Growth

Growth.  It is a natural part of our lives.  Spiritual growth should be also.  God's plan for our growth is included in Paul's writing to the church at Ephesus. The five-fold ministry of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers are to prepare us to do God's work and eventually reach maturity, "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph 4:13).  If the believer does not do the works appointed to him by Christ, he will not have mature faith.

We are growing up into Christ. "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." (Eph 4;16) Here we see that the individual believers must do their work in order for the body of Christ to reach its full growth.

My previous posting included a dream I had wherein the leaders of the church held the talents of the believers and would not release them.  I believe this is the case in many churches.  There does not seem to be a trust in the work of the Lord in the members of the congregations to do well with their talents.  Yet the leadership usurps Christ as the head of the body by holding onto the individual talents and not using them.  Indeed, no one man can use everyone else's talents.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph 2:10). There will be spiritual maturity in the individual believers as they do the works God leads them to do.  This individual spiritual maturity will be spread to the entire church, Christ's body, as each member does the work God gifted him or her to do.

In the Bible we find encouragement to use our gifts, or talents. In the churches we often find discouragement.  If you are a spiritual leader, perhaps one in the five-fold ministry, I encourage you to build your people up in their spiritual gifts, and to facilitate the works they are called to do.  Then we will have the fullness of faith you desire.  There will be no great works without individual people having great faith, mature faith.  Amen.