…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16)
We’ve been working our way through the book of Ephesians. Paul describes the work and objectives of five gifts Christ gave to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These five gifts equip the church to serve one another and build up the body. Their goal is spiritual maturity: setting “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” as our standard, they help us attain Christlikeness. The mature Christian life is stable, uninfluenced by the constantly evolving threats of false teaching and false teachers.
Understanding the Body of Christ
Mature Christians love the truth, speak the truth in love to one another, and cling to Jesus. Paul says the church is like a body. Every part of our body serves a function—from our skin to our pancreas to our carotid artery, every part has a purpose and supports the functionality of the whole body. The same is true for Christians in the church. In Ephesians 4:11-12, we discussed how too many people go to church to receive something when, in reality, we should go to give something.
Functionality Within the Body of Christ
That’s the attitude Paul promotes: every member doing their part and contributing to the whole. When we make serving one another our aim, we encourage unity in the body. We are “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies.” Paul has been building toward this, describing Jews and Gentiles as divided by the Law of Moses. Jesus removed the barrier of separation at the cross, joining them into a single body. This was God’s plan all along, revealed in Jesus Christ, the apostles, and prophets.
Building the Church in Love
Paul urges us to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The Spirit has bound us together, and we should maintain this by pursuing peace. We are growing up in Christ toward the “unity of the faith.” Even with radically different backgrounds, in Christ, we are one body. To edify means to build up. We build on the foundation of Jesus, but love is the material we use. Love gives the truth its power and helps us moderate our presentation to help others listen.
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