THE GROWTH OF CHRIST’S BODY
15 BUT, SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD—Christ—
16 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.”
By speaking the truth in love, believers will grow up in all things into Christ, who is the head of the church (Ephesians 4:15).
Growth occurs in the body of Christ through the knowledge of the truth.
• Enlightenment comes through the knowledge of the truth.
• When you have revelation in the knowledge of God, you know who God is, thus spiritual growth occurs. Your understanding is opened when you are enlightened.
• You will know the hope of your calling, know what awaits you in Christ, that you are not serving Him in vain.
• You will also know the richness of the glory of the inheritance He has for the saints.
17 THAT THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF GLORY, MAY GIVE TO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM,
18 THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; THAT YOU MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, WHAT ARE THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS,
19 AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARDS US WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER.”
If you, as a believers, do not know the inheritance you have in Christ, you tend to envy sinners, the unbelievers.
Paul pray that the eyes of the understanding of the Ephesian believers would be opened to see the riches of the glory of their inheritance in Christ.
Many believers are not enjoying their Christian life, they are not happy that they accepted Christ as their Saviour and Lord. They cannot see their inheritance in Christ, they thought they are to be pitied. With what we have as believers in Christ Jesus, unbelievers should envy us.
Exceeding Greatness of His Power
Paul also prays that the Ephesians would see the exceeding greatness of God’s power towards believers which He demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus died, resurrected after the third day, and ascended to heaven; and He seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20).
If believers eyes are opened to see the greatness of God’s power that is available to us in Christ Jesus, we will rejoice exceedingly. However, if you do not see it, you may not see any benefits in being born-again. In fact, you may not want to be identified with the people of God.
When the eyes of your understanding is opened and you know your inheritance in Christ Jesus; you would want to know more about God, that you may have access to the inheritance.
The Ephesians Were Ignorant of Their Wealth in Christ Jesus
• Similarly, a lot of believers also live as beggars when they are rich beyond measure in Christ Jesus:
1 NOW I SAY THAT THE HEIR, AS LONG AS HE IS A CHILD, DOES NOT DIFFER AT ALL FROM A SLAVE, THOUGH HE IS MASTER OF ALL, 3 EVEN SO WE, WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN, WERE IN BONDAGE UNDER THE ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD" (Galatians 4:1,3 NKJV).
• Many believers are not different from a slave, although they supposed to be masters of all things in the world.
• They are in bondage because they are children, babies, and they refuse to grow: “AND I, BRETHREN, COULD NOT SPEAK TO YOU AS TO SPIRITUAL PEOPLE BUT AS TO CARNAL, AS TO BABES IN CHRIST" (1 Corinthians 3:1 NKJV).
READ: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:12-14).
• If you refuse to grow in your walk with God, in your fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you may be held bound in the bondage under the elements of the world.
Other words for element are: principle, rudiment, basal, that is, to conform to virtue and piety. New Living Translation of the Bible at the footnote refers to it as powers.
If you refuse to grow in your knowledge of God, the devil will take advantage of your ignorance to oppress you.
You will be conformed and be subjugated under the powers of darkness that rule or govern the world (Ephesians 2:1,2).
The devil will allow you to follow rudiments, basal, basic traditional rules that can ensnare you (Colossians 2:20-23).
When your knowledge about your inheritance in Christ is shallow, the devil can easily ensnare you, and put you in a bondage. Howbeit, the Scripture says: “AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE” (John 8:32 NKJV).
• You should aspire to grow in your knowledge of Christ that you may know what belongs to you in Him.
Remember, growth in God is knowing what belongs to you in Christ and walking in the light of the knowledge.
Thus, you should strive to receive light, know more about God, and walk in the light you have received.
Unsearchable Riches of Christ
The Unsearchable riches of Christ, which was hidden to mankind, has been made known to us through His apostles (Ephesians 3:8,9).
God wants the church of Christ to make His manifold wisdom—variegated, many-sided wisdom—known to the principalities [rulers] and powers in the heavenly places.
God intends the church to make His power known to the devil and his cohorts: “TO THE INTENT THAT NOW THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH TO THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES" (Ephesians 3:10 NKJV).
• This eternal plan was accomplished in Jesus potentially (Ephesians 3:11).
• This intent of God can only be accomplished by believers, the church of Christ; when we know our inheritance, the riches of His glory in Christ. When we know the greatness of His power in us.
The church of Christ has done fairly well in bringing souls to the kingdom; souls are being saved daily.
However, the Church has not made much considerable progress in causing the growth of the Body, for the body to be edified in love.
Understanding of many believers is still shallow.
• A lot of believers cannot differentiate their left from their right.
• They play religion, they attend church programmes, but they do not have understanding of the God they serve.
• They do not know their right, their inheritance in Christ.
• They do not know the greatness of the power of the God they serve (Ephesians 1:19-21).
• They do not know the superiority of Christ’s power over every other power on earth, under the earth and in heavens (Philippians 2:10,11).
• God wants those who are in the five ministry offices to equip the church, that every believer would come to the measure of the stature of Christ’s fullness (Ephesians 4:11-13).
• The body of Christ can only grow up by teaching the truth in love.
• The whole body joined and knitted together– which lead to unity and oneness.
• Every joint supplies, that is, every believer contributes to the growth of the body. In other words, every part, every believer, does his or her share for the growth of the Body of Christ.
For the Church, the Body of Christ, to grow and edify itself:
• The leaders had to equip the saints, the members of Christ’s Body (Ephesians 4:11,12).
• Then, every part of the Body, every believer, must know his or her function in the body (1 Corinthians 12:14-21).
4 FOR AS WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS IN ONE BODY, BUT ALL THE MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION,
5 SO WE, BEING MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.”
25 THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO SCHISM IN THE BODY, BUT THAT THE MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
26 AND IF ONE MEMBER SUFFERS, ALL THE MEMBERS SUFFER WITH IT; OR IF ONE MEMBER is HONOURED, ALL THE MEMBERS REJOICE WITH IT.”
1 Corinthians 12:25,26 (NKJV)
• What are you doing to grow the body of Christ?
• The grace you received, what have you done with it?
• Do not allow His grace on your life to be wasted and be in vain.
“BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM, AND HIS GRACE TOWARDS ME WAS NOT IN VAIN; BUT I LABOURED MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN THEY ALL, YET NOT I, BUT THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH WAS WITH ME.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)
You will not fail in Jesus’ name. Peace!
