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"Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God (cf. `that we should be holy and
without blame before Him'); the Lord thy God hath chosen thee (cf. `according as He
chose us') to be a special people unto Himself (cf. `having predestinated us unto the
placing as sons'), above all people that are upon the face of the earth (cf. `blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies'). The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people. . . . but because the
Lord loved you."
If this marvellous statement is examined it resolves itself into this, the Lord loved
Israel because He loved them--a defective argument from the standpoint of human
reasoning, but a powerful comfort to those who have learned their own utter ruin and
unworthiness. The Lord loved us, Gentiles, aliens, far off, dead in and by sins, because
He loved us. Deut. 7: 8 continues with a supplementary reason, "and because He would
keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers," but this does not go back as far as
the causeless love of the initial choice. So in Ephesians, the election to the calling there
revealed originates in God's great love, and is related to the "purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ Jesus before age-times" (II Tim. 1: 9), "before the overthrow of the
world" (Eph. 1: 3).
There is something peculiarly sacred in this word "love" which we are considering,
inasmuch as it is unknown outside the Scriptures. The word agape never occurs in the
profane Greek writings, and is entirely absent from the writings of Philo and Josephus.
Philanthrõphia was the highest word used by the Greeks (Dr. Bullinger's Critical
Lexicon and Concordance). God has given us a new word in agape, for the language of
men contained nothing high enough to denote this "love in its fullest conceivable form."
Agape is from agapaõ, "to love," as in John 3: 16, Rom. 8: 37, and Eph. 2: 4.
Not only is the word "love" an exclusively Scriptural one, but the expression "in love"
demands attention. The R.V. gives as an alternative to the construction, "holy and
without blemish before Him in love," a marginal note, "having in love foreordained us."
Rotherham in his version gives no alternative, but ends the sentence with "holy and
blameless in His presence," commencing a fresh line with, "In love making us out
beforehand." Conybeare and Howson also join "in love" with verse 5. It is very
probable that the words "in love" are to be considered as linking both verses, lending
colour to each, and showing us the sphere both of our perfectness and of the Lord's
predestination. Once only do we read these words in connection with the Godward
aspect of the teaching of the epistle, but five times does it occur in connection with the
believer's attitude, environment and walk. The following is the order of occurrences of
the words "in love" in Ephesians:--
A | 1: 4. The Father's motive.
B | 3: 17. Rooted and grounded (figures of growth and building).
C | 4: 2. Forbearing one another.
C | 4: 15. Being true.
B | 4: 16. Increase and edification (figures of growth and building).
A | 5: 2. The children's walk {"Be ye imitators of God" (5: 1)}.