Love is the glue that keeps you! — By PC

January 30, 2018

This is Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church describing to them how a healthy church should look. Of course, he meant this for the Ephesian church, but there is an overarching truth here that extends to the entire Body of Christ (that is, all Christian churches throughout all time). Let’s begin in Eph 4:16.

 NLT Ephesians 4:16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Some things in life can never be learned on your own. They can only be learned in community. We are not separate from each other, or isolated.  In fact, we are a part of each other.

For example, we can only learn forgiveness in relationships. We can’t learn that on our own.  Similarly,  we can only learn love in relationships. We can’t learn kindness or faithfulness or graciousness or unselfishness without others.

  • Charlie and Sofie playing Candy Land (children on the playground)
  • Can’t learn to share and cooperate without interacting with others

We will never reach our full potential is we are not functioning properly in the Body of Christ.

Where is the best place to learn how to do that? In the family of God. In the Body of Christ. In the church.

Ephesians 4:16 says, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow” (NLT).

You need the people God has placed in your life and they need you! God created us to need each other and to learn from each other so that we become the people He desires us to be.

In fact, Paul paints a picture for us in the Bible that, spiritually, we are the same, we are all one. We are a part of the same body and share the same Spirit.

  • ESV Romans 12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
  • NLT 1 Corinthians 12:12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

 Paul is saying a few things here:

  1. We are not separate from each other, or isolated. In fact, we are a part of each other.
  2. By design, or default, we need each other—not only to mature and grow—but to function in a healthy way…even to exist.
  3. It is not a choice…if you are a believer…it’s not your choice to be a member of the Body…by definition, that’s what you are according to the Word written by Paul.

This Body (the Church) is born from, maintained, protected, nurtured, and grows because it is surrounded by and energized by LOVE.

I like to think of the church as the womb, and the umbilical cord is the connection to Jesus, supplying the baby (church) everything it needs to grow.

This is kind of what Paul describes in this segment of Scripture.  While he is talking about how we are all a part of one Body and share one Spirit, the one common theme that is threaded throughout these verses from Ephesians 3-4 is a theme of LOVE.  He talks about love 5 times.  Let’s see if you can identify all the places where Paul mentions love.  Also, see if you could identify all the functions, or uses of love.

  • ESV Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

  • 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all… JUMP DOWN TO VS. 11… 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Summation of the 5 verses that contain the word love:

  1. being rooted and grounded in love,
  2. know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
  3. bearing with one another in love,
  4. speaking the truth in love,
  5. makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

See the five verses in this segment that talk about love:

 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

    • Like a plant rooted in soil gets its nutrients from the soil, all the nutrition a believer receives is from Jesus, which is love.
    • This is why Jesus says you can tell a tree by its fruit…meaning that you can tell whether a person is a Christian or not by whether they are made of the Spirit, or the love of Christ.

 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

    • Do you think you are an intelligent person?
    • Notice how the love of Christ SURPASSES knowledge
    • Often, the power of love overcomes all other powers and knowledge in this world.
  1. 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
    • We all need loved, encouraged, built up
    • We all need others to be patient with us and to be gentle, eager to be our friends
  1. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
    • There is a place where TRUTH and LOVE intersect…that’s where we are to meet others.
  1. 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

We do find one charge given to us by Paul in this segment of Scripture:

  • 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
    • Not only those in the ministry are called…rather, all believers are called.
    • Paul is urging us to walk in a manner—or to live in a way—worthy of our calling

Conclusion:

  1. Do you come to church with a loving attitude that looks forward to loving others in these ways?
  2. Are you connected to the church in a healthy way so that you may grow to your full potential in Christ?

Let’s agree with Paul for all of this to take place in our hearts…and in our church.