Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the Faith

 

As we continue our study on the Callings of God, the Holy Spirit begins to unfold the REASON for our Calling and Ministry.

 

To recap, in Verse 11 we learn that the Callings consist of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These make up what is commonly known as the Five-Fold Ministry. While people have other God-given Gifts, Talents, and Abilities, these five make up the Callings of God.

 

In Verse 12, the Holy Spirit tells us WHY God calls people to these positions. There are only two words used to describe this: Equipping and edifying. God calls people into the Five-fold Ministry to equip and edify believers in the Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing else. If there were something else, we would read it in the Word of God.

 

In Verse 13 the Holy Spirit continues by informing us that Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers are to continue equipping and edifying the Saints of God for a certain length of time. How long is this supposed to continue? The answer to this question is rather lengthy, but it begins with, Till we all come in the unity of the Faith.

 

As we have discussed so many times here in the Morning Message, God intends for His Church to be unified. Unity is an ongoing theme in the New Testament, but here He says, unity of the Faith.  What Faith is He referring to?

 

The only Faith that God recognizes is Faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and what He accomplished for us on the Cross of Calvary. Redemption and Salvation have always been based on a person’s belief in the Sacrifice. In Old Testament times, Redemption came through their belief in the sacrifice of lambs and other animals.

 

Jesus, the Lamb of God, is our Sacrifice made for us by God Himself. It is our Faith in Him and the Sacrifice He made that brings Redemption and Salvation. Also, it is that same Faith that does the continual, daily work in every believer’s heart, molding and shaping us to be more like Christ.

 

This is the Faith that will unify the Body of Christ. All truly born again believers can stand together shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand in this Faith because this is what brought them to Salvation to begin with.

 

The Lord placed this message of Unity on my heart 38 years ago, and it is something that He reminds me of every day. Unity, unity, unity! Jesus prayed that the Church be One as I and the Father are one. (John 17:20) He desires for all believers to be unified in the Faith and as Called Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, this is the first REASON God put this Call on our lives.

 

Unity of the Faith will………turn the tide .……...in the Body of Christ

 

Unity, unity, unity!        Doreen

 

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