ICS Daily Devotions
United in Love
Eph 4:8, 11-13 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” ..… And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
There is a lot of misconception that the work of the ministry belongs solely to pastors and full-time workers. However, it is God’s intention for all His children to work together in order to bring about growth in the body of Christ. Each one of us has a special and unique role to play because that is how God intended it to be — a body ministry.
Rom 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Jesus is fully God and fully man. He ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit as a man. However, when He ascended on high, He gave gifts to men — every single gift that He possessed while He was ministering on earth — so that the Church can continue His ministry. In fact, Jesus says that His Church will do even greater things than He’s done.
John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Nobody on earth possesses all the gifts, and neither does one person have all the revelations. Instead, the gifts are distributed throughout the body of Christ. This is to prevent any person from growing proud or being worshipped by men. It is also a good reminder to us that while we should honor God’s servants, we should always look to Jesus Himself because man is fallible.
In order to minister well as a body of believers, there is a need for us to be united in spirit and in truth.
Eph 4:3-6 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Any form of strife in the body of Christ is unhealthy because it is the work of the devil. Scripture also says that we must speak the truth in love. As such, it is important for us to deal with any spoken or unspoken strive in the body, because failing to attack the church from outside, the Devil will attempt to stir up disunity from within the body, beginning with just one unhappy voice. Therefore, let us be alert to the Evil One’s schemes, be truthful to one another, and walk in love because love fulfills all of the commandments.
Eph 4:15-16 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Sermon Series: Equipping The Saints
