Faith and Love

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints. (Ephesians 1:15)

Paul heard two things about the Ephesian believers and gave thanks for both. He heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints. He did not separate the two; he did not rank one as higher than the other. He heard them together and thanked God for both, because in the Kingdom, they always work together.

Everywhere you look in the epistles, faith and love are running alongside each other. They are not competing doctrines but rather they are twin pillars of Kingdom living.

Faith reaches up and takes hold of what God has provided, while love reaches out and extends what you have received to others. You cannot sustain genuine faith without love, and you cannot sustain genuine love without faith. A believer who has faith without love becomes harsh, self-focused, and performance-driven. Conversely, a believer who has love without faith becomes soft, passive, and unable to take the ground God has given them.

Paul prayed that the Ephesians would have both faith and love, then asked for the eyes of their understanding to be enlightened. That power flows through the combination of faith and love—together, not one or the other.

Practical Application

Examine which of the two you tend to emphasize in your walk with God. Do you rely heavily on faith confession but struggle to walk in genuine love toward difficult people? Or do you lead with compassion but shy away from bold faith declarations? Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen the one you neglect, so both are fully operating in your life.

1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:5