Ephesians: Our Identity in Christ ~ Part 16
Becoming Spiritually Mature
Ephesians 4:13-16
. . . 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 that which 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 4:13-16)
What kind of answers do you suppose you would receive from children if you asked them what they wanted to be their goal in life? Of course, depending on their ages, you might get a variety of replies. A little boy might say, “My goal is to be a fireman.” Another might say, “My goal is to be a doctor, or lawyer.” A little girl might say, “My goal is to be a nurse.” One might say, “My goal is to be a famous sports star.” An enterprising young person might say, “My goal is to make a million dollars.” And then some might say, “My goal is to be like my dad, or mom.”
Circumstances can change these kinds of responses. If you were to ask a high school junior or senior this same question, you may find the responses somewhat different. One might say, “My goal is to graduate from high school!” Another might say, “My goal is to get into a good college.” Still someone else might say, “My goal is to find the right person to marry.” If you were to change the situation still, and ask a prisoner what his goal is, he might reply, “My goal is to be free.”
All of us have goals. What are your goals? Does God have goals for us? Are there any common goals for all believers, and for the church? There is one all encompassing goal for every believer and for every church. It is to become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. In Romans 8:29 we read, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” God has stated that His purpose is for all of us to become like His Son, Jesus Christ. The goal in life which God has for us is to become spiritually mature. This is true for individuals and for churches. The text we have before us today reveals the characteristics of this quest and the marks of a mature Christian and a mature church.
It should be said that maturity does not always “naturally” happen. This is true in people in general and in people in Christ as well. Most of us, who grow up in a healthy home and social environment, do mature. We mature physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. But this is not true for all. Some do not. For them, growth is stunted for one reason or another. Of course, this is tragic when it happens. To be forty years old chronologically and only five years old mentally or emotionally is a tragedy. But it is more tragic on a spiritual dimension. In the church of Jesus Christ, for someone to be twenty-thirty-forty years old in the Lord and still be a baby in Christ is horrible indeed. Yet there are many in churches all across this land who have stunted spiritual growth. They came to know Christ, but never progressed. They never read the Bible to obey it. They never gave themselves to prayer. They never made any sacrifices for Christ and His church. They never grappled with their own sin to forsake it. And they have not grown.
Where are you on the road to maturity? Are there any sign posts along the way to guide you? Are there any mile markers to let you know how far you've come and how far there is to go? Do you know your destination and are you determined to arrive? There are too many who settle for less than God has for them. Don't be one of them. Don't take the good gifts God has given you as the children of Israel did with the gold of Egypt and build a golden calf to worship, when you can have what the gifts were for --- the tabernacle of God's presence. Don't settle for shadows when you can have the real thing. Our text speaks of the real thing. Our goal is to grow into a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Our goal is full maturity. Our goal is to be like Christ. And in our text we see the marks of maturity in Christ.
Unity of Faith and Knowledge
. . . until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God . . . (4:13a)
Paul has already spoken of the unity all believers possess in Christ. This is a positional unity. It is a unity based on redemption. All of us, regardless of our maturity in Christ, are one. It is this unity which is to be maintained or preserved (v. 3). But here the focus is different. Here the focus is on the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God. This unity of faith and knowledge is something to be attained. We do not receive it automatically.
There are two parts to this unity. There is a unity of faith, and there is a unity of knowledge. The word faith refers to the theological content of Christianity. Jude 3 speaks of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” There is a certain theological common ground upon which we must all stand. The knowledge of the Son of God refers to an experiential knowledge gained by a daily walk with Christ. It is what Paul meant in Philippians 3:10 when he declared, “that I may know Him.” This is an intimate knowledge gained by experience. This knowledge doesn't remain in the head but captures the heart and flows forth in a life of obedient loving service to Jesus.
The role of the teaching gifts is important here. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are given to the church to equip the saints by expounding the Word of God. In Ezra's day, when the leaders where instructing the people, it says “they read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read” (Nehemiah 8:8). It is this kind of faithful exposition of the Word of God which will bring us to a place of unity of the faith.
But we must have a regard for God's Word. When Ezra stood before the people and opened the Book, the people stood. In Isaiah 66:5, we are exhorted to “hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word.” Only when we begin to understand that we cannot remain neutral when we hear His Word will we begin to be changed by it. And we are to be changed until we are united in our faith and knowledge of the Son of God.
Christ-like Character
. . . to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ . . . (4:13b)
The goal for every believer is “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). God desires that the character of Christ be developed in us. And Satan fights fiercely against this. In the Garden of Eden, his temptation was aimed at destroying the image into which Adam and Eve were created. He said, “you will be like God.” But it was a lie. Like most lies it contained elements of truth. He told them that they would come to know both good and evil if they ate of the fruit of the tree. Up to that point they didn't know good and evil, they had only experienced good. He offered them knowledge. Implied in that offer was a freedom to choose their own way. But God doesn't want us to live by our knowledge. God wants us to live by obedience to His Word. Satan sowed doubt. He tried to get them to doubt God and God's Word. He told them partial truths. But the big lie was that they would be “like God.” They already were. God had created them in His image. They were not mature, but they were like Him. They were innocent, untested, but in character they were like God. Once they disobeyed God and fell, they lost the image of God. The image was distorted and perverted. And that was Satan's plan all along.
Now, through redemption, we are having that image progressively restored. This is the wonder of the gospel. Through the work of grace and the daily work of the Holy Spirit, we're being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. He is putting to death the old self, and bringing forth the new. All of our circumstances are working together under God's control. Romans 8:28 says, “and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God uses every trial, test, suffering, sacrifice, and choice to develop the character of Christ in us. And as we allow Christ to live in and through us, we are being transformed.
We are having our minds renewed. Romans 12:2 says, “and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” A renewed mind is a mind submitted to God and His Word. It is a mind directed above. Colossians 3:1-2 reads, “if then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” A renewed mind dwells on good, not evil. Philippians 4:8 says, “finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” And finally, a renewed mind is focused on Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18 reads, “but we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” A Christ-like character is a mark of maturity.
Stability of Life
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 . . . (4:14)
Children are wonderful. But they do have their limitations. Two things which characterize children are instability and naVvetJ. Children are both fickle and easily fooled. You have probably noticed how quickly they lose interest and move on to the next adventure. It only takes about five minutes. And it is very easy to fool or deceive them. This is generally true because they do not yet have a factual frame of reference regarding life. They have not been exposed to truth. We expect children to mature and grow out of this. It's sad if they don't.
But while children may be characterized by instability, Christians should never be. Christians should be characterized by stability. Knowing the truth and submitting to the truth is a cure for instability. But you must not only know the truth, you must submit to the truth and live by it. Otherwise, you will forever be unstable. Jesus said, “why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). To claim to be a Christian is to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Submitting to that lordship by doing what Jesus says brings stability to our life.
I have counseled people with instability in their lives who could have turned their situation around overnight if they had been willing to obey God's Word. The ones who did, experienced a change in their circumstances. The ones who did not, remained bound. It is interesting, however, that even the ones who did not obey acknowledged the truth of God's Word. They acknowledged they should obey it. But for some reason they were unwilling to. Acknowledging the truth is not enough. We must obey the truth to receive its benefit. If 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, then we must know the truth and obey it. If we are grounded in living truth, that truth will produce stability.
Joining Truth and Love
. . . but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ . . . (4:15)
Still another mark of maturity is speaking the truth in love. For a believer to be mature there must be a joining of truth and love. Both are essential. One without the other is inadequate.
Truth without love can be harsh, judgmental, legalistic, and unforgiving. It may be right, but it is dead right. Truth without love produces a pharisaical self-righteousness. So just speaking the truth is not a mark of maturity.
Love without truth can be condoning of sin, wishy-washy, unbalanced, and overly permissive. Someone called that “sloppy agape.” This is the kind of thing which some equate with warm oozy feelings which cause people to slobber all over one another with a syrupy sweetness that may be real but appears phony. Love without truth is not a mark of maturity.
But truth and love joined together produce a balance which cares for the individual, but is concerned for his or her highest good. Love joined to truth is not simply concerned for feelings, but is concerned for God's best for the individual. Truth wedded to love will risk upsetting a relationship in order to help the individual keep from hitting a brick wall.
A mark of maturity is speaking the truth in love. By doing this we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ. So we find that speaking the truth in love has a place in the life of the mature Christian and the mature church. But speaking the truth must be done in love or not done at all. So we must do it properly.
How should it be done? It should never be done in haste. It should never be done while angry. It should never be done without much prayer and heart searching. We should never speak about someone to someone else. And it should always be done at the leading of the Lord. If done properly it can be redemptive.
These marks of maturity --- unity of faith and knowledge, Christ-like character, stability of life, and truth in love --- should be objectives we seek to attain along the road to our ultimate goal. We may not arrive there overnight, but we must make the journey. And we must not detour around any of these characteristics. We must pray for them, seek them, work for them, and finally possess them. When we do, as individuals and as a church, we will be more like Jesus.
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