When we start to see that God’s basic purpose until the end of the millennium is restoration, and we take on His mind and heart for restoration, everything that is happening in the world and in our own lives begins to take on great clarity. In this way, we can see the ultimate goal of our maturity, and we can also see the next step. We can also see the next step for those around us, and we can help them along the way.

         To do a bit more review on how we grow toward our ultimate purpose, the verses below sum up this ultimate purpose of every Christian, as well as the basic method God has established for working it out in His people:

   And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

    for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to 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 men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

    but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

    from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11-16).

 

    We can see these basic principles in this text:

    Verses 11-12: The Lord has provided for the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher to equip His people and build His church.

    Verse 13: We need all these ministries until we reach maturity. Maturity is defined as attaining the measure of stature that is the fullness of Christ.

    Verse 14: This maturity brings stability and discernment so that instead of being controlled by the shifting circumstances of our lives, we take control of our lives.

    Verse 15: This requires us to speak the truth in love and keep the resolve to grow up in “all aspects” of Christ.

    Verse 16: This requires the proper functioning of each individual part of the body of Christ so that we are built up together in love. We cannot get there alone. We need the rest of the body.

        Because this establishes that our maturity in Christ is not an individual thing and that we must receive from those called to equip us, we must be fit together with a body of believers who are helping one another grow. Having this relationship in His body (also referred to as koinonia) is essential, but unfortunately today it is also very rare.

        To be candid, many congregations that are called “the church” today are little more than big sheep pens where food is thrown to them once or twice a week. They are not being equipped or built together, according to what Ephesians 4 says is required for true maturity in Christ. This must change. Church, as most people know it, will not survive through the times ahead. The Ephesians 4 mandate is crucial for those who would fulfill their purpose in Christ.  It will be increasingly dangerous to not be in His will, fulfilling His purpose.

         So if we do not have this, and it is not available to us, what do we do? We will address this next week.