Are we, as Christians, living our lives not really grasping the gospel?

Even asking if we might be living the Christian life without fully understanding the message of the gospel sounds a bit arrogant and presumptuous.

But one has to wonder when the Bible seems to point to a surprising answer to the question of what we need after salvation.

Consider Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Paul was so eager to pray to God for the believers there, for their daily life. What did he ask for?

Ephesians 1:16 I do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

He prays that they might increase in their knowledge of Christ, their understanding of what they had been given, and also their understanding of God’s power exercised on their behalf throughout their lives (1:18-19).

He bows his knees again in Ephesians 3 and prays:

Ephesians 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

After salvation, they have to continually more fully grasp the love of Christ (toward them), which is the means by which they will be filled up to all the fullness of God.

This leads to a seemingly basic but radically important foundation: what we need beyond all else, what we need to such a degree that Paul is pleading to God for it not once but twice before he tells the Ephesians to do anything, is an increasing knowledge of who Christ is and what He does.

For those who have faith, this increasing knowledge is what will fill them up to the fullness of God. In fact, it is Christ who “fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23).

This Christ is the central focus of my whole Christian life. He is my Lord, Savior, motivation, hope, help, interceder, covering… my all in all.

All of this is quite before my own actions as a Christian (the first imperative in Ephesians is in chapter 4). There is no question that I do act; my faith produces fruit. But the fruit of my life comes from the outflow of my faith.

And my faith is sustained and grown as I learn more and more of the overwhelming blessing and deep sustaining relationship that I have with my precious Jesus Christ.

His righteousness for my sin, forever. His intercession for me, now. My union with Him, a reality.

So while I yearn to bear fruit, I know that fruit-bearing isn’t the center of the gospel. It’s what happens when I remain in Christ. I really yearn to grow in my understanding of my relationship to Jesus Christ,

Because my Savior is the ongoing center of the gospel through every moment of my life.