A Body Grows

We have been considering Ephesians chapter 4.

It falls in the context of the First three Chapters:

You’ve been adopted

You are chosen and given every spiritual blessing

You are adopted into a family with an inheritance

You are sealed with the Spirit

Everything you need you already possess

You are in Christ

The teaching in this chapter is that our life in Christ is not to look like our life outside of Christ — Develop

Ephesians 4:1-2 Walk worthy — A Balanced life has balanced virtues

Ephesians 4:3-6 Unity in community —Unity in the Trinity is Unity in Community

Ephesians 4:7-13 Leadership in the Church — In Christ leaders lead

No we move to Ephesians 4:14-24

Ephesians 4:14–24 NIV

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 people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of 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. 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

This is the word of God…

With leadership in place — Ephesians 4:12

Notice now what Paul says happen s

The Body Grows

Paul uses something we are familiar with — Develop

Individual parts get engaged — Prayer, the word, community

Ephesians 4:14 NIV

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 people in their deceitful scheming.

As individual parts of the body we are too grow, as we grow we bond together

The purpose we will not be infants — Think of the characteristics of an infant

It is an indication that the goal of maturity means we no longer exist as spiritual children — It is a call for us to review!

Paul’s strategy: He doesn’t merely list behavioral expectations he grounds them in a singular transformative purpose.

Our growth from immaturity to maturity in Christ.

He points that we will not se so easily swayed by people who ulterior motives.

“Cunning” — this is any type of misrepresentation intended to take advantage of a person in some way.

“Blown here and there” — the idea of being carried many different places

“Craftiness” — a wicked character

scheming — Where we get method, a way of doing something

The method of wicked people is to leave people wandering aimlessly.

N.T. Wright — “Babies we discover are running the risk of bieng tossed to and fro on stormy seas, then blown this way and that by the different winds which emerge from clever human trickery.”

Tying back to verses 11-13 — The leaders develop

Instead — Ephesians 4:15

Ephesians 4:15 NIV

15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Paul is saying make known statements consistent with fact and reality!

Growth ties the Body together

Ephesians 4:16 NIV

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.

Joined — to become connected together to form a coherent whole

held — to be formed or combined

Think of blocks in a building — develop

Paul is simply saying every part of the body must work.

Consumerism in plaguing the western church

People come on Sunday and think they have done their Christian work.

Paul is telling us church is more than Sunday, there is work to do!

N.T. Wright — “It is open season for anything that twisted desire can imagine anything that greed can grab.”

So many never truly leave the world because they are Sunday only Christians

No longer live like the world

The world does things one way, but God calls us to do it differently — Ephesians 4:17-19

Ephesians 4:17–19 NIV

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

Paul is describing the pagan world of the Gentiles in which Ephesus existed

Behavior starts in the heart and mind — Verse 18

Foolish thoughts lead to darkened understanding and deep seated ignorance

Scroll through social media, or the various streaming services

Moral sensitivity disappears with a click or scroll — Verse 19

The Way of Life

Ephesians 4:20–21 NIV

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

The old life is falling apart

People who follow that manner of life will themselves fall apart

Totally corrupted by deceitful desires

Ephesians 4:22–24 NIV

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Paul with indicating that there are some desires that promise delight, joy, and fulfillment, but which quickly produce dust and ashes.

God however makes us new and he does this when we take off the old way of life.

The new self created by god to be like God.

Develop this with verse 24

Conclusion

Do you see the teaching of Ephesians 4 is one that changes?

Transformation is possible!

Our lives can look very different, we can be who God created us to be!

When there is transformation, the people growth, then the body grows!

However, not by us, but because of Jesus!