January 13
________________________________________
UNITY IN THE CHURCH
14 For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. -Ephesians 3:14-21
________________________________________
In this letter, Paul asks the Ephesians to humble themselves to the Father and acknowledge Him as the source and reason for all creation. He intercedes for them and prays to the Father that the Holy Spirit would strengthen their inner self so that there is nothing of the flesh that will stay in them, but only the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes in verse 17 that Christ can only dwell in them if they have faith and he also stresses the importance of walking in love and being grounded in that love that comes from believing in Christ alone. In verse 18 Paul he reiterates that it is only through their faith and walking in love that they’ll be able to grasp the width, length, height and depth of God’s love for us. He wants them to know that only the love of Christ can exceed knowledge. Paul also prays for them to be filled with God’s fullness which can only happen if they abide in Christ. It is only the Holy Spirit who can strengthen the believer. Paul wants the Ephesians to remember that apart from their faith and their love for God and one another, they cannot have the fullness of God in them. In other words, they cannot spiritually mature if they do not wear their new nature in Christ which was granted to them at the beginning of their commitment to Christ.
Paul reminds the church to be build up by their faith and love for God and for one another. Each part of the church does its share. Each part of the church is given a function and each of the members of the church make up the whole. We all should work in unity for one purpose, to give God the glory. When we do not build the body up, we will not grow in the faith and the love of God.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• Why do some believers not do their part in the growth of the church?