Monday, December 6, 2021

"Building Up" (Eph. 4:12)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/5/2019 11:50 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                         Focus:  “Building Up”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Ephesians 4:12

 

            Message of the verses:  12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;”

 

            The third element and what is the immediate goal of God’s plan for the operation of His church is it’s being built up.  We have to go back to what we have learned earlier and that is the proper equipping that comes from the evangelists and the pastor-teachers as they lead to proper service by the congregation will result inevitably in the building up of the body of Christ.  MacArthur writes “Oikodome (building up) literally refers to the building of a house, and was used figuratively of any sort of construction.  It is the spiritual edification and development of the church of which Paul is speaking here.  The body is built up externally through evangelism and more believers are added, but the emphasis here is on its being built up internally as all believers are nurtured to fruitful service through the Word.  Paul’s exhortation to emphasizes the process:  ‘I commend you to God and to the word,…which is able to build you up’ (Acts 20:32).”

 

            As we look at this process of how the church grows and blossoms we can see that it is tied to learning of and obedience of the holy revelation of Scripture.  Just as Peter writes in his first letter “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,” we should follow this as we read and study the Word of God each and every day of our lives because the Word of God is our spiritual nourishment, and just a milk sustains the life babies, so the Word of God sustains the believers spiritual life.

 

            We will, Lord willing, begin a new main point in our next SD which will be “The Purpose of God’s Pattern,” and if you would like to get a head start on that the Scripture verses are Ephesians 4:13-15a.  “13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love,”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Make sure that I am in the Word of God each and every day.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn humility as the Lord brings situations into my life that helps me to learn humility.

 

Scripture verse that goes with yesterday’s quotation is from Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

 

4/5/2019 12:09 PM

 

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