Building in Love

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

BUILDING IN LOVE

Eph 4:14-16

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

NIV

So now that the apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors, and teachers are in the midst of accomplishing their task and the body of Christ is united in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and has become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, then believers will no longer be infants. An infant, or a believer who has not reached the unity of faith, and has not become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ is tossed back and forth by the wave and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. That sounds a lot like what is going on today over the airwaves. Paul might have had in mind a ship being tossed about the sea by the waves and wind, but today it is the airwaves and hot-winded preachers with their cunning and craftiness which causes so many believers to be blown about, tossed here and there in their faith. These crafty schemers are all about getting enough people to follow their almost truth so they can live like kings, living in luxury and abundance, all at the cost of those who get tossed from the unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God.  It makes us think how much especially the local pastors and teachers have to speak up against these schemers, these who would fleece the flock, causing dissension, and division among the body of Christ. Someone has to speak up against those who would preach a perverted gospel message that has just enough truth in it to drag immature believers into a false doctrine. Has this happened because the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers have not done their called duty in the body of Christ? The truth has to be spoken loud and clear, but as Paul says, in love. Speaking the truth cannot be in done in a condemning way, or in any way which causes more division. The truth cannot be against the truth, but for the truth. When the truth is spoken in love then the whole body will grow up together and held together and it builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. The body of Christ may be made up of individuals, each with their distinct personalities, but it cannot be a body without each part doing its work for the benefit of the whole. If one member of the body simply works for its own agenda, then the whole will suffer and maybe that is why so many immature parts are drawn away by those crafty silver-tongued schemers. We need to be one as Jesus and the Father are one, Jesus prayed that very thing. One body, united in our faith and love for one another, all working in harmony and unity for the same purpose of bringing glory to God. So let us build each other up, building in love.