7.28.2013 The Gospel of YOUR Salvation-Eph 1:3-14

Salem United Methodist Church, Pastor Justin Collett

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul packs a staggering list of promises into the opening lines. He claims that in Christ, we are adopted as children of God the Father, redeemed by the blood of the Son, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. He writes that this is the "word of truth," and then qualifies this "word of truth" even further by saying that it's also the "gospel of your salvation." This brings up an interesting question: Can you believe that Paul's claims are indeed a "word of truth" but never actually experience the "gospel as your salvation"? In other words, can you believe that the claims of Christianity are "true" but never actually experience this truth in your life? Know about salvation but never know what it's like to be saved? Yes. And it happens all the time. And the difference between the two is astounding—like reading a poem about deep and abiding love versus actually experiencing the reality of love. The Christian faith is the "word of truth," which is great news. But the better news is that it's also the gospel of YOUR salvation. So how do we experience the difference?