⁴ Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Because of his love

⁵ God^[a] had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose.

⁹ God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ.

¹⁰ This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

¹¹ All things are done according to God's plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he had decided from the very beginning.