In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul sets out in lofty and majestic terms God’s great grace towards us in Christ and His magnificent plan for the church. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ; we are seated with Him in heavenly places; and He is able to do far more than all we ask or imagine because of the power at work within us. By the time we get to the end of Ephesians 3, we are left in no doubt as to God’s passionate plan to place the church in such a position as to show off to the watching world in both the seen and unseen realm His great wisdom and glory. You could say that the church is the most significant group of people on the face of the earth – and you’d be right! However, Paul does not allow triumphalism or pride to enter in, even for a moment. In Ephesians 4 he begins by appealing to us to live in a manner worthy of our calling – a manner that is to be characterised by humility, patience, love, gentleness. It’s a staggering change of tack; and yet it is entirely keeping with the attitude of the Lord Jesus and the tenor of the whole New Testament. Paul’s point here is that by living in such a way, we actually maintain and then strengthen the unity of the church that God so desires; a unity first expressed in spirit and secondly in faith. For, as he makes clear, we are one people. We have all experienced the same faith, the same baptism and have received the same Spirit. We are, to paraphrase the great Bible teacher of the 20th century, Ern Baxter, redemptive equals. 

From there, Paul goes on to explain the differences between believers – differences defined by the grace that each of us have received in order to serve God. In particular, Paul says, certain members of the body of Christ (a key metaphor for Paul to use in explaining his revelation of the church) have been given by Christ Himself the grace to function as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. These five ‘gifts’ (which people sometimes mistakenly call ‘ministries’) all display aspects of Jesus’ own character and ministry to people. The revelation that Christ gives these gifts to people and continues to give these gifts even today has played a key part in the journey of All Nations Church. We are convinced that the church is apostolic: sent into this world by the Lord Jesus with a revelation and a commission to make disciples of all nations. We are equally convinced, then, that the Lord Jesus gives specific members of His body the gift to be apostles in order to equip and train the church to fulfil that task. Likewise with prophets. The church has answered the prayer of Moses that all the Lord’s people would be prophets: we are a prophetic people. And so Christ gives certain people the grace to be prophets, so that we can be fully inspired and prepared for the task. Paul then describes what is to happen through the work of these gifts – the body of Christ, the church, is to grow to maturity. It is a maturity measured by Christ’s own maturity. Paul’s language strains here – ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’. Wow! What a high calling the church has – to grow up to be like its head, its Lord and Saviour. 

The final third of Ephesians 4 begins the intensely practical application of the first three chapters to the ongoing daily life of the believers. This is going to affect, Paul says, how we think, we speak and we act. No more thinking like the world, Paul says: you have received the life of God as Christians. No more speaking lies. No more letting anger fester overnight. No grieving the Spirit of God. Instead, our words are to give grace to those who hear and our hearts are to be tender and full of forgiveness. The church in Ephesus were learning they were brand new people – they had put off their old life and put on a new one. And they were moving towards maturity in Christ with every passing day. At All Nations we like to say the Christian life is a process and we celebrate progress. Today, as you read Ephesians 4, I trust that you will see afresh what God has done for you, how He’s called you to live, and what practical steps you can take to follow Him today.