For this reason …
Summary: Paul starts off the next section of his letter with “For this reason…” While the connection between what he is going to write and what he just wrote might be clear in his mind, it needs a little thought on our part to sort out what he is pointing to.
If you had to sum up the prior two paragraphs of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, how would you do it? Paul seems to think that by jotting down a few notes referencing deep theological subjects, he can jauntily move on to the next topic, confident that we, his readers, are fully up to speed on everything he has said.
Hmmm … I’m not so sure. I’m feeling a bit lost at this point. Which reason is Paul talking about?
Perhaps we should review what Paul has been saying.
Verse Reason 3 We are blessed in the heavenly realms 4, 11 God chose us: Before creation To be holy 5 To be adopted through Jesus Christ 7 We have redemption through Jesus’ blood We have forgiveness of sins 9 God has made known his will 13 We are included in Christ when we hear the message of truth When we believe We are marked with a seal Which means we are given the Holy Spirit
(This list isn’t perfect. Your list might be different. That is okay. The main point is that we look back over what Paul has said.)
So which “reason” is he referring to? That we are blessed? Chosen? Redeemed? Forgiven? Let’s peek ahead and see if Paul gives us another clue. The entire sentence reads:
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”
It sounds like the key subject is our “faith in the Lord Jesus and [our] love for all God’s people.” The only problem is that Paul doesn’t mention either of these things in the prior two paragraphs. What gives?
Matthew 22: 37-38 comes to mind. Jesus is asked about the “greatest commandment in the Law.” He replies, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
So it would appear that people who are chosen by God, redeemed through the blood of Jesus, forgiven of their sins, who know God’s will, and have the mark of the Holy Spirit, are the same people who have faith in the Lord Jesus and love all God’s people.
Paul is giving thanks for the believers’ love for God (faith in the Lord) and “love for all God’s people.” It sounds like Paul expects believers to live the two Great Commandments.
Application: It sounds like having faith in Jesus and loving all God’s people is important to God.
Food for Thought: How are “loving God above all else” and having faith in God the same or different things?
Interesting question. I suppose it is possible to place your faith in Christ and His work for salvation, and not love Him as highest priority.
Salvation repeatedly is provided through faith in Christ. A few examples include John 3: 16; Ephesians 1: 13; Ephesians 2: 8 – 9; 1 John 5: 13: Romans 3: 22 – 25.
But the command is not just to believe, but to love.
I think we come to Christ by faith, but then love Him more and more as we grow in relationship to Him. We don’t just know about Christ, we know Him. The two may be thought of separately, but are most definitely linked. John 17 : 3; 1 Peter 1: 7 – 9.
Faith saves, but saving faith also loves. Faith saves, but genuine faith pursues Christ as the object of our worship, praise and affection. Philippians 3: 7 – 11. This will also lead us to praising His glory – as we see in Ephesians 1: 3, 6, 14. I think loving God and worshipping or adoring God are definitely linked together. If the question were: “How is loving God above all else” and worshipping Him the same or different – then I think I would see those as pretty much identical. Faith leads to love. Love is expressed in worship. Worships includes a response to God that affects everything that we do.
Brother Rich,
Thank you for your thoughtful answer! I like how you included “worship” in your response. I completely agree with your statement “Love is expressed in worship.” Of course love is many other things, too. “Obedience” comes to mind (Romans 6:16) which means we trust God’s commands and act on them, which brings us back to faith… 🙂
I believe Rich very eloquently answered the question! I agree that love for God does grow as your walk with Him transforms your life. But even at its most basic level, if you have faith in God’s Word, you will believe that you have sinned, that He sent His Son, Christ, to die for those sins out of love for you, and in accepting His truth, you will love Him. It is one thing though to say “I love God above all things” and and another to live a life “with love for God above all things.” Living a life “with love for God above all things” means trusting Him and not our own plans, which takes faith.
Jesus said:
John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commands.
But also Jesus said (through Paul):
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Faith without love grows to look a bit like compliance. Faith with love grows into a meaningful relationship with God.
Paul in all his intellect, seems to be a very distracted writer. Okay, not really, but all those run ons, all those side notes that make a person forget what the main sentence is saying makes me feel distracted.
For this reason, … , I have not stopped giving thanks for you, …
What did he talk about? Simplified down is that the Ephesian church believed and are on the receiving end of all the blessings through Christ.
He’s thankful they get blessed in the heavenly realm.
He’s thankful they’re chosen.
He’s thankful they get to know God.
He’s thankful they’re redeemed.
He’s thankful that they’re sealed with the Spirit.
How often are we genuinely thankful for another’s place with Christ? How often are we so caught up with it that we can’t stop talking about all the good we see coming their way and need to share that with them again? How often do we pray continuously for new believers because we are excited for them and their faith?
Ironically, I was the one distracted enough not to read the question!
Loving God vs faith in God. I’m not sure you can have just one. They are co dependent. Faith in God, as in saving faith, would prompt a response of love (those forgiven much love much). Love for God would imply that you believe in Him, you accept Him, you want more of Him and to be more like Him.
Angela,
Thank you!! I didn’t mean to skip over your comment yesterday. I guess I was distracted, too. 🙂
I really appreciated your review of Paul’s comments and your take on them. And I agree with you about faith and love. They are kind of like a potato chip; I bet you can’t have just one!
03-02-2023, How are “loving God above all else” and having faith in God the same or different things?
Without Christ all mankind has feelings toward others that are often described as love. This love will exist as long as the object of their love, meets their standards of acceptability which will vary with time. MANS LOVE IS A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL MEN CALL LOVE.
Is our acceptance of Christ an expression of human conditional love toward God, which is simply words, or is it an act of “true repentance” for our sinful nature as we seek to avoid the consciences of our sin’s, and experience true righteousness which can only come through Christ. John 16:8;13 tells us of the conviction of the Holy Spirit of our sins, judgement, and righteousness which can only come through our Righteous Savior, Christ. Actually we all accepted Christ because we recognized our need for salvation from eternal hell as we repented and turned from our sinful ways.
After we have expressed our faith in Christ’s sacrifice for our sin’s and salvation from God as we have repented and turned from these sins, then we can and do begin to love God with His unconditional love, the unconditional love of Jesus Christ flowing through us. And we enter into the process of increasingly loving God above all else, as we reject this world’s standards of acceptability and seek God’s standards by allowing His Holy Spirit to work in and through us as we travel the road to maturity. It is God who will extend His unconditional love through ua, to our family, friends, and people of this world and they when they ask why we are different, we can tell them our story about how we came to know Jesus.
Love for God toward others can only be expressed after He resides in our hearts.
1 John 4:8, 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:16, And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
John 14:21, 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
John 15:9-10, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Ron,
Thank you for your words today. You paint a wonderful picture of faith and love both growing together as we are drawn into a deeper relationship with our God.