Does Ephesians 1:12-13 Teach That Salvation Is a Two-Step Process, Believing Plus Trusting?

Summary

Grace in Focus – Episode Summary

Title: Does Ephesians 1:12-13 Teach That Salvation Is a Two-Step Process, Believing Plus Trusting?
Host: Bob Wilkin (B), with guest Ken Yates (C)
Date: October 3, 2025
Duration: ~13 minutes

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Main Theme

This episode dives into whether Ephesians 1:12-13 suggests salvation is a "two-step" process of both believing and trusting, or if the distinction is unnecessary and even misleading. Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates clarify these concepts in the context of Free Grace Theology, analyze common evangelical terminology, and discuss how translation choices can obscure the biblical message of assurance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener's Question and the Ephesians 1:12-13 Passage

• [01:03] A listener named Kit asks if Ephesians 1:12-13 teaches a two-step salvation process (believing, then trusting).
• Bob reads the passage (NKJV), noting the use of "trusted" and that in v.13, the word is in italics, indicating it's not in the Greek:
  • Quote, Bob: "In him you also trusted... but that's in italics because it's not in the Greek." (01:39)
• The question: Do you believe, and then have to trust? Or vice versa?

2. Definitions and Evangelical Confusion Over "Believing" vs "Trusting"

• [02:00] Bob observes some teach that belief is insufficient, and you "need to trust Him" in addition.
  • Quote, Bob: "I could hear a lordship salvation guy for example, saying believing is not enough. You need to... place your trust in Him or something like that?" (02:00)
• Ken recounts an evangelist saying, "Believing is not enough. You also have to trust Him," which confused people because the implications of "trust" were vague.
  • Ken: “He said...you need to trust him. And so you need to choose to trust him. And so now you believe certain facts, but then you trusted a person. What that trust of the person meant was very vague and ended up...a lot of people confused at that message.” (02:21)

3. Scriptural Usage – "Belief" vs. "Trust"

• [03:21] Ken points out that key salvation verses, like John 3:16, do not mention "trust," only "believe":
  • Quote, Ken: "If you think about John 3:16, it doesn't say anything about trust. It says whoever believes in him. And it doesn't say, belief is step one and trust is step two." (03:16)
• Bob observes people try to load more meaning into the gospel by invoking ‘trust’ (i.e., “placing all my trust in it for me”).

4. Problems with the Word "Trust"

• [03:43] Ken dislikes using "trust" for salvation, drawing analogies:
  • Trusting a doctor for surgery involves risk, no certainty—unlike gospel assurance.
  • Quote, Ken: “When we use the word trust, we don't mean something you're sure of, we mean something that you're relying on.” (04:13)
• Ken and Bob note "trusted" in Ephesians is a translation of elpidzo (to hope), not "trust" as used in English:
  • Quote, Ken: "It's unfortunate, I think, that they use the word trusted there because it's not even...It's the word el pzo, isn't it? And el pido means hope." (04:24)
  • Bob: “In verses 12 and 13, he's not even using the word trust, whatever we mean in English, right? He's saying we Jews were hoping in Christ first and now you all have joined the body of Christ Gentiles in verse 13.” (05:41)

5. Context of Ephesians 1:12-13

• [05:12] Both discuss how Paul refers to Jews ("we who hoped first") and Gentiles, and that "hope" here is not about eternal life, but the Messianic promise.
• The supposed two-step process isn't present in the original Greek or intent of the passage.

6. Biblical Language and Consistency

• [06:13] Ken: People shy away from “belief” for sounding merely intellectual, but biblical faith is simply being persuaded Jesus guarantees eternal life.
  • “You're believing that when Jesus says he who believes in me has everlasting life, that he's telling the truth.”
• Ken challenges listeners to survey how the Gospel of John always uses "believe," never "trust," for pistuo:
  • Quote, Ken: "The word pistuo, the verb to believe, occurs 99 times in the critical text, 100 times in the majority text. Guess how many times it's translated. Believe in English translations. All of them, always, never is it translated trust." (09:25)

7. Evangelical Use of "Trust" and Lordship Salvation Issues

• [09:42] Bob notes how commonly evangelicals use "trust," shifting the gospel toward works or commitment.
• Ken: “Trust implies, okay, I’m actually going to the doctor, getting on the table and letting him cut me open, right? ... It’s more than simply, let me give you the wheelbarrow illustration with Niagara Falls.” (09:46)

8. Illustrations: Wheelbarrow Analogy and Its Flaws

• [10:21] Ken recounts the popular illustration of believing a tightrope walker can push someone across Niagara Falls in a wheelbarrow:
  • People “believe” by shouting, but are told real belief requires getting in the barrel.
  • Ken's critique: "If this was like scripture, the moment I believed he could guaranteed to take a man across safely…you’d poof appear on the Canadian side.” (11:03)
  • True faith per John 3:16 isn’t a process or further action; once you believe, instant assurance and salvation result.

9. Conclusion: There Is Only One Step to Salvation

• [11:45] Main takeaway: Ephesians 1:12-13 references "hope" (expectation for Christ's coming), not a separate act of trust required after belief.
  • Bob: “When you remove that word trust there and just read it, then you’ll see: No, it’s when you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit." (11:51)
• Only faith (belief) in Jesus is required for eternal life, not layered steps of trust, commitment, or works.
  • Ken: “No, there’s one condition only, and it’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s it.” (12:17)

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Notable Quotes

• Ken Yates (03:16):
  “If you think about John 3:16, it doesn't say anything about trust. It says whoever believes in him. And it doesn't say, belief is step one and trust is step two.”

• Bob Wilkin (05:41):
  “In verses 12 and 13, he's not even using the word trust, whatever we mean in English, right? He's saying we Jews were hoping in Christ first and now you all have joined the body of Christ Gentiles in verse 13.”

• Ken Yates (11:03):
  “If this was like scripture, the moment I believed he could guaranteed to take a man across safely… you’d poof appear on the Canadian side. There would be no getting in the barrel. You would just, once you believe, you get across.”

• Ken Yates (12:17):
  “No, there's one condition only, and it's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's it.”

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Important Timestamps

• 01:03: Listener question and reading of Ephesians 1:12-13
• 03:16: Refuting the notion that believing and trusting are separate steps using John 3:16
• 04:13: Analogies about trust (doctor/surgery) and the linguistic issue in Ephesians
• 05:41: Jewish vs Gentile context in Ephesians 1:12-13 (“hoping in Christ”)
• 09:25: Challenge to find a translation that uses "trust" instead of "believe" in John
• 10:21: Niagara wheelbarrow illustration and why it's misleading
• 11:51: Restating the main interpretive point—“trust” isn’t present in the Greek

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Overall Tone & Language

• The discussion is conversational, lighthearted at times (e.g., Kit Carson jokes), and unapologetically focused on clarifying Free Grace Theology.
• Repeated stress is placed on assurance based on Jesus' words alone, not on subjective acts of “trust.”
• The tone is passionate against gospel add-ons that diminish assurance or confuse the core message.

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Final Takeaway

Ephesians 1:12-13 does not teach a two-step salvation of believing plus trusting. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ’s promise—nothing more, nothing less. Translation choices and evangelical habits of using “trust” can obscure the simple, scriptural call: Believe in Jesus for everlasting life, and you have it.

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For further resources and articles on Free Grace Theology visit faithalone.org.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry.

[B]

From the Grace Evangelical society.

[A]

Does Ephesians 1, 12 and 13 teach that salvation is a two step process? Believing plus trusting. What is the difference in believing and trusting? What does the Bible teach about these? Let's discuss it today here on Grace in Focus. And it's good to have you with us today friend. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org Please stop by and visit us. You'll learn a lot about us. We have thousands of articles about the free grace position there for your learning and research. You can also find out about regional and national conferences that we have and our bookstore where you can find Bob Wilkins latest book the Gospel is still under siege. Find it [e-mail] and now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates.

[B]

And Bob, we have a question from.

[C]

Kit and it's Is this Kit Carson?

[B]

I went to a Kit Carson. Yeah. You know I remember once I was out there in what I think it was New Mexico and there was a Kit Carson museum.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And in Ephesians 1:12, 13, first off, let me read the verses, then we'll do the question.

[C]

Good.

[B]

Here's what it says in the new King James Version that we who first. And here's the issue trusted in Christ Jesus should be to the praise of his glory. And now in verse 13 in him you also trusted.

[C]

That's in italics.

[B]

But that's in italics because it's not in the Greek. Right after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. So the question is, is this a two step process that I you first.

[C]

Trust and then you believe?

[B]

Well no, he oh, do you first.

[C]

Believe and then you trust?

[B]

Then you trust in him. And so is he talking about eternal life as a two step process that you need to believe and trust in him. I could hear a lordship salvation guy for example, saying believing is not enough. You need to what, place your trust in him or something like that?

[C]

Well I do remember one time at Victor Street Bible Chapel we brought in this evangelist, was a famous free grace evangelist and he went through, he proclaimed Jesus death, burial and resurrection and said that's good news. And he said but believing is not enough. You also have to trust him. You can believe that and not be saved. Which he was right of course. But he didn't say. The issue is that tells me that when he says he who believes in me has everlasting life, he's telling the truth. Instead he said, no, you need to trust him. And so you need to choose to trust him. And so now you believe certain facts, but then you trusted a person. What that trust of the person meant was very vague and ended up. There were a lot of people confused at that message. But what I thought was interesting when you said that, it hit me. If you think about John 3:16, it doesn't say anything about trust. It says whoever believes in him. And it doesn't say, belief is step one and trust is step two. Right.

[B]

And kid asks a question like this, do you have to believe in the trustworthy of Christ? And what I'm thinking is I don't know if.

[C]

Well, of course you do.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But that's not what that verse is talking about.

[B]

I'm wondering if someone might use this, because I know you've heard this, Bob. People will say, well, the gospel is I have to believe, you know, I'm placing all my trust in it for me, or something like that. I remember hearing people word it like that.

[C]

Well, I hate it when people use trust. And here's why we might say I trust a doctor to do surgery on me. Right. Like you had prostate surgery and you had cancer and you had to have the surgery and you trusted a doctor.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But did you know for 100% certainty that it was going to work out?

[B]

Well, no, I didn't know that at all.

[C]

I mean, you could die on the table. Right?

[B]

Right.

[C]

You could have died.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

There was no guarantee.

[B]

There was no guarantee that the cancer would have been taken care of.

[C]

Right. But you still trusted him.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

Well, that's the way it is. When we use the word trust, we don't mean something you're sure of, we mean something that you're relying on. Now. It's unfortunate, I think, that they use the word trusted there because it's not even. It's the word el pzo, isn't it?

[B]

Yeah, that's the other issue here.

[C]

And el pido means hope.

[B]

Well, it's. It's pro elpido hope. Before we were the first.

[C]

The first. That's why it says when we first. But the thing about this is el pidzo has, or pra pidzo has two basic senses. One, it is used sometimes like we use it in English, like Paul says, I hope to come to you. I hope to come to you here in Rome. But often it's used to refer to something which we're absolutely sure is going to happen. But the timing is uncertain, like the hope of his coming.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Well, we know he's coming, but we hope we're anticipating him coming in our lifetime. We're anticipating his soon return.

[B]

Right. And in this case, isn't he talking about the Jews here? We who hoped first?

[C]

Yeah, the Jewish people.

[B]

The Jewish people.

[C]

But what they're hoping for is not eternal life.

[B]

Right?

[C]

They're hoping for the return of Messiah.

[B]

Right?

[C]

Now of course, the Jews were hoping for his first coming and then they missed it. And now Jewish believers were also the first to hope for his second coming. Right, but because at Pentecost there were 3,000 Jews who came to faith that day.

[B]

And so in verses 12 and 13, he's not even using the word trust, whatever we mean in English, right? He's saying we Jews were hoping in Christ first and now you all have joined the body of Christ gentiles in verse 13.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So this is one of the many, many examples in the New Testament where Greek really helps.

[C]

Well, how would you translate that? Because if the word trust isn't in verse 13, we don't even need to put it in there do.

[B]

That's the other issue. In whom you also. We would say you could say hoped.

[C]

In whom you also hope, but you wouldn't say trusted. See, that's part of the problem. People prefer, they don't like to use belief because it sounds intellectual, right? It sounds like you just believing certain truths, which is what you're doing. You're believing that when Jesus says he who believes in me has everlasting life, that he's telling the truth. That's why when Kit says, are we believing he's trustworthy? And absolutely.

[B]

Can he do what he says?

[C]

Well, does he do what he says? Not just can he, but does he?

[B]

Am I convinced that he will?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Did you know that the Grace Evangelical Society offers an M. Div. Degree through our online seminary and tuition is free to those who maintain a 3.0 grade average. It is a three year degree program and you can submit your application now to gain acceptance. Then stay apprised of our registration periods for upcoming semester terms. Program and application details can be found [e-mail] have a look at our M. Div. Become an approved workman. Find out how gesseminary.org it's not like.

[C]

I say, well yeah, I know you can do that, but I'm not sure you do it. No, you guarantee it to all who believe in you.

[B]

And see, that's what I was referring to earlier. It seems like you Hear people say, well, that's what trust means. I know you can do it. But now I'm trusting that you're going to do that for me.

[C]

So it's something less than being persuaded, right?

[B]

You'll hear people word it like that.

[C]

Well, just like if I trust the doctor, I'm not certain of the outcome. But if the Lord Jesus says, the one who believes in me will never perish, but has everlasting life, I can take that to the bank. That's absolutely guaranteed. There's no doubt about that. Right. Remember, in First John 5:13, these things are written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. I would supply the words continue to know because they already knew based on chapter 2, verses 12 through 14, and also 2 24, 26, but that you may continue to know there were false teachers that were trying to misguide them. But notice that you may know or continue to know. It's not that you may hope.

[B]

I hope this works out.

[C]

Some people call that a hope. So salvation versus a no. So we have a no. So I know that I have everlasting life. And it has nothing to do with the quality of my life. It has everything to do with his fidelity. It's about his works, not my works. Look at the Gospel of John and look at every English translation you can find. And the word pistuo, the verb to believe, occurs 99 times in the critical text, 100 times in the majority text. Guess how many times it's translated. Believe in English translations. All of them, always, never is it translated trust. Find me a translation that translates John 3:16. Whoever trusts in him will not perish, but has everlasting life. There isn't one. Maybe the Cotton Patch Bible or something, or the off the wall Bible. Maybe there is one that does that. So I maybe need to do some more study and I welcome you to look it up, take some time, do this study and just look and see how many times in the Gospel of John English translations use the word trust and how many times they use the word believe.

[B]

But isn't it weird how often evangelicals use the word trust, right?

[C]

Because they don't like the idea that simply by faith in Christ a person is secure forever. They think there has to be some sort of turning from sins, some sort of commitment of life, some sort of works that follow. And trust implies, okay, I'm actually going to the doctor, getting on the table and letting him cut me open, right?

[B]

And trusting is I'M throwing myself upon him or something like that.

[C]

It's more than simply, let me give you the wheelbarrow illustration with Niagara Falls.

[B]

Oh yeah, there you go.

[C]

So the guy is a tightrope walker and he stretches a tightrope from the New York side over to the Canadian side. He walked across and walked back and there were huge crowds. So then he takes a wheelbarrow and puts a wheelbarrow on there and walks out part way with a wheelbarrow. And then he comes back and puts like 200 pounds of weights in there and walks out partway and walks back. So then he says, how many of you believe I can take a man across in this barrel? And they're all shouting, I do, I do.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[C]

So then he points at one of them and says, okay, get in. Well, if the man doesn't get in, the illustration goes, he doesn't believe.

[B]

Well, they would say you don't trust it, you don't trust anymore.

[C]

Right, exactly. And my response is no. If this was like scripture, the moment I believed he could guaranteed to take a man across safely, which he cannot, of course, but let's say he could. You'd poof appear on the Canadian side. There would be no getting in the barrel. You would just. Once you believe, you get across. So the problem with that method is it is a two step method. First I get in the barrel, then I have to go through a process to get to the other side. Right, right. It's not just believing. What I like to suggest is the chair illustration or that illustration with the wheelbarrow. They all illustrate a message that's Contrary to John 3, 16.

[B]

Okay, the bottom line for Ephesians 1, 12, 13 is the word trust that occurred.

[C]

There it is even there.

[B]

There it is. And so when you remove that word trust there and just read it, then you'll see. No, it's when you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, by the way, that's another thing. You were placed into the body of Christ. That's what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 1, 12, 13. He's talking about the body of Christ, Jews and Gentiles. So don't use Ephesians 1, 12, 13. Don't use any passage for a two step process to receive eternal life.

[C]

No, there's one condition only, and it's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's it.

[B]

And remember, keep grace in focus.

[A]

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[B]

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