


First, I have just as many disagreements with the Arminians as I do with Calvinists. It's kinda funny that it seems nearly ALL Calvinists think I am an Arminian, and nearly all Arminians think I am a Calvinist. lol.

So you think free will makes me "the worst", eh? Well, well. Keep your head in the sand. I'll keep mine in the Word. I know what the Word says, unlike yourself. And I can prove it, as I did in 3040. Which you didn't like.

At least we know that you don't like certain verses; verses that refute your views.

That should be a clue.



However, in response, Ephesians chapter 1, to start.

[/QUOTE]

AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY,

Everyone here knows what you believe. You have been droning on and on and on about this view for as long as I have been a member. What view is that? This peculiar view === QUOTE - "All the verses I shared prove that election is to service, and not to salvation. Is that what bothers you? Then I challenged you to quote a verse that clearly shows that election is to salvation."

I have studied many, many views on the subject of Soteriology BUT I have never seen this particular attempt to undermine Election before.

Your understanding of the Scriptures and your desire to be argumentative on every thread, shows all that you have the wrong spirit.

ELECTION to service - what a twisted and unbelievable concept.

 

[FreeGrace2]

FreeGrace2 said:
Awelight, it seems you are unhappy with post #3040. Is it all the verses that prove election isn't about salvation but about service, or something else?

If you believe that God's election is to salvation, please quote a verse that makes that clear. Thank you.

AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY,

Everyone here knows what you believe.

That is because I try to be a clear as possible when explaining my understanding of the Bible. And I include verses that actually say what I believe. Which is why I believe what I believe.

You have been droning on and on and on about this view for as long as I have been a member. What view is that? This peculiar view === QUOTE - "All the verses I shared prove that election is to service, and not to salvation. Is that what bothers you? Then I challenged you to quote a verse that clearly shows that election is to salvation."

I have studied many, many views on the subject of Soteriology BUT I have never seen this particular attempt to undermine Election before.

How interesting. You claim that I am attempting to "undermine election", when I have proven from the Bible and clear verses that election IS to service.

What is more interesting is how many people disagree with my view, yet have FAILED TOTALLY in quoting any verse that says that election is to salvation.

Don't you find that interesting?

Your understanding of the Scriptures and your desire to be argumentative on every thread, shows all that you have the wrong spirit.

What have I "argued"? What I have done is share the verses that have convinced me that election is to service.

And NO ONE, no Calvinist, has provided any verse showing election being to salvation.

ELECTION to service - what a twisted and unbelievable concept.

Well, you are free to have whatever opinion of Scripture that you want, but I have proven my conviction with clear Scripture.

What have you done to convince anyone of the Calvinist view that election is to salvation?

I invite you to address any verse that I've shared and point out with clear language where and how I am in error with that verse.

I've given you many to choose from. But choose (elect) just one and show me my error.

Do you think I want to be wrong any more than you want to be wrong? Right, I don't. So, we both want to be right, right?

So, since you haven't provided any verse that clearly shows that election is to salvation, at least take one verse from my list and show me where I've erred, since you clearly think I have erred.

Thank you.

 

[Thewatchman]

I believe fully in Gods election.
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

[Thewatchman]

I believe fully in Gods election.
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

[Thewatchman]

Dose Eph.1:3-6 apply to everyone? No! Does God want us to be robots walking around saying yes master, as you wish master, or does He want us to love Him as a son should love any good and loving father?
1st Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

God couldn't stop all wickedness?

he could have.

But then what would creation say about God?

would it not say God made them

No problem at all. I explained this.

The Bible tells us that Satan was in Eden, the garden of God when he was blameless. When Satan shows up in the garden after God created man and woman, he was evil. It should be apparent that Satan fell BEFORE God created mankind, a lower creation.

After Satan fell, he was thrown out of heaven. He had access to all of the universe.

I don't know why you reject the proper translation of 1:2. Why don't you do your own research? I used biblehub.com to see how the key words in v.2 were rendered in the rest of the OT. That's how I confirmed what I had been taught earlier about a time gap between the 2 verses.

iow, I used the Berean study method.

In any case, using the traditional rendering of v.2 creates a direct contradiction with Isa 45:18.

Are you OK with that? I sure am not OK with that.

And there is no contradiction or problem with the proper translation of v.2 and Isa 45:18.

Satan is not a man. Satan's sin did not cause the fall of mankind and the fall of the earth.

Nice try though

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

Ditto the screaming

" There is only one gospel. Through christ and him alone. Why you would think I even think otherwise is for the birds. In fact you know what. I am continuing to lose respect for you.
s for the NT, I think it answers itself. All scripture is God breathed.. Last I looked, the NT was scripture."

Finally, now was that so difficult? You could have done that fifty posts ago. It may be hard for you to believe this, but your losing respect for me really isn't too high a priority on my worry about list - matter of fact, it isn't on it all. How much lost sleep do you think I'll lose over that?

Anyway, given that you believe what you say you believe, to include the New Testament, then how is it
these verses don't unquestionably and completely demonstrate to you who God's promises pertain to?
The promises were intended only for the true believers and were not given to physical linages, nor affiliation with earthly nations.
Do you see the "to them that believe" part? Do you find any promise to the nation of Israel from/in the below? All of the Bible,
both Old and New Testaments, must conform to, and support, these verses and Christ, whether or not it is immediately obvious.

[Rom 9:6-8
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

[Gal 3:22 KJV]
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

[2Co 1:19-20 KJV]
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, [even] by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20 For all the promises of God in him [are] yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

back to the same old song and dance.

Those passages concern the part of the abrahamic covenant, IN YOU SHALL ALL THE NATIONS BE BLESSED WHihc is salvation is offered to all. NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE

That has absolutly NOTHING to do with the part of the abrahamic covenant which says

1. I will make you a great nation (gen 12)
2. I give you and your descendents after you all this land (gen 15)
3. I give you and your descendents after you this land as an eternal possession (gen 17)

proven by the fact he told them if they obeyed, they would live in THAT LAND in peace. but if they disobeyed they would be punsished up to and including being SCATTERED all over the earth and having their high places and temple destroyed. But even after this, if they repent, God will remember the promise, he will remember the land.

But remember, You do not want to discuss these passages.. So until you do. we just play the same old song and dance and you keep posting the same old passages which do NOT support your view of the covenant between Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and his 12 sons, or the one nation of Israel.

 

[awelight]

From awelight:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

I'll bet you didn't know that the "us" in "He chose us.." is actually defined in v.19, as "us who believe".

So you can swap out the "us" and put in "believers" and you have the same exact meaning.

So Eph 1:4 isn't about God choosing who will be a believer, but that He chooses (elects) believers. And the verse even tells us for what:

to be holy and blameless. That's service, if it is not clear to you.

Here's more clarity on election to service:

1 Cor 1-
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

Color coded for extreme clarity:

The red words are who God chooses.

The blue words are the purpose for which God chooses. Which is service. Certainly not salvation.

btw, using the shotgun approach to proving your view is ridiculous.

Rather than "start with Eph 1", just quote the single most clear verse showing election is to salvation.

iow, put your money where your mouth is.

And, btw, I did start with Eph 1:4 and proved that the verse isn't about being elected to salvation.

Your turn. What can you prove?

FOR SOME COMPLETELY FOOLISH REASON - I am going to respond just this once. Ephesians chapter 1:4-11:

The only thing we agree on - is that "us" and "we" are believers. The whole purpose of this chapter, in Ephesians, is to MAGNIFY God's SOVEREIGNTY. God and only God, is the determinate factor in all things. Paul started with himself in verse one - his Apostleship is because of God's will.

All Christians know the story of Saul's calling. How he was persecuting the Churches of Jesus Christ and as he was walking along the road to Damascus, his life was suddenly changed - BAM - he would never be the same. Saul was not looking for change. He certainly was not looking to Christ as Saviour. BUT God had other ideas. Saul became Paul. WHY? Because he was one of God's Elect and it was his time, time for the New Birth.

Paul continues to GLORIFY GOD before the believers in Ephesus: (Red text is mine, text in black is Scripture)

Eph 1:4 When did God choose? even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, For what purpose? that we should be holy This speaks of imputed righteousness. and without blemish As Christ is without blemish. before him in love:

All of this is possible because we were placed IN CHRIST, by election, before the foundation of the world.

Eph 1:5 Having been chosen - God then foreordained us. having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, By whose authority? according to the good pleasure of his will,

Not of man's will or man's good pleasure.

Eph 1:6 For what purpose? to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:

Everything about Salvation is to the Glory of God and His Christ. This Glory is embodied in Jesus Christ and demonstrated in God's Election in Love and His Grace - so that all whom He chose, will be saved and Praise Him and Glorify Him forever and ever.

Eph 1:7 Being in Christ, we have Salvation. in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, In verse 6, it was to the glory of his grace and now it is... according to the riches of his grace,

Eph 1:8 God, in the New Birth, accomplished this. which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

Eph 1:9 For the purpose of: making known unto us the mystery of his will, By whose authority? according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him

Only God's Elect understand the "Mystery of His will" and this only because God determined it to be so.

Eph 1:10 So that... unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, God orchestrated His plan... to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say,

Eph 1:11 We had been foreordained to adoption and were also made a heritage... in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained By whose authority? according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;

In Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 1, 5, 9 and 11 - we see that all things are by the authority of God's good pleasure and will.

This entire section of Ephesians magnifies God's Grace and His Sovereignty. Many give lip service to God's Sovereignty but at the same time, attempt to deny God His right to be Sovereign over all things. Sovereignty cannot be defined as God's will plus man's will because this would throw the concept of Sovereignty into conflict.

If Election is not unto Salvation, as you would want others to believe, then God is not the Sovereign over all things. If we follow through on this line of thinking, then God is not God. For God to be God, He must be Sovereign over all things. Thankfully He is and the Saints shall praise Him and Glorify Him for an eternity.