MATURITY IN CHRIST 1

13 TILL we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, TO A PERFECT MAN [mature: growth in mental and moral character], TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST; 14 THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, CAUSES GROWTH OF THE BODY FOR THE EDIFYING OF ITSELF IN LOVE."
Ephesians 4:13-16 (NKJV)

• Jesus gave gifts to men as He ascended on high (Ephesians 4:8). He gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11).
(i) These ministry gifts were given for:
a. The equipping of the saints in preparation for the work of Ministry (Ephesians 4:12).
THEY, the Ministry gifts; those in fivefold Ministry are to supply the saints with what they needed for the work of Ministry (Ephesians 4:11,12).
b. The edifying of the body of Christ.
THEY are to improve and develop morally and intellectually the saints (Ephesians 4:12).
(ii) The five ministry gifts are given to equip the saints for the work of Ministry, and to edify, make steadfast, the Body of Christ.
a. They equip the saints in order to be put to work.
b. They Edify or build up, the body of Christ—the church of the living God.

• The goals of this equipping and the edification are:
(i) That all Believers would come to the unity or oneness of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God (Ephesians 4:13). In other words, He wants the saints to become one in the understanding of the things of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
(ii) To a perfect man. That the saints become mature in the things of God (Ephesians 4:13).
(iii) To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That is, the Believers would be like Christ in character and the demonstration of power. The Believers would be like Him, about how they respond to things. They would be emotionally balanced.

• When these goals are realized or achieved:
(i) The Believers would no longer be children (Ephesians 4:14).
(ii) Would no longer be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14; Hebrews 13:9).
THEY would be stable doctrinally and emotionally. Would no longer be easily carried away with flimsiness.
(iii) Would no longer fall for the trickery of men (Ephesians 4:14).
THEY would no longer be NAIVE or stupid. They could not be tricked and easily deceived again.
(iv) Would not be victims of cunning craftiness of the deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14).
THEY would no longer be a prey in hand of cunning and deceitful persons. THEY would no longer fall for their plotting or schemes.

• What the Believers would be?
(i) They would begin to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
THEY would be sincere and truthful and faithful to each other (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9).
THERE would be no fear, rancour, and acrimony, any longer (Philippians 2:1,2).
(ii) They would grow up in all things into Him Who is the Head—Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:15). In other words, they grow to be like Christ in all things (Ephesians 4:13).

• When these would have been achieved:
(i) There would be oneness (Philippians 2:2). The whole body would join and knit together. Every joint, that is, every Believer would supply or do his or her part in the building of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:16).
(ii) There would be effective working in the Body (Ephesians 4:16).
(iii) These would cause the growth of the Body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:16).

• Note: Jesus wants His Church to grow Spiritually and numerically, Thus He gave five Ministry gifts to the church.
• If you are in Christ Jesus but you are doing nothing to effect or make the growth of the Body; you might not experience the best of being a member of the Body of Christ.
• What are you doing to enhance or cause the growth of the Body of Christ?

• When you grow, become mature, as a Believer:

• You will no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles, in the futility of their minds (Ephesians 4:17; 1 Peter 4:2). In other words, you will no longer do things as other people, the way unbelievers and the carnal or body ruled Christians do things.
  a. Futility of mind means to allow your mind to be preoccupied with useless, pointless, or the ephemeral, that could not edify.
  b. Such people allow vain thoughts and ideas about the Self and life in general.
  c. They have the mind which is full of Evil and sinful Desires. These evil thoughts and desires are given by the devil, the prince of the power in the air, working in the children of Disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).

• Larger percentage of the Believer's growth takes place in the spirit when you are completely submissive to God.

• When your mind is transformed, your thinking will change, you begin to see things in God's point of view and no longer in human point of view:
  "DO NOT BECOME LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO THIS WORLD. BUT LET GOD COMPLETELY CHANGE THE WAY THAT YOU THINK, SO THAT YOU LIVE DIFFERENTLY. THEN you will understand what God WANTS YOU TO DO. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS GOOD. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT PLEASES GOD. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS COMPLETELY RIGHT" (Romans 12:2 (Easy English Bible).
• If your thinking has not changed, the person of you has not changed as well, you are not mature Yet.
• A mature Christian thinks differently, and reasons in line with, or according to, God and His Word. Such a Believer thinks in line with the Bible, the Word of God.

• You transform your mind, your thinking pattern, through the Word of God (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; James 1:21).

• Consistent hearing, reading, studying, and meditating or pondering on the Word brings transformation of the mind.
• Until a person's thoughts change, a transformation has not taken place in him or her. And the transformation could only be done through the intake of the Word of God, feeding on the Word, consistently.
• When a transformation is done in a person, the core values of such a person, his or her values about life, would completely change.
• Whatever used to have meaning to him or her in the past, things that matter or important to such, would no longer have meaning to him or her again.
• Apostle Paul said:
  7 BUT WHAT THINGS WERE GAIN TO ME, THESE I HAVE COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST. 8 YET INDEED I ALSO COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM AS RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST" (Philippians 3:7,8 (NKJV).
• When a Believer is immature, such does things childishly: "WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I SPOKE AS A CHILD, I UNDERSTOOD as a child, I THOUGHT as a child; BUT WHEN I BECAME A MAN [become mature], I PUT AWAY CHILDISH THINGS" (1 Corinthians 13:11 (NKJV).
• In the physical, children value Toys, biscuits and candy, and watching the television, and playings, and so on.
  LIKEWISE, a Believer, who is still a baby Christian, would value things of the world, material things, than eternal things, or spiritual things (Colossians 3:1,2).
• Such would prefer attending a social gathering, or a party, or watching a football match; to being in the presence of God—attending a Believer's meeting or gathering.
• Such would prefer spending his or her money on frivolities—pleasures, trying to show off—to the spending on the things of God and His Kingdom.
• Some prefer spending their money on clothes, shoes, and the like, to the buying of books and other things that can enhance or help their spiritual growth.
• Some professed Christians grumble and complain when asked to pay tithes, give to a project in the church, or give to support a Ministry or whatever is of God. But such would not mind spending extravagantly, just to impress other people in an outing.
• A carnal Christian, body-ruled Christian, spiritually immature Christian, has not been transformed in mind; thus, he or she does things like an unbeliever, a natural Man or person.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Whatever pain in your body I command to leave now in Jesus' name.
• An end comes to that affliction of sickness in your life in Jesus' name.
• You will testify to God's goodness in Jesus' name.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!