The Grace of God Equips the Church: Ephesians 4:7-16

/ Neal Embry

Two weeks ago, we examined how we are united as a church through Christ. Because of Jesus, the church has been called to follow the same Lord through the same Spirit, and we are called to love each other and act as Christ acts toward us. We are united in core beliefs, values and doctrine, and strive for a common goal: the glory of God by spreading the gospel so others may come to know Him through Christ.

However, the church is not uniform. We do not all look the same. We do not look the same physically, of course, but in this next section of chapter 4, Paul makes it clear we do not all look the same spiritually, in a sense, either.

All believers are forgiven, beloved, children of God. All believers have the Holy Spirit, and all believers are called to obey the Great Commission and edify the church. But we do not all have the same gifts to achieve that goal.

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)”–Ephesians 4:7-10

Paul breaks from his talk about being “one” in Christ, to say, “But grace was given…according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Paul says: While we are one in Christ, we each have been given a gift of grace in different measure from Christ. This cannot be saving grace, because no Christian is more justified before God than any other Christian. However, each Christian has a different “gift” from God. In other biblical passages, these “gifts” are shown to be spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12:3-8).

Jesus gives His people spiritual gifts to glorify God, share the gospel and edify the church. He has power to do this because He won victory over this world, sin, death and Satan. Paul explains this in verses 8-10. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, where the king “receives gifts” from the people, even the rebellious, after he wins victory. Paul uses this in reference to Christ, who brings the kingdom of God to Earth and wins victory over the false kingdoms of sin and Satan. Jesus, in His incarnation (“descended into the lower regions, the earth”), in His ministry, in His death, in His resurrection, and in His ascension, won victory over all things.

Because of His victory over sin and death on the cross and in the resurrection, when He ascended into heaven, Christ was able to equip His people with gifts of His kingdom, so they could continue to advance it here. These gifts include evangelism, preaching, teaching, prophecy, etc.

What a statement about spiritual gifts! They are far more than resume builders and things to commit to “when we have time.” They are blood-bought gifts from the King! And He is honored when we treat them as such and use them.

How do we learn to use our gifts and grow in Christlikeness? Paul discusses leaders, given by God, in the next few passage:

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..”–4:11-13

Here, Paul zeroes in on leaders in the church. He says these leaders “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” Teachers teach Christians how to share the gospel, as shepherds teach others to use their generosity, or zeal, in evangelism and in caring for the sick and poor. Prophets bring timely words from God, consistent with His Word, that challenge His church to be all she is called to be. Though the office of apostle is no longer active, the idea of a leader, a pastor, still remains. This person is one who serves the church by leading the church on mission, preaches God’s Word, conducts the ministries of the church, etc.

Leaders also play a pivotal role in discipleship: The body of Christ is built up when leaders are leading others to more and more Christlikeness. The measure of how far we’ve come is Jesus. Our goal is to be like Jesus in our ministry and in our personal lives and churches.

Therefore, leaders are servants. They are not about themselves, but about others. This follows the pattern of Jesus, who “came to serve, not be served.” Leaders should exemplify Christlikeness in their holiness and ministry.

“…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”–4:13-16

Serving God and growing into Christlikeness is serious business. If we do not pursue Jesus, we will slowly but surely walk away from Jesus. Leaders are needed who will devote their lives to helping others grow into mature Christians.

Would you leave an infant on a park bench? Of course not! That infant would die if you didn’t do something. That’s why parents raise their children, because the work isn’t done when a baby is born.

The same principle applies to discipleship: new Christians, immature Christians, will leave Jesus if someone doesn’t invest in their lives and help them grow into Christlikeness. As John Piper has said, sanctification is a community project.

We do this by speaking the truth to each other in love. We speak the truth, but we do so, not from pride or unrighteous anger, but out of genuine love for someone, with a heart motivated by the gospel and concern for both God’s glory and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

When this happens, when the church is serving Christ faithfully and helping others grow in Him, the entire church benefits. The entire church grows in love for God and others.

God has equipped the church. He has equipped leaders with grace to equip saints, who have been equipped by His grace with spiritual gifts, all to advance the gospel, to teach God’s Word, to make disciples, and to build His kingdom here on Earth. The question for us is whether or not we are going to use what He’s given us.

Lord, may we use the grace you give us to serve you. May we never take for granted the gifts you’ve given us, and may we use them to build your kingdom by making disciples and growing in Christlikeness.

God bless,

Neal E.

The Grace of God Changes the Church

/ Neal Embry

Paul now shifts his attention to the new life the church has because of God’s saving grace and call to glorify Him by advancing the gospel. Today, we examine the way the church should act as they follow Jesus.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Paul references the first three chapters. Because of God’s grace to us in Christ, because He has saved us from our sins, united us together by Christ, breaking down racial and social walls and has called us to glorify Him, and because God is able to do far more than we could ever ask or think….the church should be like Christ.

The call to be like Jesus all of a sudden looks like a given next to God’s work for us in Christ. Let’s examine what that looks like given Paul’s language in these first three verses.

“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” The “calling” Paul references is the calling to follow Jesus and live for Him. We will never live up to God’s expectations perfectly, but our desire is to do all we can to please God.

This means we care more about what God thinks than what our boss thinks. We care more about glorifying God than we care about being seen as popular or attractive or successful to our friends, coworkers, and even our families. As a single man, this is difficult to live out. I want to be married, and I’d honestly like that to come sooner rather than later. But Jesus calls me to be more concerned with being like Him than finding a wife.

We have an audience of one. We care what God thinks above all else.

We are also called to be humble and gentle, because Jesus is humble and gentle. He, though He is God incarnate, dies on the cross. He, though he is the King of Kings, washes sinners’ feet. How can we who benefit from His death and share in His life be anything less?

This means we are concerned with others who society would say is “less than us.” We care about the people on the side of the road. We care about drug addicts, victims of human trafficking, the orphaned, the abandoned. We understand that we are who we are by God’s grace, and we are not “above” anyone or any task.

Being gentle doesn’t come easy to me. I’m a Type A personality who often gets focused on tasks instead of people. God has done some serious work to change that, by reminding me that He is more concerned with me than He is my work, and I must be the same.

The church, then, while standing against sin, must be a place that sinners want to run to, not away from. We must agree with God’s Word, but that means condemning sin while offering grace in Christ to sinners who will trust Him in repentance and faith.

We are patient and bear with one another in love. The way we treat each other in the church is crucial. No one wants to join a church where people are grumbling, irritable and impatient. We are all sinners who have received salvation, but we’re still learning to live like it. So we must be patient as we encourage one another in Christ.

Paul tells the church to be “eager” in maintaining the unity of the Spirit. We’ve seen how the Spirit brings unity before, as the Spirit seals us in Christ (Eph. 1) and destroys the divide between Jew and Gentile, and other divisions, in Christ (Eph. 2). We cannot be so quick to abandon the unity we have in Christ. So, by the Spirit, we seek to be united.

This means we don’t get divided over things we ought not get divided over. We divide over the person and work of Christ. We divide on the inerrancy of God’s Word. We divide over salvation by grace alone through faith alone. But we cannot divide over worship styles, style of dress or what football team we cheer for. Those things (other than football) matter to an extent, but not enough to divide us.

We are bound by the blood of Jesus and God Himself in the Spirit—we cannot break those bonds without dishonoring God.

So what enables us to fulfill God’s command here?

We can do this because of who we are in Christ, and because we are united in Him.

We can be humble and gentle because Jesus is humble and gentle toward us. We can be patient because Jesus is patient with us. And we can maintain unity because God has made it possible in Christ.

“There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call–one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Paul gives further instruction here.

There is one body. We are all one in Christ. In the same way you hopefully wouldn’t do harm to your own body, you seek to help and build you the body of Christ. We are one, and we must move together.

There is one Spirit. We are not being led by eight different things, we are led by God Himself. We must walk by the Spirit together, and the Spirit equips us to do that.

We have one hope. We do not hope in presidents, or football, or jobs, but in the salvation found in Christ. Having the same hope brings us together for the same purpose: to trust Christ and glorify Him. We hope in His salvation and in His return, and we work for that end.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism: We follow Jesus. Paul talks about this issue in the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians, as the church is split over different leaders. Paul here says we have one leader, Jesus. We have one faith: Remember how we don’t divide? That’s because we are united in one faith. We hold to primary essentials to our faith because it binds us together. There is one baptism: The Bible calls us to be baptized to show our faith in and commitment to Christ. While there is difference in the modes of baptism (Baptists baptize by immersion, Methodists by sprinkling), there is one baptism of people who have trusted Christ showing that commitment by baptism.

God has called us together and made us together. We grow and change together. So let’s work together as the church to grow in Christlikeness and glorify God.

Lord, may the church be what you’ve called her to be. May we rest in your grace. May we trust in your will and pursue you. May we not be sidetracked by false hopes and false lords, but keep our eyes on you.

God bless,

Neal E.