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, (Ephesians 1:15,16 ESV)
Faith and Love
My mother was a coffee-chum with a woman whose son was in my grade in high school. But Bob, her son, and I did not get along. I considered Bob to be a muscle-bound brainless buffoon. He had no sense of humor, did not understand subtlety, and had the emotional vulnerability of a gnat. He considered me to be a nerd’s nerd. To him, I was a bookworm, uncoordinated to the point of goofiness, far too complicated, and had the usefulness of a worn-out old sock.
But our mothers, when they spoke, described our thoughts, actions, and intentions with Nobel-Prize-Winning glory. They believed we COULD become friends. They believed we WOULD treat each other with kindness. They believed we WERE what they imagined us to be.
Because mothers often have faith in their beloved children.
We believe in those we love, and we love those we believe in.
We see this most clearly in our Savior, older brother, and bridegroom, Jesus Christ. He loves His people, and so has faith in us, seeing us as those He has redeemed. What He did for us on the cross changed us, in His eyes.
Paul writes to the Ephesians, here, and connects their faith in the Lord Jesus with their love of the church. The two are intertwined. Particularly, their faith in Christ allows them to love the ones He loves. And their love of each other gives foundation to their faith.
God enables us to love Him and each other so that we can have the blessing of faith. It is grand to be able to stomp out some cynicism via faith. It is grand to be able to stomp out some doubt via faith. It is grand to be able to stomp out some selfishness via faith.
Take the love God grants us.