Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16
Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (NIV)
Observation:
4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all…. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
We are called to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received through grace; a life of grace, unity in the Spirit, speaking the truth in love, and not being swayed by every changing teaching being offered by crafty and cunning people. We stand firm then on God’s unchanging word, becoming mature in our faith and actions. All of this is to God’s Glory through Jeus Christ and by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Application:
We have everything we need to live the life that is worthy of our calling by studying the Word and cooperating with the Holy Spirit in our lives. When the word seems counter to our own beliefs, our role then is to accept God’s Word without exception and live into the truth of scripture. The Holy Spirit, who is always with us, will encourage us to be transformed by the word that we have encountered and then we will find unity and maturity in the Spirit.
Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of us all, grant that we grow in our understanding of your Word through the faith you have gifted us in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for the Gift of the Holy Spirit that we might stay ever close to you. Raise us up in the faith that we might be unmoved by the changing tides and differing world views. Help us to stand firm in your word, speaking the truth in love, for you are a graceful and loving God who desires us to know and love you better. Help us to be extenders of the grace that you have given us so that the Body of Christ will be built up in Jesus Christ. “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.“ Amen!