Ephesians 4:11-14 “And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.”
This last Sunday, Pastor Herk of the Little Church in the Pine as Bass Lake, California USA continued in his sermon series through the Epistle of Ephesians. In this passage, the Apostle Paul gives Christians instructions on how to have faith with depth. The Platte River in Nebraska has been described as being a mile wide and an inch deep. This term could just as easily be applied to Christianity in our country today.
There is an old axiom: If you don’t stand for something, you are going to fall for anything. 80-85% of Americans claim to be Christians, but other survey questions reveal dome frightening facts about these proclaimed Christians. 54% believe that being generally good earns a person a place in Heaven. 41% believe that Jesus committed sins. 55% believe that Satan is not a real being, but a symbol for evil. 47% attend church on a typical Sunday. Only 40% believe that the Bible is accurate and without flaws. Only 47% read their Bibles during the week. The Apostle Paul was concerned about the church in Ephesus developing a faith that was a mile wide and an inch deep.
Christianity is not a spectator sport and every Christian is a minister. Being involve in ministry is the key element in the process of us growing towards maturity, growing in faith and becoming more like Christ. An infant is helpless and dependent upon its parent, which is natural. But, if that infant does not grow into a toddler and beyond in natural child growth to do things for themselves, then something is seriously wrong. The same thing is true for Christians. Every one of us is like a newborn when we become a follower of Jesus Christ and we need others to help us mature and grow in the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3 says, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
There is something wrong with a Christian that remains a spiritual baby and doesn’t grow up. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 tells us, “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” Hebrews 5:11-14 states: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. God requires His children to mature and deepen our knowledge and faith.
Let's hear how the Apostle Paul explains how to deepen our faith in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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