connection will be more manifest as we go on, but verse 14, with its reference to the

inheritance, supplies part of the basis for the apostle's prayer.

"On this account", because The Father has chosen you in Christ before the overthrow

of the world, because the Son has redeemed you and taken you for an inheritance,

because your hope places you in the highest rank (the fore-hopers), because the Spirit is

the seal and the earnest until the day of complete acquisition, for this cause I pray.

There is a two-fold reason, however, for the apostle's prayer, not only because of the

grace just referred to, but also because that grace had been received and that truth

believed, "After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus". The faith here referred to is the

same that is spoken of in verse 13, where it is related to "the word of truth, the gospel of

your salvation". Here, in verse 15, their faith is said to be "in the Lord Jesus". It is a title

that Paul uses on several occasions, Rom. 10: 9; II Cor. 4: 14; Gal. 6: 17; Phil. 2: 19;

Col. 3: 17 being some of the references. The title seems to imply a great love to the

Lord, a desire to honour that name which once was despised and which was connected

with His lowliness and suffering. It is essentially a resurrection title. To believe that

Jesus is LORD is to believe that He rose from the dead. These Ephesian saints had this

faith. Moreover, it was the faith that characterized all the members of the one body.

There is sufficient evidence, we feel, to warrant the omission of the word "love" from

this verse. The faith which was according to them, was also that which "all the saints"

shared. There is such a thing as "the unity of the faith", and such forms the basis for the

apostle's prayer. "The saints" whose faith is mentioned in verse 15, are the saints in

whom the Lord has His inheritance in verse 18. If the faith of verse 15 is that which

characterizes "all the saints", so is the second great prayer of Ephesians (3: 14-21)--the

comprehension of what is depth, length, breadth and height is only possible as entered

into "with all saints".

The apostle mingled praise with his prayers. For all that grace had wrought he says,

"blessed be God"; he obeyed the precept given to others, "with thanksgiving let your

requests be made known to God". He tells us also that "without ceasing" he prayed for

these believers. This ceaseless ministry of intercession is referred to in Col. 1: 9, "For

this cause we also. . . . do not cease to pray for you." The context of this passage has

many points of resemblance with Eph. 1: 15, 16. The hope is prominent, the inheritance

of the saints is there, the exalted position of Christ "far above all" is repeated. In

II Tim. 1: 3; Rom. 1: 9; and I Thess. 1: 2, 3, 2: 13 we read:--