¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

We turn now to the work of the Holy Spirit (vv. 13-14). Those chosen by the Father (vv. 4-6) and redeemed by the Son (vv. 7-12) now have prerogative from the Holy Spirit (vv. 13-14). The work of the Trinity is our spiritual bank account.

¹³ In Him [Christ] you also trusted,

Verse 12 leads directly into verse 13. “You” is a change of subject from “we” (v. 12). The phrase “you also” transitions from Jewish believers to Gentile believers. Born-again Gentile believers are “in Him.” They hold the same positional status that Jesus has before God.

after you heard the word [message] of truth,

The word of truth is God’s salvation plan that is true above all other claims to truth (Co 1:5). People must hear what the gospel says before they can be saved (Jn 5:24). God’s message is truth because it demonstrates man’s true condition and the way to resolve that condition.

the gospel of your salvation;

It is the message of the gospel that saves our souls.

PRINCIPLE:

The gospel is the end of man’s finite search for truth.

APPLICATION:

Our world is filled with many finite ideas, most of which are wrong and twisted. People accept delusions of secularism, the individual as ultimate authority, and worship of science as ultimate truth. Christianity comes into this pluralism with unadulterated truth, with the glorious gospel of Christ.

The gospel is the end of illusion. It puts us in touch with what is ultimately true. The gospel is under no delusion that man is good and that society can cure the ills of mankind. Reformation is not the answer; regeneration is the answer to the core problems of the human being. That is why the gospel is called “the word of truth.” The gospel goes beyond the mere dead words of men; it is a message from eternity, from God Himself.