Growth....
Ephes. 4:7-16 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 led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
[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] It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God's 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 fulness 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 men in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into 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.
Growth. It is the object of all of us who believe in Jesus, to grow to be like him, to become mature.
It’s funny, but when you observe a group of believers who are united and have eliminated just about all the divisions that are amongst them, you notice that a large number of them would seem to be mature believers. Paul probably noticed this too, so after talking about unity he now talks about maturity, and about how our job as believers, is to work not for our own glory but to see the body grow to be more mature.
Paul rebukes those of us whose behaviour is still infantile. Those of us who haven’t grown in Christ will still carry with us many of our old attitudes and behaviours – selfishness, impetuousness, lack of concern, insensitivity, pride – and this will effect how we interact with our fellow brothers and sisters. I wonder how it feels to be labelled infantile? Is it something which embarrasses us? Or does it anger us? Maybe what it should do is cause us to examine ourselves, to see how we need to change. Because maybe infant Christians are changeable, blowing this way and that, and being unpredictable. Maybe people like this need to learn to grow up!
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
[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] It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God's 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 fulness 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 men in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into 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.
Growth. It is the object of all of us who believe in Jesus, to grow to be like him, to become mature.
It’s funny, but when you observe a group of believers who are united and have eliminated just about all the divisions that are amongst them, you notice that a large number of them would seem to be mature believers. Paul probably noticed this too, so after talking about unity he now talks about maturity, and about how our job as believers, is to work not for our own glory but to see the body grow to be more mature.
Paul rebukes those of us whose behaviour is still infantile. Those of us who haven’t grown in Christ will still carry with us many of our old attitudes and behaviours – selfishness, impetuousness, lack of concern, insensitivity, pride – and this will effect how we interact with our fellow brothers and sisters. I wonder how it feels to be labelled infantile? Is it something which embarrasses us? Or does it anger us? Maybe what it should do is cause us to examine ourselves, to see how we need to change. Because maybe infant Christians are changeable, blowing this way and that, and being unpredictable. Maybe people like this need to learn to grow up!
posted by Gordon at
7:46 am
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