Ephesians 4:20-24 “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Pastor Herk asks: What is that truth being talked about here? That you were included with Christ when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. Where is that Gospel centered? That Gospel is centered in Jesus Christ, where truth is found. In John 14:6 Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” So, speaking the truth in love is merely another way of the Apostle Paul describing the importance of making Jesus Christ the truth, center and focus of everything that we think about and do.
According to the ]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. In our bodies, it is the pituitary gland in our heads that release the growth hormones which cause our physical bodies to grow and mature properly. In the Christian church it is Jesus Christ, the head of the body of Believers who is the source of our proper growth and maturity spiritually, Our vertical relationship with Jesus is not sufficient in and of itself, we have to develop through our horizontal relationships with other Believers because the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies. The importance is that we are connected to one another within the body of Christ. The Greek word for “joined and knit together is “synarmologeō”, meaning to render close-jointed together, i.e. organize compactly:—be fitly framed (joined) together; connected.
Colossians 2:18-19 “Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by
delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”
The importance is in both the vertical and horizontal connection. The unsaved, natural fallen person, who is not born-again in the regeneration of the spirit through faith in Christ, cannot see the kingdom of God because it is spiritually discerned.
Nominal Christians and an Apostate have improper spiritual minds that do not have the proper connection to Jesus, the Head to the body and the Vine to the branches, and to the other members of the body of Christ. Jesus said in John 15:6 “If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” It is vitally important for the joints of the body to be connected and working properly for the whole entity to function at full potential, efficient and effective. That is exactly what happens when a person loses their vertical and horizontal connections. God created the family and the natural family bond of storge love and God also created brotherly Phileo love of others in church, community and society. Both must be connected to the Lord in divine Agape love of God, our Maker, Redeemer and Providence.
The body and the culture is not able to function as purposed or grow as intended by The Lord, if we don’t maintain the proper vertical and horizontal connections. So, how do we do it? It happens according to the effective working by which every part does its share. So, as each person does their work in the body, connected to the head, for the over-arching purpose of God in salvation of the world. Every born-again Believer needs to be involved in a ministry, which involve ministering the life-saving Gospel to this lost in sin and dying world, making disciples of all possible within their sphere of influence. You cannot be sitting on the sidelines watching; you have to be in the game and playing to win. We must carry out the purpose for which we were created, using the gifts that we have been given in the body of Christ. What is the quality of your ministry today? Are you using your gifts for the advancement of the kingdom of God?
Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message on Christ's Church in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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