Ephesians 1:15-16
I Heard of Your Faith
Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the
saints,
Eph 1:16 Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
·
Three Essentials
of Christianity
1.
Faith in the
Lord Jesus – vs. 15a*
a.
The first
thing we see here is that we do not deserve any credit for our salvation. Paul doesn’t
thank them for their faith but rather the God who gave it to them.
i.
Faith is a
gift
1. Ephesians 2:8
ii.
God is to be
thanked for the freedom you have been given
1. Romans 6:17
iii.
Paul begins
and ends his letter with what it is all about – faith and love
1. Ephesians 6:23
2.
Love for the Brethren
– vs. 15b*
a.
It is the
grace of God that produces true faith and love in our lives
i.
1 Timothy 1:13-14
b.
Faith and
love are inseparable twins. It is impossible to truly love others without a
faith in God
i.
1 Thessalonians 1:3
ii.
1 Thessalonians 3:6
iii.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
iv.
1 John 3:23
c.
True faith produces
a love for others
i.
Galatians 5:6
d.
Love for your
fellow believers is evidence of true saving faith
i.
1 John 3:14
e.
Faith without
love in action is empty and useless
i.
James 2:26
3.
Prayer for
our Fellow Believers – vs. 16*
a.
A true love
for our brothers and sisters in Christ is demonstrated by a committed prayer life
i. Romans 1:9
