Tuesday, August 28, 2018 - Ephesians 6:23
Faith Makes Possible True Peace and Love in Your
Life!
Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard
5. The Encouragement, vs. 21-24.
Eph 6:23, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
As we noted previously, Paul adds
to this passage, “with faith,” the
Genitive case of the Preposition META and the Noun PISTIS. This tells us that peace
and love, which originates “from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” can only be accomplished when there is
faith in the life of the believer. Without faith, it is impossible to have
peace or true motivational virtue love. In all his letters, Paul stressed that
the faith which is alive, is the faith that is lived daily, e.g., Rom 12-15. Therefore, we see that peace
and love come into your life by means of faith.
1. Faith resulting in peace is
noted in the following passages in the NT, Mark
5:34; Luke 7:50; 8:48; Rom 5:1; Gal 5:22; Eph 6:23; 1 Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4; Heb
11:31.
Rom 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Heb 11:31, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not
perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the
spies in peace.”
Mark 5:34, “And He said to her, "Daughter, your
faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your
affliction".” Cf. Luke 8:48.
Luke 7:50, “And He said to the woman, "Your faith
has saved you; go in peace".”
1 Tim 1:2, “To Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Titus 1:4, “To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”
2. Faith resulting in MVA Love is
noted in the following NT passages, 1
Cor 13:13; 2 Cor 8:7; Gal 5:6; Eph 1:15; 3:17; 6:23; Col 4:4; 1 Thes 1:3; 3:6;
5:8; 2 Thes 1:3; 1 Tim 1:5, 14; 2:15; 4:12; 6:10-11; 2 Tim 1:13; 2:22; 3:10;
Titus 2:2; 3:15; Philemon 5; James 2:5; Rev 2:19.
1 Thes 5:8, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober,
having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the
hope of salvation.” Cf. Eph 6:14, Breastplate = righteousness.
Therefore, faith and love result in walking in righteousness.
Gal 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”
Eph 1:15, “For this reason I too, having heard of the
faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all
the saints.”
Eph 3:17, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love.”
1 Thes 1:3, “Constantly bearing in mind your work of
faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
in the presence of our God and Father.”
1 Thes 3:6, “But now that Timothy has come to us from you,
and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always
think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you.”
2 Thes 1:3, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you,
brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and
the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater.”
1 Tim 1:5, “But the goal of our instruction is love
from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
2 Tim 1:13, “Retain the standard of sound words
which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ
Jesus.”
1 Tim 1:14, “And the grace of our Lord was more than
abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”
1 Tim 4:12, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but
rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example
of those who believe.”
The misappropriation of your love
is the result of your failure in faith, 1
Tim 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by
longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves
with many griefs.”
Yet, the believer is to, 1 Tim 6:11, “But flee from these things,
you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
perseverance and gentleness. Cf. 2
Tim 2:22.
Titus 2:2, “Older men are to be temperate,
dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.”
1 Cor 13:13, “But now faith, hope, love,
abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The reason love is the greatest, is because it is the
visible expression of the Christian way of life. The other two are the internal
workings of the Christian way of life, but motivational virtue AGAPE love is
both the inward and outward expression of the Christian way of life.
And in fact, faith, peace, and
love are all part of the Fruit of the Spirit, i.e., Divine Good Production, Gal 5:22; Rev 2:19.
Gal 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness.”
Rev 2:19, “I know your deeds, and your love and faith and
service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at
first.”
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