AUGUST 10
THE BUILDING UP IN LOVE
Ephesians 4:11-16
11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; 16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. (WEB)
In today's Scripture passage, we read about some of the gifts that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has given to the church (Ephesians 4:7). These gifts include apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Our elder brother has enabled some among us to operate in these gifts so that the Body of Christ may be built up in love.
The main purpose of the fivefold ministry is to help us all mature in the unity of faith so we no longer remain childish in our understanding of the gospel, but instead reflect the fullness of Christ in our collective expression. The more we become like Jesus, the more we will demonstrate love to everyone around us, for Jesus was the perfect expression of love in human form.
My prayer today is that we all remember what truly matters: simply building love within the Body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul reminded us in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, any Christian service is pointless without love. May we all be inspired to 'make love our greatest aim' (1 Corinthians 14:1) in everything we do as we encourage and lift each other up.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. (WEB)
11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; 16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. (WEB)
In today's Scripture passage, we read about some of the gifts that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has given to the church (Ephesians 4:7). These gifts include apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Our elder brother has enabled some among us to operate in these gifts so that the Body of Christ may be built up in love.
The main purpose of the fivefold ministry is to help us all mature in the unity of faith so we no longer remain childish in our understanding of the gospel, but instead reflect the fullness of Christ in our collective expression. The more we become like Jesus, the more we will demonstrate love to everyone around us, for Jesus was the perfect expression of love in human form.
My prayer today is that we all remember what truly matters: simply building love within the Body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul reminded us in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, any Christian service is pointless without love. May we all be inspired to 'make love our greatest aim' (1 Corinthians 14:1) in everything we do as we encourage and lift each other up.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. (WEB)