November 8

Day 239: What a Heartful!

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is for me like opening the same present again and again. Each time it seems as if the treasures in this book are fresh and new.

Paul takes the first three chapters to talk about what we have in Jesus. The "why's." Then he devotes the final three chapters to give us some "therefore's." It's like, "because of all this, you should be that."

The first "therefore" begins chapter 4, where Paul urges us to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." In other words, if a Christian, then be a Christian. You've been given the necessary provision to do so.

Later in the same paragraph, he goes on to say, "We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." He is not talking to individuals, per se; he is talking to the Church. The corporate us. The body does not, and cannot have autonomy from the head.

He finishes his thought with this: "...from whom (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Operative word "itself."

Paul is describing a body mature enough to care for and build itself up. But how do we balance our dependence on Jesus, and the call to be mature, self-feeding, self-caring?

It is true that we have been snatched from death. It is true we have been given pardon for sin. It is true the righteousness of Christ has been assigned to us. We are easily content with these.

But, intellectual ascent is not adequate. This would be no different to considering Jesus an historical figure who said some nice, thought-provoking things. Or, it could be we content ourselves with the gifts, while distancing ourselves from the Giver.

A mature church, not unlike a mature believer is thankful but not content with the gifts. As precious as these gifts are, he/she wants more. He/she wants Jesus Himself.

When we receive Jesus, we get Jesus. He has been poured into us. We receive Him. And we must appropriate Him. That He become our all in all. A mature church is marked with mature people. People who are literally filled to the brim with Jesus, and are content with nothing less.

Unity in the Church, and protection from the evils of the world are not hard to appropriate, if we each endeavor to be filled with Jesus, and are encouraging each other to be the same.

Spurgeon said it this way: "What a heartful Jesus must be, since heaven itself cannot contain Him!"

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau