Today we'll be in Ephesians chapter
1, continuing our little journey through this chapter. I figure
next week I won't be here. The last week in June, Brother
Jim Byrd will be here. But I'm hoping next week to finish
Ephesians chapter 1, so that when I come back in July, we'll
start somewhere new. But Ephesians chapter 1, we're
going to look today at four verses. Lord willing, verses 15 to 18. And the name of the message today
is Faith and Love. Faith and Love. Ephesians 1.15,
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for
you, mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit
of wisdom in revelation, in the knowledge of him, the eyes of
your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the
hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints. So the first verse here before
us says, Wherefore I also heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
in love unto all the saints. Someone was bragging to Paul
about the saints at Ephesus. Someone was telling Paul about
their faith in Christ and their love to all the saints. What kind of reports came to
Paul about this church in Ephesus? Well, nothing's mentioned about
the numbers. Right? Nothing's mentioned about
how many people attend their church. That's a question all
preachers, all great preachers. How many people attend your church?
My answer is as many as God ordained for that day. That's the answer. As many as God's ordained. We don't worry about numbers.
But here in the text, we don't see them asking or bragging about
how big the church was. How many people attend? And we
don't see, we don't see, we also don't see them getting caught
up in how big the building was either. Where you meet. They probably met in homes. They probably met in homes. And
think of this, whether you're preaching to one or a thousand,
the message that we preach doesn't change. Whether we preach to
one of God's sheep or a thousand of God's sheep, it's the same
message. It's the same message. We don't get caught up in things
that other folks get caught up in. We have one commission from
the Lord. One commission to preach Christ
and Him crucified. That's it. That's our commission. So Paul has heard of their faith.
of their faith in who? Who's the object of their faith?
The Lord Jesus Christ. He's heard of their faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and their love to all the saints. And what
does he do? He rejoices. He's rejoicing. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3.26. Therefore being
justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. Romans 5.1. Love springs out
of faith. Love springs out of faith. If
a person doesn't love the brethren, I've got some serious doubts
about them. If they're praying against the
brethren all the time, I've got some serious doubts about them,
beloved. Because scripture time and time again declares, we love
the brethren. And see again, love springs out
of faith. Love springs out of faith. It's
a product of faith. It's natural. It's like breathing
air. It's a gift from God. And so
Paul rejoices that God the Holy Spirit has done a work among
them and more so in them. In them. Because this love for
the Brethren is not natural. I know. I used to sit before
the Lord saved me with my family members and rail on born-again
Christians. It was horrible what we used
to say. But look, I'm born again. God saved me. How I love the
Brethren. There's nobody else I want to
be around. Is it so with you? No one else would rather be with
than be here with God's people. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. So love springs out of faith.
It springs out of faith. And these two things, they thrilled
Paul's soul. And he prays for the brethren. You know that before the Lord
called me here, before I even knew that you guys were considering
me, that I have been told by other Grace Preachers, and I
think I've talked to John about this, I was told by other Grace
Preachers, and this is not going to provoke y'all about your love
for the Brethren, and your faith in Christ, how that you guys
just love the Gospel. Now I get to see it for myself.
It's incredible. And I rejoice, because we have
a... Believers love the Brethren.
Now we can get angry and bent out of shape sometimes for a
while and it happens, it happens. But it's not a constant thing. Over time it'll diminish. Because
our love for the brethren is more important than anything
else. And here it's tied together, right? Paul's rejoicing when
he heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and their love to all the
saints, not just the ones they get along with all the time,
but all of them. Drew and I were talking about
that last night as preachers. We were just talking about how
some of the brethren don't get along. Well, you still love them, though,
don't you? Because we're called to. We're called to. We're called. That's what we're called to do,
to love one another. And all the glory goes to the
Lord, doesn't it? Because He is the one who's made
us to differ. He's the one who's made each one of us who believe
to differ. We can't take any credit and we don't want to.
He gets all the glory, all the glory. So Paul says to the Ephesian
believers that he's heard, it's been reported to him, that they
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that they love all the saints. He's rejoicing, he's rejoicing
over this. If you hear the Lord save someone,
rejoice. Rejoice, it's a great thing.
The Lord has done a work. It's His doing. We ought to rejoice. We ought to rejoice. Turn, if
you would, to John 3, verse 36, and keep in mind what we hear,
what we read here, too, also. Wherefore, I also heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What's required? What's required
for salvation? John 3.36 makes it really plain
and really, really open to what it is. Look at John 3.36. He
that believeth on the Son, what? Hath everlasting life. There it is. So that verse, and
then look how it continues, right? It says, And he that believeth
not, the sun shall not see light, but the wrath of God abideth
on him. So these folks that say that, well, he was a good person,
he's in heaven. No. If they didn't believe on
Christ, they're not in heaven. Only the people who believe on
Christ, who trust in Christ, who rest in Christ, who've been
granted faith shall be saved. But look at what the text does
say, and we can rejoice. He that believeth on the sun
hath everlasting life. And tie that in with our text,
wherefore I also heard Wherefore, I also, after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." They believed, beloved. They
believed on Christ. He was the object of their faith.
He was the anchor of their soul. He's their only hope. He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. What a precious treat for
the believer. What a nail in a sure place. Christ. Christ. Our great King. Oh, I heard of your faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and love unto all the saints. And this
makes Paul rejoice. The faith of God's elect, which
is the Spirit's work, and has the Lord Jesus Christ for His
object, is a great source of rejoicing for God's people, especially
when we hear that the Lord saved someone. Oh, it's wonderful. So faith and love, beloved, are
inseparable, right? They're inseparable. If you have faith, you're going
to love God's people. You're going to. Like I say,
we have different personalities too, so remember that. But we're
going to love one another. We are. We're going to love one
another. We are. It's incredible. And think of this, faith is the
cause of our love for the brethren. Faith is the cause of our love
for the brethren. those who have faith will love
the brethren as I said they go hand-in-hand and hope make it
not a shame because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us this love is not
natural but it's given to us beloved and it's wonderful it's
wonderful because it all focuses and finds its center in Christ
it's all in Him it's in Him and it's given to us by the Holy
Ghost Oh, it makes us rejoice. Salvation is of the Lord. And
think of this, love is evidence of faith. Love for the brethren
is evidence of our faith. It gives us assurance because
we love the brethren. It's evidence that the Lord has
granted us faith. See, like I told you before,
when I was sitting at the table, I didn't love the brethren, did
I? With my family. I didn't even really know who
I was even talking about. Now I know. And I rejoice. And I rejoice. As I said, there's
no one we'd rather be with than God's people. And look at our
next verse. When true conversion, true faith
in Christ, with true conversion and true faith in Christ comes
true love for the brethren. But look at what Paul says in
verse 16. Cease not to give thanks for you, mention of you in my
prayers. Turn, if you would, to Colossians chapter 1. Paul
rejoices that the saints in Ephesus have been granted faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they have a genuine love
for all the saints, and he gives thanks to God for them. And we've
looked in our Colossians study, here's a total tie-in with what
we see here. Now Paul, in Ephesians 1.16,
it says he mentions them in his prayers. He lifts up his heart
to God in thanksgiving and praise. for the Ephesian brother. He
lifts up and he gives God all the glory and all the honor and
all the praise. Now look in Colossians chapter
1 starting in verse 3. We give thanks to God and the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Look
at this. Since we heard of your faith
in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have to all the saints.
They go hand in hand, beloved. They go hand in hand. For the
hope which is laid up for you in heaven, wherever you heard
before in the word of the truth of the gospel, look at this,
which is come unto you. The gospel comes to us. We don't
seek Christ. He seeks us. What a marvelous
verse. Which is come unto you as it
is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit. It brings forth
fruit in God's elect. Because the Holy Spirit regenerates
us, born again. As it doth also in you since
the day you heard it, right? Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God, and knew the grace of God and truth.
Eugenoska, you know something that you didn't know before.
Oh, it's wonderful. As you also learned of Epaphras,
our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister
of Christ, who declared unto us, again, your love in the Spirit. So faith and love are intermingled. If you have faith, you have love
for the brethren. And Paul prays and gives thanks
to God for the work which the Holy Spirit has done in them.
Think of this, they would never have believed in God had God
not granted them faith. And every one of us can say that,
eh? I can say that. I would never have believed in
God if God had not given me faith to believe in Him. What a gift. What a gift. And think of this,
they never would have had love for the brethren had God not
granted them faith. And so who gets all the glory,
beloved? God. He gets all the glory. And he
says, cease not to give thanks for you mention of you in my
prayers. Psalm 115 verse 1 says this,
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory
for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Not unto us. We don't want
the glory. We don't want the glory. Turn
if you would to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Salvation and conversion
is all the work of God. He saves us. And what? We rejoice
in his mercy and goodness to all the saints. To all the saints. So we see that praise and thanksgiving
spring out of a redeemed heart, right? Praise and thanksgiving
spring out of a redeemed heart, giving God all the glory. When
we hear of others who have been saved, we rejoice. God has saved
them. God did it. The Lord saved me. When I was an Armenian and lost
and didn't know Christ, I used to say, I made a decision for
Christ. And after the Lord shall be grace, I said, the Lord saved
me. The Lord, because He did it.
He did it all. He did it all, beloved. Look
at 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 and 14. But we are bound to give
thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning, from eternity, chosen you to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the
truth. Wherein he called you, right? He calls you, effectual
calling by the gospel being preached. He called you by our gospel.
We're all saved by the same gospel, aren't we? But it's ours! It's
ours, beloved, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh, so praise and thanksgiving
spring out of a redeemed heart. Oh, Here's a question for you. Have you ever had God lay someone
on your heart? You'd be going through your day and the Lord
just lays someone on your heart. And you start praying for them.
You don't know why. But you just start praying for
them. Maybe they're going through something. And the Lord's having
you pray for them. Oh, we ought to pray for one
another. And please pray for the ministry here. Please. Please. That God would be glorified.
That he would be magnified and lifted up. Prayer is us crying
out to God from the heart. And Paul thanks God for what
he has done in the saints. Granting them faith in Christ
Jesus and love for the brethren. Giving them love for the brethren. Let's look at verse 17. that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you a spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." In verse 18,
"...that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened, that ye may know
what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory
of His inheritance in the saints." So here is a glimpse into what
Paul prays for our Ephesian brothers. The brethren here at Ephesus,
they already knew Christ, right? Because scripture declares that.
They already knew Christ. He had revealed himself to them
in a saving knowledge, and they believed on Christ, and scripture
says they had a love for the brethren. But Paul here prays
for an increase in knowledge for the brethren at Ephesus.
Turn, if you would, to 2 Peter chapter 2, or chapter 3, I'm
sorry, verse 17 and 18. Now only the Holy Spirit can
give us an increase of who Christ is, right? By studying His Word,
He illuminates the Scripture. By hearing Gospel messages, He
teaches us and guides us. And we grow in the grace and
knowledge and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. And also put your
finger in John 16 as well, I'm sorry. So 2 Peter chapter 3 and
John 16. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit
of wisdom and revelation, and He will teach us through the
preaching of Jesus Christ our Lord. Look at 2 Peter 3, verses
17 and 18. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing
ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led
away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
But grow in grace, Do you know that when you grow in grace,
that you don't see yourself getting better? Here's an illustration. I think
you guys have heard it. It's worth repeating. I called
Donny Bell one time, and I said, Brother Donny, I'm getting worse
instead of better. I see myself as more and more
of a sinner. And he chuckled and said, You're
growing in grace, Brother. Do you remember Paul? He said,
I'm the least of all the apostles and the saints. And then at the
end of his life, though, I'm Jesus. Oh, my. And that's what, as we study
the Word, as we hear about Christ, we realize more and more what
He's redeemed us from, and what we are, and who He is. Oh, what
a Savior. But grow in grace. And in the
knowledge of our Lord, Savior Jesus Christ and then again Paul
to him be glory both now and forever Amen Paul doesn't want
none of the glory He doesn't want any of the Saints and Peter
doesn't want it. This is Peter He don't want any
of the glory either give it all to God give it all to God He
gets it all and then turn to John 16 the Holy Spirit will
teach us about Christ here guide us into all truth and Look at John 16, verse 13 and
14. How abate when He, the Spirit
of truth, is come. He will guide you into all truth.
All truth, beloved. He's our teacher. He's the one. This is why we pray, Oh Lord,
illuminate the scriptures or else we won't see nothing. For He shall not speak of Himself.
Now there's whole movements out there based upon the Holy Spirit,
right? You get in that charismatic movement
and that's all they talk about. But scripture here says he did
not speak of himself. But whatsoever he shall hear
that shall he speak and he will show you things to come. He shall
glorify me. And this is our great king speaking.
This is our master. Here glorify Christ. Here magnify
Christ. for he shall receive of mine
and show it unto you. And he does that, beloved, through
the reading of the word, through the preaching of the word, he
teaches us. And this Bible right here, this
is our final authority. Not what man says, not what man
says about it, no matter who it is, if it doesn't agree with
this word, we don't believe it. Right? We're to be like the Bereans. And I want you. When I'm preaching,
I want you. Go home and search it out. See
if it's true. That's how we are to be. Turn,
if you would, to Acts chapter 17. The Bible is our final authority
and not man. And listen to what a man preaches
and measure it by this precious Word. Measure it by what this
Word says. Because this is where all truth
is, right here. All truth, right here. Look at Acts chapter 17
verses 10 and 11. And the brethren immediately
sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither
went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether
these things were so. Searched the Scriptures daily,
whether these things were so. So listen to what a man preaches,
measure it by this precious word. Who gets the glory, the preacher
or God? Who gets the glory? Grace preachers,
we want to give God all the glory, all of it, all of it. In turn, if you would, the 1
Corinthians chapter 1, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses
7 to 11. Paul desired that God would give
them wisdom and knowledge. Look in 1 Corinthians 2, starting
in verse 7. But we speak the wisdom of God
in the mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before
the world unto our glory. which none of the princes of
this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory. But it is written, now think
of this, beloved, we have some loved ones who are in heaven. I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love Him." Oh my! Oh, I remember an old missionary
used to say, it's not death to die. And I can see that in this
verse. But God hath revealed them unto
us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the
deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things
of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so
the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. He
teaches us. He is the one who must give us
knowledge and understanding and revelation. Paul says, I'll pray for you. I pray for you all. Pray for
me too. We all need prayer, don't we?
We all need it. Oh, that the eyes of our understanding
would be enlightened. That we may know what is the
hope of His calling. Let's look at verse 18 now. That
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may
know what is the hope of His calling. Our eyes are darkened
by nature. Darkened. that the eyes of your
understanding be enlightened. Paul prays that their understanding
would be enlightened, that they might see the sinfulness of sin,
that they might see the sinfulness of sin, that they might see the
insufficiency of their own righteousness and works for salvation, and
that they might see the beauty, the beauty, and how Christ is
suitable to be our Savior and our Redeemer and our Lord The
natural man's in darkness. He sees nothing. And all of us can say, we were
there. Just think back to how we were. I didn't know anything. And as
I said, I don't know much even now, but I know that Christ is
my Savior and that Christ is my Redeemer. Oh, and that He
purchased my eternal soul on Calvary's tree. And I rejoice. I know that He is wonderful and
glorious. That ye might know what is the
hope of your calling. Beloved, we have a hope laid
up for us in heaven that I have not seen. Oh, it's not entered into our
heart how wonderful that inheritance is. For the hope which is laid
up for you in heaven, wherever you heard before in the word
of the truth of the gospel, Colossians 1, 5. We have a hope. One that we never had before.
We were hopeless before. Now we have hope. And it's not
in anything we do, is it? It's not in anything we do. It's
all in Christ. It's all in what He's done. But
we have a hope, an inheritance, an inheritance. Turn if you would to Galatians
chapter 5. I'd just like us to look at this verse. I saw this
last night. Had never saw it before. It's
just amazing how things just... When you're studying and something
just comes alive Galatians chapter 5 verse 5,
probably read it a hundred times, never saw this, but look at this.
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith. Right? Galatians chapter 5 verse
5. For we through the Spirit wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith. Not by the law. Not by a checklist. Right? Not by anything we do. The hope of righteousness by
faith, it's all in Christ, beloved. It's all in Him. We are justified
by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ. So if anybody comes up to you
and tells you you have to live a certain way, now we want to,
right? But you have to follow their
little checklist that they pull out. Say, well, if you don't
follow all these things, then you're not saved. You say, well,
you just take them to Romans and say, it's God that justifies
me. Who can lay any charge against God's elect? For we, through the Spirit, wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith, not by works of the
law, not by any observance of the law, but by faith in Christ
Jesus, born again of the Holy Spirit of God. Back to our text,
it says in the latter part, in what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints. The riches of his glory, abundant
mercy, abundant love. The riches of his grace, superabounding
in Christ. It says of his, God is the father
of this inheritance which is given to the saints. Men give
inheritance to their loved ones. So God is the God of all glory. And the Father of Glory gives
a glorious inheritance to His people. It's His to give to whomever
He pleases. And He gives it to the ones He's
loved for eternity in Christ. And it says inheritance. Heaven
is called an inheritance. The believer's title to it is
only in Christ. were adopted and made heirs of
God, and we saw that in verse 5 of this chapter. It's an eternal
inheritance, beloved. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter 9, and we're closed with this. It's an eternal inheritance,
and it's only in and through the Lord Jesus Christ and Him
alone. Hebrews 9.15, and for this cause He is the mediator
of the New Testament, that by means of death for the redemption
of the transgressions that were under the First Testament, they
which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Eternal inheritance. And it's
only in Christ the saints are qualified for heaven, in Christ,
in Him alone. Glory to His name.