Ephesians 1:5

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

God predetermined that we should be [considered] His adopted children through [fellowship with] Christ. This is what pleased God and is what He wanted,

Cross References

Matthew 1:25

[But] he did not have sexual relations with her until [after] she had a son, whom he named Jesus.

Matthew 11:26

Yes Father, you did this because it was very pleasing to you.

Luke 10:21

At that very time Jesus rejoiced in [the power of] the Holy Spirit, and said [in prayer], “I praise you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you concealed these things [i.e., His divine revelations] from those [claiming to be] wise and intelligent and have revealed them to babies [i.e., to simple, sincere, common people]. Yes, Father, this was pleasing to you.

Luke 11:32

The people of Nineveh will stand up on the judgment day with the people of this generation and will condemn them because they repented [i.e., changed their hearts and lives] when hearing the preaching of Jonah [Jonah 3:5-10] and [now] Someone greater than Jonah is here [i.e., Jesus].

Luke 12:32

“[And], do not be afraid, little flock [Note: Jesus refers to His small band of disciples as sheep following Him as their Shepherd], for your Father was pleased to give you the kingdom.

John 1:12

But He gave all those who did welcome Him the opportunity of becoming children of God by believing in His name [i.e., as the Messiah].

John 11:52

And not just [die] for the [Jewish] nation, but also that He would assemble together into one body the children of God who were scattered [throughout the world].

John 20:17

Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not ascended to the Father yet [Note: Apparently Jesus was discouraging Mary from embracing Him in worship as was done in Matt. 28:9, and thereby causing a delay of when the rest of the disciples would learn of His resurrection], but go to my brothers and tell them [I said] ‘I am [about] to ascend to my Father and to your Father, and to my God and your God.’”

Acts 13:48

And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and gave honor to the message of God [i.e., they accepted it as true]. And all those who were appointed [by God] to receive never ending life [through faith and obedience] became believers.

Romans 8:23

And not just the world, but even we [Christians] ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit [i.e., the first installment of our inheritance from God] also groan within us, eagerly waiting to be adopted as [God’s] children, and receive back our bodies [i.e., in the resurrection].

1 Corinthians 1:1

[This letter is from] Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and [from] our brother Sosthenes;

1 Corinthians 1:21

For since, according to God’s [true] wisdom, the world did not know about Him through its wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe [in Christ] through the “foolishness” of the message preached.

2 Corinthians 6:18

The Lord Almighty [also] said [Hos. 1:10], “I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me.”

Galatians 3:26

For all of you are children of God through your faith in Christ Jesus [as God’s only Son].

Ephesians 1:11

It is in [fellowship with] Christ that we [Jewish Christians] also were selected as [God’s] inheritance [i.e., to receive His never ending blessings], having been predetermined according to the plan of God, who works out everything in harmony with what He wants.

Ephesians 1:9

in doing what He intended through Christ, to make known to us His secret plan, according to what pleased Him.

Philippians 2:13

for it is God who is at work in you, both to motivate the desire and to carry out what pleases Him.

Colossians 1:19

For God was very pleased to have all of [His] fullness dwell in Christ [See 2:9],

2 Thessalonians 1:11

This is why we always pray for you also, so that our God will consider you worthy to be [i.e., to have been] called [into the kingdom] by Him, and will fulfill, by His power, every good purpose [or, “desire for goodness”] of yours and every act produced by [your] faith.

Hebrews 2:4

God also testified, along with those people, by [giving them] both signs and wonders and various miracles, and by [supernatural] gifts distributed [to them] by the Holy Spirit, as He desired.

1 John 3:1

Look at how much love the Father has shown to us [Christians], that we should be called His children! But, that is what we [really] are! The reason the people of the world do not know who we are is because they do not know who God [really] is.

Revelation 21:7

The person who has victory [in the Christian life] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my child.