God's Perfecting and Equipping of the Saints

Ephesians Study

Ephesians 4:11-13 — God’s Perfecting and Equipping of the Saints

Amplified Bible:

11 And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.

12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

13 [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

We were given gifts and gifting by God; His intention:

• Our perfecting
• Our full equipping

so that:

• We should do a work of ministering and building up the body of Christ
• We develop oneness in the faith
• We comprehend the accurate knowledge of the Son of God
• We might spiritually mature to the standard of Christ’s own perfection
• We might have a standard of measurement that is the fullness of Christ and the completeness found in Him.

Wow!  Do you find anything about self and self-actualization in this list?  As God through Christ and the Spirit has given us everything…Oneness with Them, identity in Them, fullness in Them…so we are to receive the gifts and gifting to be made perfect and be fully equipped.  You see, we are perfected and fully equipped by doing the work of ministry of building up Christ (Christ’s body).  

This happens in the most amazing ways.  When using the gifts, we usually have expectations that are coming from our own neediness…need for significance, need for support, need for safety, need for appreciation, admiration, respect, and so on.  This neediness (expectations of others) sets us up for what looks like failure.  It is God’s way of perfecting and equipping us.  It is His way of Temple cleansing us.  

We so often measure ourselves by others.  Actually, we are taught from the beginning to do this.  Be like brother/sister, be like mom/dad, be like aunt/uncle, be like teacher, and so on.  After a while we rebel because we are ready to try to be ourselves instead of a member of the tribe.  Only, we have not been taught the Standard of Righteousness that is Christ.  So, in being ourselves, we just join different tribes and be like them.  It seems that we only really know how to reflect others.  That teaches us both correct and incorrect programming.  Our neediness has to be unlearned and that is what is being addressed in the "so that" above.

Not knowing better, we have allowed the world to make us a counterfeit temple (den of thieves).  God  knows that spiritually mature saints understand that following in Christ’s footsteps means that we will not commit ourselves to the neediness of others.  This means that we will serve others without personal neediness; we can do nothing about the personal neediness of others.  

John 2:23-25: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”  In other words, He knew His identity as the Son of God.  His identity was not defined by proving Himself.  So, He not only knew all men, He knew Himself as God's Son.  

Another way of saying this is inappropriate expectations of self and others.  None of us can be what we are not.  We cannot do what we have not learned.  We cannot give what we do not have.   This is why Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Our forgiveness is based on our ignorance!  It is also why He said that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and that our weakness is made perfect in His strength.

In the comprehension of a full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God, we will become a mature (complete/whole)  personality.  This is knowledge that is relational; not just intellectual.  This oneness of intent and process of God creates an involvement  with others that has appropriate expectations and is  not based on our  or their neediness.  Through this, Christ meets every need that we have.  We were created in His image originally.  In our recreation (which is the "so that" above), He is the mirror into which we look to see ourselves.

Homework:  take each bullet point and develop it further asking God's guidance for what this means to you and your personal development in Him.  I would enjoy hearing your revelations.