Title: Mature Christian / Ephesians 4:7-14
Ephesians is one of Paul's epistles that deals with the so-called ecclesiology.
Before the ages, God selected people, called them children of God, and saved them from their sins by dying on the cross. We teach that each Christian who is a member of the church should not become a child but live as a mature Christian.
I read verse 14 again from the verse I read this morning.
“This is so that we will no longer be children, that we may not be tossed and tossed by every wind of doctrine, falling into the deceitfulness of men and the deceitful temptations of men.”
The Apostle Paul is saying that the Ephesian church members must no longer be children. He also said that the characteristic of a child is that he is prone to fall for the tricks and tricks of humans.
“Man’s tricks” here literally refers to gamblers. Professional gamblers are good at tricking people's eyes. Young children are naive and easily deceived by adults. So children are often abducted. It is easy to fall into deceitful temptations. Not only children, but also adults, there are people who are naive, easily deceived by people, and prone to temptation. Because children are ignorant and weak, they are easy to deceive and fall into temptation.
The Apostle Paul tells us not to be a child from now on, but to become a mature person.
Verse 13 says, “And we will all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, to the point of becoming a perfect man, to the stature of the stature of the stature of Christ.”
Here, “a perfect man” and “a man full of the stature of the stature of Christ” refers to a mature Christian.
1 Corinthians 14:20 says, “Brothers, do not be children of wisdom, but children of evil. Be mature in wisdom.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be awake, stand firm in the faith, and be strong like men.”
If you look at the text we read today, it shows us well what a mature Christian looks like while teaching us not to be a child but to be a mature Christian.
1. A mature Christian is a person who appreciates God's grace and office.
Verse 7 says, “Grace has been given to each of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
“Grace” here means “gift” or “office”.
To each of us, to each one, grace has been given according to the measure of the gift that Christ imparts.
Romans 12:3-5 reads, “I say to each one of you by the grace given to me, do not think more than you ought to think, but think wisely according to the measure of faith God has given you. We have many members in one body, but not all members have the same office. In the same way, we who are many are one body in Christ, and members of one another.”
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 speaks of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as follows:
“To some the Holy Spirit gives the words of wisdom, and to others the same Spirit gives the words of knowledge. To some people faith is given by the same Spirit, and to others the gift of healing by the same Spirit. To some he gives the ability to perform miracles, to others the gift of prophecy, and to others the gift of discerning spirits. To some he is given the gift of speaking in several tongues, and to others he is given the gift of interpreting in tongues. All these things are done by one Holy Spirit, who imparts gifts to each one as he wills.”
In verse 11 of the text, it says, “He gave them as apostles, or prophets, or evangelists, or pastors and teachers.”
Therefore, a mature Christian is one who, first of all, is grateful for the grace God has given to each, the gifts he has given to each, and the office given to each of them.
In the community of the church, one person cannot do all these things like a beauty in all directions. The church is the body of Christ. There are several parts in this body.
1 Corinthians 12:12 says, “As the body is one and has many members, and as the body has many members, yet is one body, so is Christ.”
2. A mature Christian is one who fulfills the mission given to each of them with grace, gifts, and duties.
Verse 12 says, “This is to equip the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ.”
1) There is a mission to perfect the saints.
2) There is a mission to make people do the work of service.
3) You have a mission to do the work of building the church.
The phrase “to perfect the saints” here means to prepare each of the saints so that they can fulfill their roles. If each member fulfills their respective roles, they can serve each other. If we serve each other, as a result, the body of Christ, the church, can be established. That the church can play the role of the church.
In the book of Acts, there is a character named Aristarchus. There is no record of him preaching in front of many people, no record of performing miracles, no record of praying much. However, Aristarchus was always present in the scene of Paul's suffering. He was not a man of great talent, but he comforted and always stood by the apostle Paul when he was in trouble. He was with Paul during the turmoil of the silversmith Demetrius in Ephesus, and even when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Thus, he helped Apostle Paul preach the gospel while overcoming difficulties.
When young people are called by the country and enlisted in the military, they first receive basic military spirit, basic physical strength training, and basic combat training at the training center. And by letting each one do the work entrusted to them according to their specialties, they will be raised as excellent soldiers to protect the country.
3. A mature Christian is one who balances faith and knowledge.
Verse 13 says, “Let us all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, that we may become a perfect man.”
There must be a balance between believing and doing. A person who harmonizes words and actions, that is, harmony between words and actions.
It refers to the harmony of knowledge, affection, and will. Some emphasize only the intellectual side of faith. Such a person is a person who insists only on the doctrine of faith. Some emphasize only the act of faith. Some people only emphasize the emotional side of their faith. However, one aspect alone is not enough. All of these must be in harmony.
The head, the heart, and the hands must work in harmony. A cold head, a hot heart, and diligent hands must work in harmony.
The word healthy is also synonymous with the word harmony. When Jesus was growing up, “the child grew and became strong, and wisdom was satisfied, and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). He grew tired of it” (Luke 2:52). It is said that the body, wisdom, and spirituality grew harmoniously together.
4. A mature Christian is one who continues to become like Jesus.
Verse 15 says, “But speaking the truth in love, grow up in him in all things. He is the head, the Christ.”
The goal of the growth of the saints is Christ as the head. Just as the body should be of the same nature as the head, so the Christian should be like Christ.
Matthew 5:48 says, “Therefore, be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Be ye imitators of me, just as I am imitators of Christ.”
In Matthew 11:29, Jesus said:
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. Then you will find rest for your hearts.”
“The road we walk together with the Lord is long and near.
The path I walked with the Lord turned pain into joy
Sharing pain, sharing joy, walking with the Lord
Before I know it, I'm starting to resemble the Lord
I am becoming more like the Lord, I am becoming more like the Lord.”
A mature Christian is grateful for the gifts and offices given to each of the saints.
Mature Christians fulfill their missions through the gifts and offices they have been given.
Mature Christians lead a harmonious life of faith.
Mature Christians continue to become like Jesus Christ.