I Have Heard Of Your Faith
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…”
The Apostle Paul has just finished his magnificent declaration of the sovereign hand of God in the salvation of the Ephesians. He has described the glorious work of God in divine election and in the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ, powerfully applied by the Holy Spirit. The believer is truly blessed in the heavenly places (vs. 3).
This great work of God is described according to the riches of his grace (vs. 7) and according to the purpose of his sovereign will (vv. 5, 11). The ultimate reason or purpose for this work of God in saving us is to the praise of his glory and grace (vv. 6, 12, 14). It is the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it (vs. 14). Verse 15 connects back to these previous verses with these words “for this reason.” I was struck by the phrase “I have heard of your faith.” In verse 2, Paul calls the Ephesians “faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Faith is a word that is bandied about in common terms. We think faith is simple and easy, and in one sense, it is. It is child-like trust and dependence, yet if we are honest with ourselves, we would confess that faith ii not so easy after all. The Puritans understood that there are two very difficult acts of faith. The first is in coming to Christ, and the second is in facing death. The life of faith in between these two great events is often not easy itself. It is possible that we might place faith in man far easier than in God. This is because of the tangible reality that we can see and perhaps control. This faith is not biblical faith or saving faith.
Faith, according to Paul in Ephesians 2:8–10 is the gift of God and the instrument that is necessary to lay hold of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is the means or instrument through which we are saved. Our salvation is by God’s grace. If God does not extend his grace to us or give us faith to believe, then we cannot be saved. Paul takes salvation out of the hands of the individual and places it squarely in the hands of God. This faith, though, is not robotic: it is enablement. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to work in us by his regenerating power, thus creating new life within. We cannot create this new life. It is only by God’s power. It is not the strength of our faith that saves us, but the truth of it.
In verse 15, Paul says that he has heard of the faith of the Ephesians, and he qualifies that faith as faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is saving faith manifesting itself in life. This is the reputation of faith in Christ. Paul connects their faith to their love in verse 15. Their love toward all the saints is manifested because they believe in Christ. This is always the case and should be. If we believe (our faith), we demonstrate (our love). Faith is lived out. The great internal work of regeneration manifests itself outwardly toward the saints. Love is the visible showing of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This agrees with what James says in James 2:18: “…I will show you my faith by my works.” We often speak of justifying faith according to Romans 5:1: “…we have been justified by faith…” Justification is being right with God through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us. It is faith that appropriates this. Justification, therefore, is another word for being “saved by grace through faith.” Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) said “faith wraps itself in the righteousness of Christ.” William Gurnall (1616-1679) said “faith has two hands: with one it pulls off its own righteousness and throws it away…with the other, it puts on Christ’s.”
Paul responds to this reputation of the Ephesians in verse 16. He gives thanks to God for them, and he prays for them. He remembers them before God with thanksgiving. This was a particular part of Paul’s prayer life. He prayed for the saints, thanking God for them whenever he remembered them (Rom. 1:8–10; 1 Cor. 1:4; Phil. 1:3, 4; Col. 1:3, 4; 1 Thess. 1:2, 3; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:3; Phile. 4). We often thank God for the evidence of love shown to others by the saints. This is right to do, but we must always remember that it is a love fueled by faith in Christ, and we should thank God for each other’s faith.
It is interesting in verse 16 that Paul follows up on faith and love by connecting his thanksgiving and praying for the Ephesians with all that God has done for them in Christ. He prays that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation (vs. 17). He prays that the enlightened eyes of their hearts might know the hope they have since God has called them to it (vs. 18). He prays that they might comprehend the riches of God’s glorious inheritance (vs. 18). He continues to pray that they might know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward them as believers (vs. 19), a power that he worked in Jesus when he raised him from the dead (vs. 20). The power of God is seen in raising and seating Jesus at his right hand in the heavenly places (vs. 20). This is the place where all our spiritual blessings reside (vs. 3). It is a place far beyond the reach or power of anything or anyone (vs. 21). All things are under the kingship and headship of Jesus (vs. 22), things pertaining to this world and to the Church. The Church is the body of Christ, and as a result fills all creation because it is filled with Christ (vs. 23). It is always amazing to see how Paul relates deep doctrinal truth to practical realities: faith and love. Most of us think on the surface. The things we can see or control motivate us. Theological truth may be known by us, but the application of it to practice is something we might miss. This is why we have so much trouble comprehending divine providence. When things happen to us beyond our control, we tend to see them as something that we must fix, or we are surprised by them and don’t know how to respond.
In Ephesians 1:15–23, it seems to me that Paul is showing us what lies behind the simple realities of faith and love. What lies behind is the truth of verses 3–14. He explains the origin of our faith in Christ in beautiful rich theological truth. Verses 3–14 express what God has done for us. God has done everything for us in Christ. The little phrase “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus” occurs 89 times (in ESV). Paul uses the phrase “in him” in Ephesians on 8 occasions, and “in Christ” on 13 occasions. We cannot underestimate the glorious work of God for us apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is rich indeed!
If I can strengthen or build up my faith, then my love must correspondingly be affected also. Faith is confidence toward God and in God. It is assurance and conviction in the invisible (Heb. 11:1). Without this faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). The first thing to do is to pray for a strengthening of faith. The second thing to do is to commit yourself to loving the saints. This is why the doctrine of the local church is so vital. Paul is writing this to a local church: the Ephesians. The love that springs from this faith is shown“toward all the saints” (vs. 15). Ask yourself how you fulfill that. Would someone who knows you say that this is your manner of life? They know your faith because they see it revealed among your fellow saints. Paul’s stress is on the reputation of the Ephesians. He says “I have heard of your faith …and love.” This is a high and holy aspiration to have. Both faith and love originate in God, so you have to go to him for them. Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and live the life of love among your brothers and sisters.