[Mr Rogers]

“This happened BEFORE the foundation of the world.”

What is “this”?

That is the problem. You read Calvin into the text, rather than read the text. What does it SAY?

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

Please notice it does NOT say God chose us to be justified. It says he “has blessed us in Christ” and “even as he chose us in him” that what? “we should be holy and blameless before him”

Please do not edit the words “in Christ” out of the text. We are chosen, not as individuals, but IN CHRIST. God has ordained, from before the earth was created, that those “IN CHRIST” should be holy and blameless.

Corporate election. We are one of God’s chosen people if we are IN CHRIST. Those who believe are placed in Christ - as Paul writes a short time later, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

IN CHRIST. Two of the most important words in the New Testament, and not words to be deleted by Calvin.

Predestination is totally biblical, but Calvin screwed up WHO is predestined, and WHAT they are predestined for.

WHO = those in Christ
WHAT = to be conformed to the image of Christ

And how are we placed IN CHRIST?

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit...”

When YOU HEARD...AND BELIEVED.

Subject. Verb. When the subject does the verb, they are placed in Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit.

[Siena Dreaming]

he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will

I'm not sure I get your point. This passage seems clear that God decided to adopt the saints through Christ before the foundation of the world.

There's no reading of Calvin, Augustine, Luther or anyone else into the text. I've never read any one of their thoughts on the passage. However, I am reading what Paul said.

[smvoice]

That it what I was ATTEMPTING to say, Mr. Rogers. That His plan for mankind was predestined and foreknown BEFORE the foundation of the world. That those who believed would be saved, by the Cross. Who are those who believe? Those who are IN CHRIST. The moment we believe in the finished work of Christ, we are placed IN CHRIST, justified, sanctified, sealed and secure. That has been God's plan for man since BEFORE the foundation of the world.

If I didn't make myself clear, forgive me. It is His plan for us, for all men who will trust Christ's atonement for our sins. Whether it is men before the Cross, at this time, or in the ages to come. The Cross was, is, and will always be God's plan for mankind. Planned before the foundation of the world.