We like to pick out certain verses from Eph 4... speaking of the various gifts and positions within the body, of unity, etc. But when read in context, it paints a bigger, more beautiful picture of God's desire for His people and their function together for His purpose...

Paul begins by saying, " I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling..."

He then says, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."

We have been given grace "according to the measure of the gift of Christ." The next word is WHEREFORE. The gifts we have been given have been given by grace. They are not ours to keep to ourselves or to elevate ourselves. They are given "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…" To what end? "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

Do you see the purpose here? God's desire and requirement is that we be in UNITY...growing together in the knowledge of His Son...becoming more and more like Him - TOGETHER. This is why we must be "speaking the truth in love." We can't water down the truth of God's Word simply because someone else might not be comfortable with it, or because it doesn't please some people. We are REQUIRED by God to speak the truth in love so we may encourage and help one another to "grow up into him in all things...From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. " We MUST work together, each of us doing our part to contribute to the growth of the body "unto the edifying of itself in love." Edifying doesn't mean sugar-coating the message, edifying doesn't mean speaking a "feel-good" message only. Edifying means speaking out against sin; edifying means speaking out against unbelief; edifying means speaking the truth in love.

Paul goes on to exhort us to clean and pure living and ends with a directive to "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Our words, our edification, must "minister grace to the hearers." Sometimes speaking the truth may seem harsh to the hearer - often because the Holy Spirit is doing His work of conviction. However, that doesn't mean we stop "speaking the truth in love." We must continue together in love and unity. As parents, it is our responsibility to warn our children of danger. We teach them not to touch a hot stove , to look before crossing the street, etc. As members of the body of Christ, we must warn, admonish and encourage one another also. The key is to be led by the Spirit to speak that truth in love so it may "minister grace to the hearers." As a united body, encouraging one another, there is no place for the things Paul mentions in the final verses. We must put away...get rid of...avoid...anything that is not conducive to love and unity.

Remember, the chapter and verse divisions we see in our Bibles were added for convenience, but were never part of the original. Paul continues this thought at the start of chapter 5 by saying, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." All that we do as members of the body of Christ must be done in love so we, as a body, become and continue to be a sweet smelling fragrance unto the Lord.

 


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