The Bible shows that some individuals were selected for an opportunity
to become the first humans to be transformed into sons of the Father's
new creation, long before the existence of the world. It is important
to understand the awesome opportunity of being called to salvation
during this age and that this is a one-time opportunity which must be
made the primary focus of one's life if one is to be spiritually
successful.
Without an understanding of why one exists and why the
Father has called one to salvation during this age, one cannot begin to
understand his will. According as he has chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love: having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself,according to the good pleasure of his will. . . in
whom also we have obtained an inheritance,being predestined according to
the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own
will, for us to be the praise of his glory, the ones who first trusted
in Christ" (Eph.1:4-5, 11-12 KJV Para.).
Before the foundation of the
world, the Father determined that those whom he would create and call
during this phase of his plan for humanity would become holy and
blameless through the sacrifice of his first-born son Jesus Christ, so
that they could be adopted into his family as sons according to his
purpose for humanity. Verses 11 and 12 show that the Father
predetermined that certain individuals would come into existence in
order to perform certain responsibilities for him. The predestination
that the apostle Paul speaks of in verses 11 and 12 has nothing to do
with a person's decision to repent or not, but it has everything to do
with the Father's predetermined plan (his will, i.e., his purpose) for
the salvation of specific individuals at a specific time and the
salvation of humanity as a whole.