Three Events That Occur When One Becomes A Christian.

“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.