The eternal household plan of God was for God’s household to be made up of Jews and Gentiles. Although veiled in the Old Testament this mystery has been revealed through Christ who is the One to which the eternal household planned has been summed up. Gentiles by God’s grace alone are no longer strangers, but fellow citizens of the household of God on which the foundation is the prophets and the apostles. However, the most important piece of this building that is being fitted together into a holy temple is the Cornerstone which is Christ. Gentiles, who were once restricted at the temple by the barrier of the dividing wall are now by God’s grace are being fitted together and growing into the holy temple in the Lord.

The difference between those in Heaven and those in hell is grace! The response to His grace is praise to the glory of His grace. The more we see have undeserving we are, the more we will understand how amazing is His grace!

Paul continues to pray that the saints of have a greater knowledge of Christ as this leads to greater assurance and hope of their inheritance. Another aspect of the knowledge of God is to understand the greatness of His power toward those who believe. The power, strength, and might of God are on full display toward those who are His in regeneration. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that was needed to raise the spiritually dead heart of all His elect to life. God raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the Heavenly places which is what happens in salvation. It took the same omnipotent power (and nothing less) that raised Jesus to raise our unregenerate dead heart to life in regeneration. How dare we ever think that faith ever precedes regeneration as we never have that power in and of ourselves. Christ has been exalted to the right hand of God the Father which is the seat of authority via the ascension. The believer who is "In Christ" can have assurance of their inheritance as a result of Christ's supreme reign over all things who has predestined the believer for that very inheritance and no force can thwart His will! Christ has all authority over all things including authority and rule as head of the Church. Christ is omnipresent as He fills everyplace at all times with His fullness. He is not lacking anything or in need of anything from anyone. However, Paul expresses what we would understand in our human understanding, that the head without a body is not full or complete. The Church is the called the fullness of Christ (not that He needs the Church), but that through the eternal household plan that is summed up in Christ.

No one can have spiritual understanding of God without the sovereign hand of God sending the Holy Spirit to give understanding and knowledge concerning the truth of God. Having knowledge of God both salvifically and in sanctification is an act of God's grace! The knowledge of God can be distinguished into two categories: Salvific knowledge of Him via regeneration and increasing knowledge of Him throughout the sanctification process. A characteristic of a Christian is growing in the knowledge of God as this leads to sanctification which is the will of God for the elect. Theology matters! Disciple (mathétés) means learner, student. The problem in not seeing God is not an eye problem, but a heart problem. This is why only the hearts that have been regenerated by the supernatural sovereign monergistic power of God can have any spiritual understanding of God. Paul prays for God to give them increased knowledge/understanding of the hope of His effectual call. The elect of God have a hope (meaning a guarantee) of an inheritance in Christ. The true believer has eternal life, will forever dwell with God, and will see God as He is! The greater the knowledge we have of Him the more assured we are of our salvation and inheritance.

The eternal household plan of God is summed up in Christ in whom we believe, have our hope, are in union with, and are eternally secure!

All things are from Him, through Him, and to Him including the salvation of His elect. If God had looked down the corridor of time to see who of His fallen creatures whose hearts were made of stone, who was hostile to God, who were enslaved to sin and the devil, and were dead in sin would choose Him, He would see no one! No unregenerate heart could ever choose Christ. Therefore, before the foundation of the world in love God, according to the kind intention of His will, and according to the counsel of His will God the Father chose a group of people who were unable to save themselves and showed His love, mercy, and grace upon them(elect). He chooses the elect not based on their works or merits but by His purpose and grace, to the praise of His glorious grace. Those who the Father chose before the foundation of the world had their names written in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the world. He gives those who He has chosen to the Son and when the fullness of time had come, the Son became flesh and entered His creation to live and die for those whom the Father had chosen. The Holy Spirit is sent to apply the work of Christ to the elect and seals them, promising them their inheritance. Many will question why God choses some and not others or why He doesn't He save everyone? The question is not why doesn't He save everyone, but rather why does He save one? If we truly knew the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, the question would be why does He save anyone? The result and purpose of His election, predestination, redeeming, sealing, and granting an inheritance to His elect is for the praise of His glory and grace! God gets all the glory and praise!!!