The Divine Design for the Health of the Body

I would like to begin this morning with the simple reminder that Christ loves the church. In Ephesians 5, when Paul teaches Husbands to love their wives, his example is the Christ’s sacrificial love for the church. In Matthew 18, Christ promised that he will build his church, and that even the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Colossians 1 tells us that Christ is the head of the body, which is the church, and that he is to be preeminent.

Throughout scripture, there are many metaphors given to describe the church. The church is called the bride of Christ, the family of God, the household of God, the temple of God built with living stones, but of all the metaphors and analogies given for the church, perhaps there is none more descriptive and picturesque as the body. That is, the body of Christ.

Much attention is given to the health of the physical body in life. Some of the most intelligent people in our communities are doctors and nurses who spend years of their lives studying the human body so they can adequately care for health concerns. The health food and exercise industries make up billions of dollars of revenue in the United States alone. As individuals, we are keenly aware when there is an issue with our bodies. The smallest thing can upset our entire day, like a toothache, a stubbed toe, a sliver, or a paper cut. Even more, sometimes our ailments lie dormant or undetected below the surface, and are not discovered until they have taken a major toll on our wellbeing. And although we may have varying ideas and opinions on what peak health looks like, or exactly how we achieve or maintain physical health, or just how important healthy decisions are, we all would be in basic agreement that the health of our physical bodies is critical to the productivity and enjoyment of our lives.

In the same way, The Apostle Paul concerns himself greatly with the health of the Body, that is, the church, in this passage of scripture.

Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Urgency is upon the pen of Paul as he writes these words. There are themes in his urgency, as he uses terms like humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, unity, it is clear that while the words are meant to be read and understood by individuals, he is speaking to the group, for the sake of the group.

The crucial factor in his warning is the idea of unity. The original word which Paul uses can be translated also as a state of oneness, being in harmony. Musical Harmony demands the working together of multiple parts. Relational harmony demands the working together of multiple people. You may have heard it said jokingly, “our marriage would be great if it weren’t for my husband.” or “this job would be great if it weren’t for the people.” Well there is truth behind every snide remark, and there is an element of reality behind every joking statement. And the fact is that in our human sinfulness, we all struggle with selfishness - which leads to two results. We can be hard to get along with, and it can be hard for us to get along with others.

“Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Call it stubbornness, call it personality differences, call it what you will, whatever the challenges are which face us as we attempt to live together as believers are overcome by what Paul calls the Unity of the Spirit. Many of our differences are superficial, but the unity of the Spirit runs much deeper than the surface

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

The beautiful thing about Christian unity, the Unity of the Spirit that exists in the church, is that What we hold in common, what we have that unites us in fellowship as brothers and sisters, is much greater than the sum of all of our differences. Our differences vary...

But, as this passage urges and pleas for unity, it does not do so to the detriment or ignorance of our differences. In fact, what we see is that in the body of Christ, a variety of differences are not only to be expected, but they are ordained by God Himself. In a parallel passage, Paul tells us this:

1 Corinthians 12:18–20 ESV

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

Unity is not blind conformity, or a group of people who are exact replicas of one another. Just as each part of our physical bodies are not identical, but rather they function together in their variety of purposes, so it is with a healthy church. What I hope we see in Ephesians 4 as we examine it today is this: This is God’s design for the health of the body.

Christ has gifted the church with unity in diversity, in order that its members may grow up together into His image.

One Giver of Many Gifts - Vs. 7-10

Leading in to Verse 7, we are bombarded with the image of “one,” like Paul is trying to burn it into our memory. 4-6

Let us put it this way, there is absolute certainty in the Christian faith. There is absolute certainty in biblical Christianity. There are certain tenets and doctrines and ideas in which there is absolutely no wiggle room, no margin of error, no tolerance for wavering or difference. The Christian Faith is settled in the unity of the Godhead, and in the truth that He has revealed. There is no consideration for individualism or personality type when it comes to the major points Theology.

Yet, when Paul begins the next sentence he uses that little word, that little conjunction, “but”. That little word can have so much weight. If i were to paraphrase i would say, “You do not get to apply your individuality or opinions to the Christian faith. You do not get to mold the tenets of Christian theology to suit your lifestyle or agenda. You do not get to pick and choose which elements of truth you believe. But, when it comes to exactly what your life will look like, exactly how God will use you, exactly what abilities and inclinations and aptitudes you will use in your Christian service, there is great diversity.”

Paul says, “Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Three critical words in that verse give us the gist of this entire passage.

Grace, Given, Measure. Or perhaps, a measured portion of Grace.

Now, I want to dig into that a little bit, and there is so much to unearth that ties in to the rest of the passage. But I want to read on in Verses 8-10, because it gives us a picture of how glorious and important this idea of measured gifts of Christ’s Grace is.

Paul goes into a citation of Psalm 68 here, and its an interesting citation, because he sort of uses a citation and an interpretation all in the same text. Most Scholars believe that Psalm 68 was written as a psalm of triumphant victory when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back into the midst of the people. If nothing more, it is a psalm of rejoicing over the victory of God over his enemies. The section that Paul is citing here is from verse 18, speaking of God the Psalmist says

Psalm 68:18 ESV

You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

Paul is then applying this psalm of Victory to the person of Christ. He is then equating the victorious ascension of Christ to the victory of God over His enemies. The picture here is of a King who has been victorious in battle, and he is walking triumphantly back into his kingdom parading a host of his captives to show his victory. And along with the captives of his victory, he has recieved to himself the spoils of battle, a great number of conquered possessions.

In a similar way, Christ, our King, has victoriously defeated death and his enemies on the Cross. Paul alludes to this idea in Ephesians 1:19-22 as well.

Ephesians 1:19–22 ESV

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

Christ descended to the earth, he fulfilled his duties as messiah, bore our sins in his body in his sacrifice, and defeated his enemies on the cross. He is the victorious one who has now ascended back to his place of rule and authority, and In stead of simply receiving to himself the spoils of battle, he has chosen to bestow his good gifts on the people in his kingdom. He has in his nature and being the authority to bestow these gifts on us, Which brings us back to the measured gifts of his grace.

As Christ is our victorious King and Lord, he alone has the authority to bestow the gifts of his Grace. He sovereignly measures out by his wisdom and might what he deems appropriate for us in his good pleasure. Within the body of Christ, each one of us must understand that Christ has measured out his grace to us in a providential and particular way, in order that we may use the gift of his grace for the good of the body, and for his own glory.

It is in God’s very nature to be benevolent and kind in his giving. Even our very salvation is nothing less than the benevolent giving of Grace. What does Romans 6:23 tell us?

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From the dawn of Creation we see God as a giving God. He gives life to all that breathe. He gives the common grace of food, of rain, of sunshine. He gives the joys of beauty and laughter and the experiences of love and friendship. He gives the spark of creativity that allows mankind to invent all manner of wonderful tools. He gives us his word which declares that none of us are innocent before him, and that we stand in our sin without excuse. And most lovingly, he gives Christ Jesus as the sacrificial atonement for the sin of all who will come to Him. So it ought to be no wonder that when it comes to the church life, Christ is expertly meting out his gifts of Grace in our lives to accomplish his will.

This is where unity meets diversity, you see. For Paul does not say “He gives to all of us the same portion and the same gifts so that everything will be fair and equitable.” Rather he says, “grace was given to each one of us...” that is specifically worded in a way that does not allow for stragglers. It is not speaking of only a particular group of individuals, but of every believer individually. If you are a child of God, Christ has expertly measured out by His wisdom and sovereignty a particular portion and gift of his grace.

Before we move on to discuss any of these gifts in detail, I would be remiss to neglect the fact that there may be an individual among us today who has not recieved the grace of God. If you are here today, know that the God of heaven is a God who is the rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are justice. He is a God of truth and without sin, he is pure and righteous. He is perfect in nature, and he is just in his wrath toward sinners. All sin is rebellion against God. The reason sin is so vile and wicked is not in the heinousness of the sin itself, but in the fact that in our sin we have offended the perfect and holy God. But Also know this, our God of justice and righteousness is also a God of benevolence and mercy. He has declared that he will have mercy upon all who will come to Him. In the Gospel, Christ has died to pay the debt of sin owed by all who will come to him in repentance and faith, and all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the One Giver of many Gifts.

So while there is unity in the fact that the gifts of grace come from one giver, as we see here and in other places in scripture, there is diversity in that the gifts of his grace are vast and varied depending on his purposes.

Many Gifts with one Goal - Vs. 11-13

We move then from the Giver to the gifts. At this point Paul goes on to list some of the specific gifts that are measured out by the Grace of Christ. The stress over the next verses is that all these gifts (and even more) are given for the common goal of Growth into Christian maturity. If the last section highlighted diversity in unity, then this section highlights the opposite.

Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

Time would not permit us to look to each of these “gifts” in great detail, but lets try to get the idea of the flow of Paul’s argument here. The first two gifts that we see given by Christ are Apostles and Prophets. While some would try to argue that these gifts are present in individuals today, I’m skeptical of that viewpoint. Now, certainly in the most basic sense of the meaning of these words, you may have some that fit the description.

Apostle - from the greek Apostello, which means to send something. Apostle simply means one who is sent as a special messenger. In a Christian context, This could simply refer to one who is sent to do the work of a Christian witness or minister. As with prophet, in its simplest sense, means one who proclaims or speaks. Now, we certainly have those who are sent by God to do his work, and we certainly have those who proclaim and speak God’s word. But the question is not that of what the basic meaning of Apostle and Prophet is, but how is Paul using those words?

Ephesians 2:19–20 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

I believe we must take Apostles and Prophets in their technical sense. The Apostles in a New Testament sense were those sent and commissioned by Christ to establish his church. They were given miraculous sign gifts and often spoke and wrote the very inspired words of God. Paul was an apostle to the gentiles, for instance. Prophets were those specially inspired, they were mouthpieces for God to both foretell (that is, speak a word from God concerning the future) and forthtell (that is, speak a word of God concerning the present) during the times of revelation of God’s word. That is why the church is said to be built upon this foundation. It is not a foundation of people, it is a foundation of the words of Christ, with Christ being the firm cornerstone.

So we see that the Apostles and prophets, their writings that we have recorded in Inspired scripture, are gifts of Christ to the church. In the book of Acts we see that the primitive church sought to continue daily in the apostles’ doctrine. This was not just the teaching of men, but the specially revealed teaching of God.

In the same way, Paul also says that Christ gifts the church with evangelists, and pastors and teachers.

Evangelist is a simple word, it really means one who spreads the message of good news. In the New Testament, we have an example of an evangelist in Phillip. We also see the word used when Paul told timothy to “do the work of an evangelist.” In our modern day, we have the idea of an evangelist being a well spoken preacher with ten suits and ten sermons, traveling from town to town conducting meetings. Really, the idea of evangelist is one who is devoted to spreading the Gospel. Spreading the Gospel in places it has not been spread. A modern day equivalent for us would be those missionaries or church planters who seek to preach the gospel and establish a group of believers. Those men and women who devote their lives to such work are a gift of Christ to the church.

Then Paul moves to pastors and teachers. These two are linked together in the original text, so that they seem to be one in category. Pastor simply means shepherd. In reference to the church, a pastor is one who shepherds and feeds the flock of God. Christ, our supreme example, is said to be the good shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep. Men chosen by God to shepherd in churches are in actuality “undershepherds.” They are shepherds working under the authority and guide of the great shepherd, the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep.

Teachers, then, is a part of that office. A pastor or Elder is required by scripture to be able to teach. All of the work of pastoring requires teaching. Shepherding and feeding the flock of God is always in reference to the truth of God’s word. A pastor is not one who gives good advice born out of his life’s wisdom, but a pastor is one who is gifted by God to teach God’s Word, and God’s Wisdom, and to lovingly and carefully apply that to the lives of those under his care. It should be mentioned that all of these gifts revolved around making God’s Word known. The great preacher John Stott said of this passage,

The Message of Ephesians b. The Character of Spiritual Gifts Is Extremely Varied

Nothing is more necessary for the building up of God’s church in every age than an ample supply of God-gifted teachers.

“Nothing is more necessary for the building up of God’s church in every age than an ample supply of God-gifted teachers.”

It should also be mentioned that not only those who pastor are gifted to teach. There are many who will not or cannot be called to pastor who are yet used greatly by God to teach his people for the goal of Growth.

These gifts that Paul mentions do not begin to exhaust the list of spiritual gifts that Christ gives to the church. There are other such lists, Romans 12, two in 1 Corinthians 12, and one in 1 Peter 4. And in reality, even if we were to compile all the gifts listed in all of those passages, it would still not be exhaustive. The lists are not meant as a test of uniformity, as in, you are absolutely given one of these gifts to be used exactly like everyone else with this gift. Rather, the list of gifts are there to show the diversity of the measure of Christ’s Grace.

Consider this admonition of Paul

Romans 12:3–6 ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

There again we have the same theme - the gifts are measured out by Christ, and are to be used in diversity for the unity of the Body. Many gifts, one body. Many gifts, one goal.

Back in Ephesians 4, We read specifically of the apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers, that they are given for equipping the people of Christ for the work of ministry. That sums it up. From the foundational doctrines of scripture we have recorded by the apostles and the prophets, and as those doctrines are taught and lovingly applied by the pastors and teachers, all that is to prepare the people of God to use their various spiritual gifts for the work of the ministry. and why?

So that the body of Christ may be built up. Edified. Every diverse gift and every diverse person using their measure of God’s grace for the building of the body of Christ. That is why there is no room for competition in church life. That’s why Paul uses the argument in 1 Corinthians 12, “what if the foot says, well i’m no good because I’m not a hand. And what if the ear says, well I’m not as special as the eye so I’m worthless. If everyone were an eye, how would the body hear? and if everyone were an ear, how would the body smell?” There is no room for competition, and there is no room for individualism. The body cannot function if its parts are not in unity, but the body can also not function without the diversity of parts it is made up by.

Ephesians 4:13 ESV

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

And that brings us back again, from diversity to unity. And what is the unity? It is the unity in the faith. Faith here meaning the body of Christian teaching. We are to be unified in message and belief. It is unity in the knowledge of Christ. We are to be unified in our intimate knowledge and treasuring of the person of Christ. It is unity in maturity. We are to be unified in our growth together into the image, the likeness of Christ.

We hear often of Christ-likeness. We should aim for personal christlikeness. However, I would argue that an individual cannot attain a true measure of Christlikeness by himself, for no individual contains all the necessary gifts to grow into the measure of Christ. Rather, true Christlikeness is born out of a body of believers with the same goal of using their measure of Christ’s grace for the growth of the whole group, and any Christlikeness that is attained is that of the whole body.

That is the one goal - growth into Christlikeness. Growth into Christlikeness is not the result of great personal effort apart from Christ or the church, rather, growth into Christlikeness is a result of each member in the body using his measure of Christ’s grace in service to one another, ever striving for unity in faith and love for Christ himself.

So we’ve seen one Giver of many gifts, and Many gifts with one goal,

One Goal with Three Outcomes - Vs. 14-16

Again, Paul is constantly riding that seesaw of unity and diversity. You cannot have unity without diversity, for as we have said, unity is not blind conformity. If unity in faith and the knowledge of God is the goal, and if growth into Christlikeness is our final aim, what are some marks that we should look out for as believers?

Doctrinal Stability

The word here for children is literally speaking of one who is illiterate and helpless. When we are working together in service with the measured gifts of Christ’s grace, we are learning and growing together in the stability of our faith. A Christian who is separated from the flock of God is susceptible to the attacks of those who would seek to persuade with false teaching. But one who is attached to a faithful body of believers, devoted to the teaching of scripture and the unity of the faith, is stable. Not shaken like a ship that is ill-prepared for a storm, but firmly moored and grounded in the truth of the Word.

Ministerial Humility

Speaking the truth in love. We must be reminded here that every spiritual gift is given for ministry to others. We are never given spiritual gifts for the benefit and service of ourselves. There is no such thing as a private ministry. One aspect of ministering to others is having the humility to speak the truth in love.

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There is no greater example of one who was boldly and unashamedly declaring the truth than in the incarnation of the Son of God. Christ was blunt and forthright in telling the truth as he preached repentance and faith for the remission of sins. But there is also no greater example of a humble servant, speaking the truth with grace and love to those who were hurting. In our ministry to others, the truth always needs to be spoken. It is never loving to shadow or hide the truth because we feel it may offend. But it is possible to speak to others and minister to them with love and grace, in a way that they will see the love of Christ in our words and actions, not simply religious piety.

Congregational Maturity

Maturity is mentioned in verse 13, and again here in verse 15. In both places it is in reference to the measure of Christ. We are to grow up together into Christlikeness in every respect. That is our thoughts, our beliefs, our actions, our inclinations, our desires, our love, our ministry. The church of Christ is meant to grow into the fulness of Christ. And while that goal will not be perfectly achieved in this world, it is a goal that we should strive for and have in mind as we exercise the grace given to us by Christ.

As I conclude, I must ask this question. Based on this passage, what would you say is God’s foundational purpose for his church? If you ask that question to 10 people, you may get 10 answers. Some would say that the foundational purpose of the church is the spread of the gospel. Some would say that the foundational purpose of the church is social concern such as feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. Some would say that the church is foundationally a haven and a retreat from the sinfulness of the world.

All of these things, I would argue, are necessary functions of the church, but can we say that just one of them is the foundational purpose? I would argue that the foundational goal in Christ measuring out his gifts to the church is that his church be built up in maturity, in the likeness of Christ, which will lead to outward health in all of these things. A church cannot be an evangelistic church if it is not growing in maturity in the truth of the the Word. A church cannot minister to its community if it is not growing in maturity in the love of Christ. A church cannot be a haven from the world and sin if it is not growing in maturity in holiness and sanctification.

Illustration of Learning Piano, practicing different parts separately.

Growth is a process, and it works according to the measured gifts of Christ’s grace. We must trust him for it, and expect to see its results. I believe from this passage A healthy church is a church that is unified in doctrine, active in growth, and ministers regularly to one another by speaking the truth in love, and in so doing, we represent Christ as his body on earth. For

Christ has gifted the church with unity in diversity, in order that its members may grow up together into His image.