‘For this reason I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus that is among you, and which you show towards all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.'
What a wonderful testimony is this. Paul says, ‘I have heard of you, of how great your faith is in the Lord Jesus, and of how it is revealed towards all God's people.' If only that could be said of us and of our church, known to everybody for the right reasons! And because of what he has heard he gives thanks and prays that they might enjoy even greater blessing.
‘For this reason -.' Looking back over the whole of Ephesians 1:3-14, and applying it to them, he is confident that they will receive the promised activity precisely because he has heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus, and the fact that it is revealed also by their lives.
‘Having heard.' This need not mean he had not known them personally. It describes the fact that he has since had news of them, news that they continue to walk in the faith, something which has rejoiced his heart.
‘The faith in the Lord Jesus that is among you.' They are a church well witnessed to as a church which believes fully in Jesus the Lord. All around know that to these Christians there in only One Lord, and He is Jesus.
‘And which you show towards all the saints.' Their faith is also shown by their behaviour towards all God's people. If we have true faith it will always be reflected in the way we live, and especially in how we behave towards ‘all saints', all God's people. (Some manuscripts have ‘the love which you show' in various forms, but on the whole these are not the better manuscripts).
‘Do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.' Paul did not forget to be grateful to God for what He had done, indeed he was unceasing in his gratitude. We too would do well to spend more time in gratitude and praise to God. Notice also that his prayers were for their spiritual welfare, not for their material well-being, as our Lord Himself mainly commanded in Matthew 6:7-15.