Ephesians 4.11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Why does Christ give these ascension ministry gifts to His church?
- That we might mature in our faith.
- That we might be equipped to do the work of the ministry.
- That we might become united in our faith in the knowledge of The Son of God.
The centrality of Christ and the unity of The Spirit are to permeate the body of Christ. Thus, apostolic doctrine is given to bind us together in Christ and create in us a desire to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. Jesus said, Come unto Me, Learn of Me, Abide in Me and Follow Me. The objective of any and all ministerial giftings are in order that Christ be formed in each one of His children. Because Jesus is alive, His church is a living organism that is taught to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him.
In Him is life. Hallelujah! The entirety of our walk revolves around Jesus. Every time we read the phrase “in Him” or “in Whom” in Scripture, we are reading something about who we are in Jesus. Beloved, your identity before God lies in who you are in Christ. Because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ has been applied to our souls by His electing grace and love, we are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. In others words, we are to to grow in the fact that in Christ we are cleansed from our sin. Made holy and sacred by God’s holiness in Christ and declared righteous before God. Growing in the grace and love of Jesus teaches us live according to who we are in Him, not according to who we used to be. It is this centrality of Jesus focused teaching that brings forth unity and maturity within the body of Christ.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Keep Jesus central in your Christian life. Live for Him. Love like Him. And always point your fellow believers to Him.
