In Ephesians verse 13 again, Paul says -
Ephesians 1:13a
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, (and what is the word of truth? This) the gospel of your salvation:..."
And where do we find this Gospel by which we are saved? Turn with me to I Corinthians 15:1-4. We're constantly using this for people who don't know. Now this is the Gospel, and we have to know that this is what God has now said. This is the Word that has been proclaimed by Paul, and we'd better first receive and then believe it, or we're in trouble. We can't go or get around this, we can't go over or under it, but rather we're to face this head on, and for goodness sake don't try to add anything to it, just believe it for salvation! Why is this so? Because many don't know nor have they heard what Hosea says in chapter 2 and verse 19:
Hosea 2:19-20
"I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD."
This is what Paul said as recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:2 which says this but to get the drift we'll look at 1-4: "Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. (2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."
We'll leave this as it is for now because we may return to it later. Why? Because as we alluded to elsewhere there maybe two interpretations to I Corinthians 15:52 (42, 50) and I Thessalonians 4:16. Many believe these to be in reference to the departing of the church but and I say this with caution it could full well be to the spiritual unity in Christ's perfection of His Saints in the soul and spirit of all redeemed man. We may touch this again later as said.
I Corinthians 15:1
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;"
Now that's our position. We're not out there floating around from one doctrine to another, or like a ship without a rudder. We are positioned by virtue of our having believed this Gospel. Verse 2.
I Corinthians 15:2
"By which (this Gospel) also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory (or understand) what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."
We have to understand what the Word of Truth is all about. Now here comes this Gospel of divine Truth.
I Corinthians 15:3-4
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, (we understand that from Galatians chapter 1, Paul received this Gospel from heaven. It had been kept secret in the heart and mind of God until Paul received it. He received our Gospel from the ascended Lord in Glory. He received these basic truths, and here it is.) 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 scriptures;"
That's the Gospel. That's the truth, and anything that compromises this Gospel is no longer the truth. And if that happens then Paul says in Galatians chapter 1, it becomes a perverted, watered down and twisted by unscrupulous men which have a form of Godliness but without the power of this Gospel. But we must stick to the truth, and let the chips fall where they may. Now coming back to Ephesians chapter 1, and verse 13 again. This is such a powerful verse and has so much in it, especially in light of what's out there in Christendom today. This just blows so much of it right out of the saddle. Why? Not because of so much as what it says, but to what it doesn't say! As we read this verse constantly we must ask ourselves this question. "Is what I've been taught growing up in this verse?" And we, that is to say most of us, that will have to answer no. But this verse just says, "after you believed." We're not going to say all the things that most denominations tell us we must do for salvation, but rather we'll let each of you think back and see if they have taught you correctly. If what you've been taught isn't in this verse then it's superficial, it's chaff, and you'd better just blow it away. It all amounts to hay, wood and stumble which will one day burn and us with it. Here is the basic truth -
Ephesians 1:13a
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: (as we looked at in I Corinthians 15:1-4 in which Christ is the center. He's the one who died. He's the one who was buried, and He's the one who rose from the dead) in whom also after that ye believed,..." (you placed your trust, your faith in this Gospel, and that was it)
You see everybody tries to complicate it, and that's what happens when we try to mix what Peter taught and what Paul taught. Law and Grace cannot mix, its like oil and water and we know that's a Satanic ploy. Oh there's nothing the Devil likes better than to make us think, "Well it's so difficult." We remember when we were in attendance at different churches as we were looking for the Truth, that we knew they were having a lot of problems. We wanted the assurance of salvation, but our religion had just so put much bondage of extra baggage on us that we just couldn't see it. He (the Holy Spirit) told us all we had to do is believe that as a sinner Christ died for us, and rose from the dead! And when we believed that, God does everything else. Well when we tell people that they just look at us with the most exasperating look, and say, "But Bill that's to simple." But that's what His New Covenant promises to those who would will to be willing and then to walk in His Faith and Faithfulness.(Hosea 2:19-20)
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