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God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. He destined us to be adopted as His children through the covenant Jesus the Anointed inaugurated in His sacrificial life. This was His pleasure and His will for us. Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace; He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved.

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For he chose us(A) in him before the creation of the world(B) to be holy and blameless(C) in his sight. In love(D) he[a] predestined(E) us for adoption to sonship[b](F) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure(G) and will— to the praise of his glorious grace,(H) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. He
  2. Ephesians 1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.