DAY 21: CHRISTIAN UNITY DEMANDS THE MATURITY OF OUR GROWTH

DAY 21: CHRISTIAN UNITY DEMANDS THE MATURITY OF OUR GROWTH

SCRIPTURE

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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.

Ephesians 4:11-13

OBSERVATION:

What should be the goal of every church, and her leaders? What is the purpose of the five-fold ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher? Paul gives us the natural progression here, of what is essentially the bedrock of Christian growth.

Firstly is the equipping of God’s people for works of service. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. The purpose of going to Church on a Sunday is not to do a once a week duty but to receive instruction on how to live life for God on every other day of the week! In God’s kingdom, there is no such thing as a Sunday Christian. Every disciple is commissioned with the duty of going forth to shine the light of Jesus in the dark world wherever they go. And the church must give emphasis on giving out all-important instruction in this.

Secondly, the equipping is to build up the body of Christ. Every member of the body has a different role to play and everyone needs each other for the whole body to function effectively. The purpose of the equipping here is to strengthen each part of the body so that every member can press on towards being the best they can be in their particular role as led by the Holy Spirit from glory to glory in Christ Jesus.

Ultimately, all the equipping has the goal of bringing every member to maturity, each individual eventually coming to a level where he acts and talks and loves like the Lord Jesus Himself. And this maturity also has the mark of having unity in the faith which is unity of heart and unity in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which is unity in the mind, which of course comes about by having unity in the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION:

Our goal ultimately is maturity and unity, and to reach a level where we are able to think and love and act like Jesus would. We need to see ourselves as lights in a dark world. Church is a place where we recharge, learn and be encouraged before going back to our daily lives to shine for Christ. We also need to check ourselves to distance ourselves from divisions and gossip, but to pray for and seek the unity of the church.

PRAYER:

We praise and worship thee, Father Lord, for You hold all things in Your hands. According to Your good pleasure, it is Your will for us to receive Your salvation, and to be changed from glory to glory in the likeness of Your Son. Build us up O Lord, as one body we pray, and help us be strong individually and collectively, even as we seek to grow more and more in Your likeness day by day. Strengthen us O Lord, and quicken our spirits and our minds, that we may grow deeper and deeper in You and Your knowledge. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.