“Three Events That Occur When One Becomes a Christian”
“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,” (Ephesians 1:13)
Today’s passage describes three things that happened in the lives of the believers who lived in Ephesus—now a city in modern-day Turkey—about 2,000 years ago. These same three things also happen to every Christian today, including you and me. And they will happen to those who do not yet believe in Jesus but will one day come to faith in Him. The three things are:
They heard,
They believed,
They received (they were sealed)
Let’s begin with the first: What did they hear?
1. They heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation.
The word gospel means "Good News." The gospel that the Apostle Paul preached was the most important and astonishing news in all of human history—news that has changed the entire course of the world. There is no other event in history that can compare to it. So what is this good news? Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 to understand:
Brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
Paul says the gospel is the foundation of our faith. We stand on it; we are saved through it. To believe the gospel is to be forgiven of sin, to be reconciled with God, and to receive eternal life. Paul also says this gospel was the most important thing he received. He explains what it means to have received the gospel: “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11–12)
The gospel did not come from human ideas, traditions, philosophies, morals, or religions—it came from Jesus Christ Himself. That’s why it’s called the word of truth—because it is from God, not man. Paul received many revelations, mysteries, and truths, but among them all, the gospel was the most important. So, what is the content of the gospel?
That Jesus Christ died for our sins,
was buried,
and rose again on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
The gospel is this truth: Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
When people hear this gospel, there are two possible responses: Some will accept it; others will doubt or reject it.
2. The Ephesians heard the gospel and believed.
But many people do not. Not long ago, I shared the gospel with a young mother in my family who was nearing death. She said to me, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t accept it.” It was heartbreaking, but I understood her response. Even Paul said, “I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are perishing.” (1 Corinthians 1:18, paraphrased)
Why do people think the gospel is foolish?
First, They cannot believe that Jesus loves them enough to die for them.
The Bible says, “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) But people struggle to believe this—that the Creator of the universe would love us so much that He would give His Son to save us. We call someone who recognizes the sacrifices of their parents a “grateful child.” But some reject and dishonor their parents despite all the sacrifices.
In the same way, God’s grace surrounds us—Rain, air, sky, grass, flowers, food, friends, and family—
Even the love in our parents’ hearts was placed there by God so they could care for us. God’s love is deeper than even a mother’s love. “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast? … Though she may forget, I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)
All these things—nature, relationships, provision—are expressions of God’s love. That’s why the Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. But many people take these blessings for granted, like children who think food just appears on the table every morning. They do not recognize God's love and cannot accept the gospel.
Secondly, they do not believe they are sinners in need of salvation.
Those who consider the message of the gospel—that Jesus died for our sins—to be nonsense usually do not take their own sin seriously enough to believe they deserve hell because of it. They do not see themselves as sinners in such desperate need of salvation. They think they are living good enough lives that, with a little effort, they can enter heaven by their own righteousness. They see themselves as good citizens—because they compare themselves to other people.
Just like someone who denies the grace of their parents feels no guilt even when committing the serious sin of dishonoring them, these people live every moment dependent on the love of God—without which they could not exist even for a second—but still do not acknowledge God or give thanks to Him. And they don’t even consider this a sin.
So the Bible says this:“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” — Romans 1:18–21 (ESV)
Thirdly, they do not recognize the holiness of God or the seriousness of sin. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.” (Habakkuk 1:13)
Just as pigs enjoy the filth of their pen, many people enjoy the stench of pride, lust, hypocrisy, and lies.
The Bible says: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
But the holy God will not tolerate sin. He must judge it. Still, many people refuse to acknowledge their sin or their need for salvation. They pretend to be good enough and try to appear righteous.
But the believers in Ephesus heard the gospel and believed in Christ.
To believe in Christ means to accept the gospel—that Jesus died and rose again for me. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is this: Do you accept the gospel or reject it? To believe in Jesus is to acknowledge and receive the love of God. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
John describes Christians as those who know and believe in the love God has for them (1 John 4:16).
This gospel is not a human philosophy or religion. It is the truth—God’s truth. People may call Jesus a teacher, prophet, philosopher, or even alien—but Paul preached Christ crucified for our salvation. To believe in Jesus is to believe in His death and resurrection for our sins, as the gospel declares.
3. What did the believers receive?
When the Ephesian believers heard the gospel and believed in Christ, they received the seal of the Holy Spirit. To be sealed means to belong to someone. God gave them the promised Holy Spirit to mark them as His own. It is God’s way of confirming their salvation. That’s why Ephesians 2:8 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Salvation is not based on special knowledge, supernatural experiences, long years of attending church, or many good deeds. We are saved by hearing the gospel and believing in Jesus. It is so simple. And because it is a gift, all we have to do is receive it. To receive the gospel and believe in Jesus is to receive God’s love, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. I believe that those who have not yet accepted the gospel will one day believe and receive the gift of salvation.
As I conclude this sermon, I want to speak to all of you—those who, like myself, have already believed in Jesus and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. Some might think, “I’ve already believed the gospel and received salvation,” and stop there. But Paul said that the gospel was the most important thing he received—even after years of following Christ. So the gospel is not just important for non-believers. It remains the most important thing for Christians. If we, who claim to believe, do not treasure the gospel as the most precious gift—if we are not living every day with thankfulness, joy, and awe—then how can we expect others to believe it is?
Earlier I quoted Paul: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing...” But do you remember how that verse ends? “…but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
The gospel is the key to living by God's power. Just as non-believers need the gospel to be saved, we believers need the gospel daily. John said: “This is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another.” (1 John 3:23) This command is not for unbelievers, but for those who already believe. Because even we who believe can easily live as though we don’t.
I’ve shared some reasons why many people reject the gospel. But if we, as Christians, don’t chase wealth, beauty, or fame, and instead live with real gratitude, joy, peace, and love—knowing we’re forgiven, saved, and adopted as God’s children—wouldn’t that draw others to the gospel?
May we preach the gospel to ourselves every day, remembering the joy and blessings of our salvation, and may we experience God’s salvation daily, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
