Series: Ephesians
Title: The Amazing Body!
Text: Ephesians 4: 15-16
Date: May 25, 2014
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
We have
seen that when Christ Jesus ascended, he began giving his preachers: Ephesians 4: 11: And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers;
We
looked at the general reason why Christ gave his preachers—Ephesians 4: 12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:--perfecting means resetting of dislocated
bones—we are the dry bones dislocated from Christ in the garden, reset by the
gospel, in Christ in whom we are perfect.
We saw
how long Christ shall give his preachers—Ephesians
4: 13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ:--Christ shall send his preachers till each elect, redeemed
member of his body is called into the unity of the faith, unto the knowledge of
the Son of God—then Christ’s body will be full.
We saw that
Christ sends his preachers to save us from false preachers--Ephesians 4: 14: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to
and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Now,
here is our text. Here we are given one
more reason Christ gives his preachers—Ephesians
4: 14: That we henceforth be no more children,…15: But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16: From
whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every
part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Proposition: Christ gives his preachers that Christ might grow his
body through the gospel of Christ.
I. FIRST, CHRIST GIVES HIS PREACHERS TO GROW
THE BELIEVER IN THE INNER MAN—Ephesians 4: 14: That we henceforth be no more
children,…15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ:
Newborn Babies
When we
are first born of God and converted, we are babies in Christ. Christ provides
us with the gospel—Ephesians 4: 14: That
we henceforth be no more children…
It is
good to be children—to be weak rather than strong in that which pertains to our
old man of flesh. But it is not good to be children, to be weak, in
understanding in the inner man.
1 Corinthians 14:20: Brethren, be not children in understanding:
howbeit in malice [in the depravity of the old man of flesh] be ye children,
[be weak] but in understanding be men. [be strong in understanding]
Therefore,
babes in Christ need two things: First,
1 Peter 2: 1: Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all
guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Put off
the old man with his deeds, do not be strong in the flesh. Secondly, we need
the word:
1 Peter 2: 2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk
of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord
is gracious.
The Truth
This
growth in grace, in the inward man of the Spirit is the purpose for which
Christ gives his preacher, to minister the word to his people—Ephesians 4: 15: But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
The
growth is accomplished by the truth of the gospel—Ephesians 4: 15: But speaking the truth in love…
Christ
is the Truth—He said, “I am the Truth” (Jn 14: 6) The gospel of Christ and him crucified is the
truth. Christ is formed in the heart and the Truth is made effectual in the
heart through the Spirit of Truth.
John 15:26: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from
the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to
come.
Christ’s
preacher is sent forth to speak Christ in truth through the preaching of the
gospel—“but speaking the truth.” And Christ’s preacher speaks the Truth in
love: constrained by Christ’s love, in love for Christ and in love for Christ’s
people—“but speaking the truth in love.” Brethren, only when the love of God
abides in a sinner, will he speak the truth of Christ in love.
Ephesian 4: 21: If
so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in
Jesus:…25: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his
neighbour: for we are members one of another.
The love
of Christ which constrains Christ’s preacher to speak the truth of Christ in
love, is how John says we try a preacher.
1 John 4: 23: And this is his commandment, That we should
believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave
us commandment. 24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and
he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he
hath given us.
The
context is teaching us hereby we know that he abideth in our fellow brethren
and in his preacher, by the Spirit which he hath given him. He will speak the truth of Christ in love if
he has the love of Christ dwelling in him. Read on.
1 John 4: 1: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out
into the world. 2: Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:[the Spirit of Truth] Every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3: And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not
of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it
should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4: Ye are of God, little
children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he
that is in the world. 5: They are of the world: therefore speak they of the
world, and the world heareth them. 6: We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth
us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and
the spirit of error. 7: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God;
and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8: He that loveth
not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Psalm 32:2: Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD
imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
So this
growth is accomplished through the truth spoken in love.
II. SECONLY, THIS GROWTH IS INTO CHRIST OUR
HEAD—Ephesians
4: 15:…may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Believers
collectively are Christ’s body and we are members in particular and Christ is
our Head. So we are growing up into Christ. What is it to “grow up into
Christ?”
One, it
is to grow more assured of our union with Christ: Christ entered an unbreakable
covenant with God the Father to bring all God’s elect to God in perfect
righteousness. Christ established that covenant in his own blood—Christ
purchased his people with his own blood. BELIEVER YOU ARE CHRIST’S PURCHASED
POSSESSION—JUSFIFIED BY CHRIST! Therefore Christ shall lose none.
John 6: 37: All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38: For I came down
from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39: And
this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given
me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
The
believers union with Christ is from everlasting to everlasting. The more we are
taught this truth the more we grow in the inward man in faith, in hope, and in
love.
Two,
growing up into Christ is to grow in communion with his Spirit:
Galatians 5: 22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23: Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law.
The
only way for our old man to be mortified and put off is for the inward man to
be grown up into Christ.
Notice,
it says this grown is “In all things”. An infant does not grow in one member, but
in every member, so it is that the believer grows every way, in every grace in
the new man.
2 Peter 1: 5:…giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge; 6: And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness; 7: And to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity. 8: For if these things be in you, and
abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9: But he that lacketh these things is
blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his
old sins. 10: Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Knowing
all this is done through the truth of the gospel, conveys to us how important
it is to hear the gospel continually.
There are some things we can afford to miss out on in this life. The
gospel is not one of them! God says,
Proverbs 23:23: Buy the truth, and sell it not; also
wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
III. LASTLY, NOTICE THIS GROWTH IS NOT BY US,
IT BY CHRIST—Ephesians
4: 16: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
“From whom”—means
from Christ our Head. “The whole body”—means
his church in this earth—you and I as the church of the living God. From Christ the whole body is: “Fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth…”
Fitly Joined
Christ
has fitly joined us together here in this body. Because Christ laid down his
life and redeemed us from all iniquity, God has given his Son to be Head over
all things to the church. Christ found
each dry bone—dead in sins. He gave life
to each of these dry bones through the Holy Spirit through the gospel of Christ. He set each bone in his body—fitly joining us
together.
Now, we
have the same life from the same Head: same Light; same righteousness; same
holiness; same grace; same strength, joy, peace and comfort; same source of fruitfulness.
We each depend upon Christ to sustain and protect us
1 Corinthians 12: 12: For as the body is one, and hath
many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body:
so also is Christ.
Christ
is not only Man, in our nature, but God. Therefore a quickening Spirit: so
Christ is the very life and soul of his body. Like each member of our physical
bodies live by the same heartbeat, so we each are united and live by Christ our
Head.
Compacted by Every Joint
Christ has compacted—or cemented—us
together and continues to do so through the gospel we hear preached: the
bond is the grace of faith and the grace of love. We are compacted “by that which every joint supplieth,”
Use our
natural body as the example. Food goes in the head—into our mouth. It is distributed
throughout the body. Each member is used to distribute the needed nutrients to
the other members of the body
So it
is with Christ’s body. From Christ our Head nourishment is ministered
throughout the body. But each member is used to distribute the nourishment to
the other members of the body. The nourishment is the gospel. The word of God we preach.
One way
this distribution is made using the members is: by each one supporting the
gospel, we keep the gospel proclaimed in this place, for each other. Another
way is Christ gives me a word and I deliver it to you. Then you speak it to each
other as members one of another. Another way is Christ gives you a word in your
private study time. You speak that word
to another member, they to another and so son. So the Bread is conveyed from
Christ our Head to one member then another member then another member
By this
means of distribution, it makes it so that all the members of the body are
absolutely necessary for the health of the body. Also, it means mutual love for one another is
necessary, in order for this communication to be maintained. Also, it means each member has his or her own
part in the body to that each is as important as the other.
But
none is so important as Christ—Ephesians
4: 16:..according to the effectual working in the measure of every part. Though Christ may use me, though Christ may
use you, to communicate his word to each other, it only Christ from whom the
word is made effectual in measure in each member of the body. So we are made to
each need each other—each member of the body. And altogether, each member,
together, is made to need Christ our Head. And so by all this effectual working
through the gospel we hear preached and communicate to each other—Christ “maketh increase of the body unto the
edifying of itself in love.”
What
amazing wisdom of God! I can’t get over
this. The church of God as Christ’s
body, with Christ as our Head, and we as his body is the single most amazing
body in this world.
This
human body is astounding but just as God made all things to glorify his Son.
God made the human body after the pattern of Christ our Head and his body. Christ and the church is by far more amazing
than the human body!
Remember:
the word of truth is the instrumental means of such growth (1 John 2:12, 13). So Christ teaches us to love each other that
this gospel may continue among us.
Amen!