You Heard The Word

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 1:13

What is the actual experience of salvation in real time?  How do we describe it in personal terms?  The Apostle Paul has been treating high and holy doctrines.  He has spoken of the electing purpose of God.  He has expounded predestination and adoption.  He has proclaimed our inheritance in Christ.  Now he describes to the Ephesians their conversion experience.  It is useful for us to consider this at some length, because we will find that this is an experience common to all those whom God saves by free and Sovereign Grace.  There are minor variations, but the substance is the same.  We see that Paul speaks of the proclamation of ‘the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation’ as being first in the chronology of the salvation experience.  What is this ‘gospel’ of which Paul speaks?  He summarizes it in I Corinthians 15:3-4 when he says, ‘for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures’.  This is the ‘good news’ of Christ which Paul proclaimed.  It is what the Ephesians had heard.  Paul extends the outward call of the gospel because that was his mission and his life’s work.  He declared, ‘woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.’  This is ‘the word of truth’ which is what we hear as part of the salvation experience.  This is the gospel that we also declare.  It is our sincere desire that all of you that read this little work should hear from us the Word of truth.

Great God of wonders,
we rejoice that You have given unto us the Word of Truth.
We praise You that You have enabled us to receive it,
and to declare it to others.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning