Ephesians 1:11,12

A Divine Inheritance

Paul went on to show the gathering together of the previous verses includes the Jews who had been God's chosen ones under Moses' law, thus he uses "we." The word "works" means God continually works. Notice, again it is those "in" Christ who will be a part of God's prearranged plan. Any Jew who did what was necessary to be in him would be a part of God's scheme (Ephesians 1:11).

Man was created to glorify God (Ecclesiastes 12:13.) Such could only be accomplished through the coming of the Messiah who would set man free from sin. Faithful Jews had long hoped for the coming of the Messiah because of the prophecies God had made (Luke 2:22-39, especially 25 and 38). This is what Paul refers to when he speaks of those who had "first trusted (or hoped as the K.J.V. margin says) in Christ" (Ephesians 1:12).