如果我们相信得救就是拿到进天堂的门票，以后怎样生活都没关系，那就不曾真正了解福音。有人误以为基督教跟所有的宗教一样，不过是「劝人为善」；但同样扭曲的是，以为基督教只是叫人「得救」。其实这两者都需要，但顺序务必正确。

以弗所书的结构告诉我们，救恩的顺序非常重要。保罗在前半部勾勒出救恩如何临到信徒，后半部则指出信主之后行事为人当如何。务必留意的是，先称义后成圣，得救在前行善在后；也就是说，我们不是为了得救而行善，乃是得救使我们能行善。

世上的宗教都是「成圣在前、称义在后」──要求人先达到良善，然后才会被神明所接纳。惟独基督教说，我们是先被上帝接纳，照我们的本相被接纳，然后上帝会按祂的心意塑造我们。因为除非先跟上帝有正确的关系，否则我们无法活出基督徒的生命，所以称义必须在成圣之前。

顺序对了，我们就会充满爱与勇气面对人生的路程。当我们信耶稣，「就在他里面放胆无惧，满有自信地进到神面前。」（3:12）上帝的灵也会使我们「内心的力量刚强起来」（3:16）。当我们信耶稣，我们就会认识爱、充满爱，祂会「住在你们心里」（3:17），亲自教导我们爱的功课（如何行善），使我们「和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等的长、阔、高、深，并知道这爱是超过人的知识所能测度的，为要使你们充满上帝一切的丰盛。」（3:18-19）

简体圣经 | https://www.bible.com/bible/140/EPH.3.RCUVSS

繁體聖經 | https://www.bible.com/bible/139/EPH.3.RCUV

If we believe that being saved is simply obtaining a ticket to enter heaven and that how we live our lives doesn't matter, then we have not truly understood the Gospel. Some people mistakenly believe that Christianity, like all religions, simply encourages people to do good. However, another distortion is to believe that Christianity is only about getting saved. In reality, both are necessary, but the order must be correct.

The structure of the Book of Ephesians tells us that the order of salvation is very important. In the first half, Paul outlines how salvation comes to believers, while in the second half, he explains how believers should live after accepting Christ. It is crucial to note that righteousness comes before holiness, and salvation comes before doing good. In other words, we do not do good to be saved, but rather we are saved so that we can do good.

All other religions in the world emphasize "holiness before righteousness" - requiring people to first achieve goodness before being accepted by the gods. Only Christianity says that we are first accepted by God as we are, and then God molds us according to His will. Since we cannot live the life of a Christian without first having a correct relationship with God, righteousness must come before holiness.

When the order is correct, we will be filled with love and courage to face life's journey. When we believe in Jesus, "we may approach God with freedom and confidence" (3:12, NIV), and God's Spirit will strengthen us (3:16). When we believe in Jesus, we will come to know love, be filled with love, and He will dwell in our hearts (3:17), personally teaching us the lesson of love (how to do good), so that we " may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (3:18-19).

Reading the Bible | https://www.bible.com/bible/59/EPH.3.ESV