Author: Nick Booth

Ephesians 4:7-16

Whole body, whole heart, whole mind – Ephesians 4:13

In the first century it was an apostolic priority that churches grew in Christian maturity. Not simply individuals but whole churches. In a lot of cases twenty first century churches have lost that vision. When modern preachers stand in front of a church they may be being realistic if they assume they are speaking to gathered individuals, not the unified body of Christ who all consider they are living under the same shared calling. Frequently congregations listen holding back judgement as to whether they are individually included in the message. There can be a reserved skepticism that wants to leave to personal discretion as to whether the message is asking too much of them or is too inconvenient. Now it is true that the New Testament carries many warnings about not being subject to false teaching that may arise within the church including this week’s passage when Paul cautions the Ephesians not to be ‘tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.’ ^v14 But let us assume we know the preacher is a careful, balanced student of the bible and not subject to extreme positions. Why then is there such a tendency to not fully commit? Listening to bible teaching or reading Christian literature can become an inner battle between heart and mind. Jesus urged us to fully commit with both heart and mind and in doing so quoted Deutoronomy 6:5 in Mathew 22:37, ‘And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”’ All our soul, heart and mind is clearly not a Sunday only, or even length of sermon only, matter. It is a whole life issue. The command was given not to individuals but to a whole people, the people of God collectively. God’s judgement, when the people were not obedient, came on all the people not just on a select few although the leadership took the greater responsibility. So how is a church to behave so that they can grow in whole obedience?

In the light of all that Paul has mentioned so far in his letter he wants the Christians at Ephesus and the surrounding region to understand that God is able to work through them in proportion to his power as opposed to their limitations. Whether those limitations were the sinful behaviour and hearts that dominated their lives prior to being given spiritual birth, their physical, economic and social circumstances or their cultural and racial heritage. What counts is being in Christ. A blessing that continues throughout all generations including our own. The church is to be the people through whom God shows his glory. What changes then need to take place for God’s glory to be more evident in the church? Chapter 3 indicates these factors are important. A humility in service, especially among leaders. ^v1A clear grasp of the mystery of Christ as revealed through the apostles in the New Testament. ^v4 Unity and equality in the body of Christ. ^v6 Exercising prayerful access to God the Father through faith in Christ. ^v12 Being filled with the Spirit of Christ who grounds us in love. ^v17 A trust that the Lord can do through his church more than we ask or think. ^v20

We all probably tend to behave in a way similar to “pre-Galileo” times, in that we act as if the universe revolves around us. In Christian terms then we think of Jesus’ death and resurrection as all about ourselves. In one sense that is true, ‘For God so loved the world, (and that includes each one of us) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ ^{John 3:16} But a bigger more cosmic purpose was also taking place. God was revealing not only his love, mercy and grace but also his wisdom and he was doing so to the entire spiritual world. The salvation of people across our world and how God has achieved that displays his wisdom to all the heavens. Before Christ’s birth David had wondered at God, that he should even consider mankind given the vastness and beauty of the created universe. ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him.’ ^{Psalm 8:4} Now we see God’s character, compassion and wisdom demonstrated even more clearly through Jesus and it was always part of God’s eternal purpose. All of this brings glory to God, evident to all the angelic world. ‘So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purposes that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ ^vv10,11 It is greatly humbling to realize that the church we are part of has this great purpose in God’s plan and we are to share in his glory. The NIV study bible makes the point that in this way God is sharing his redemptive plan with angels as well as showing evil powers God’s plan to unite everything under Christ and that their defeat is imminent. (Ephesians 1:9-10 and 1 Corinthians 15:24).

The humbling Paul experienced when Jesus revealed himself to Paul never left him. His understanding of his own sin and history of aggressive opposition to Christ was in itself the reason why God’s power could flow through him. He knew to the core of his being that he did not deserve mercy from God, that every time he took part in imprisoning and punishing Jesus’ disciples he was actually attacking Jesus himself. So he called himself, ‘the very least of all the saints’. ^v8 ‘Saints’ meaning those who are disciples of Jesus. The tradition at that time was for people to stand as they prayed. Paul however, prayed on his knees ^v14 because he was deeply aware of the extent to which God’s mercy had been given to him and the gloriousness of Christ Jesus. Being humbled started for Paul as a moment of revelation but that humility continued every day throughout his life and ministry. He knew that every good thing that came out of his subsequent life was by God’s undeserved favour. His commission from God was to explain to the Gentile world who Jesus was and what he had achieved for them. ^{vv 8,9} He claimed no credit for himself and rightly gave Jesus all the credit. Do we live the same daily humility that Paul’s life showed?

It is very easy for the boundaries of our own thinking to be very restricted. In a church we can concentrate on our own needs and people who currently attend, making small sorties out into the wider world with little expectation of success. Our vision of God’s power and grace can be such that if just one person in a ten year period comes into relationship with Christ we are thrilled. It is right of course that the whole of heaven is thrilled as each one repents and believes. Paul’s perspective is vastly different, he even considers his own house arrest and upcoming trial as part of God’s plan for a vast global expansion of people who are following Jesus. For this reason, he says, I am a prisoner. He doesn’t even consider himself a Roman prisoner but a prisoner of Christ, placed in that position by Christ for the sake of all non-Jewish people. Paul had revealed to him that he was living at a unique time in history when all the world was enabled to enter into God’s kingdom through Christ Jesus. ‘This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel’ ^v6 He then carried with him every day this global perspective on his life and responsibility to be part of God’s global movement. Is our spiritual perspective limited by our immediate circumstances?