After having told the Ephesians they were God’s inheritance, Paul now mentions how they became this inheritance. He says it begins with listening to the message of truth, believing the gospel of salvation and being sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13, 14).
Without someone listening to the message of God, there is no basis for putting one’s faith in the message of truth. Paul told the Romans (10:17) that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” This is not a religious concept; it is a reality concept. One cannot put their faith in something or someone they have never heard anything about. A person cannot be a believer without first being a listener.