Masterpiece | Part 8

Ephesians 4:7-16 ESV

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the

measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended

on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In

saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also

descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who

descended is the one who also ascended far above all the

heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles,

the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to

equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of

Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the

knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure

of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer

be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by

every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in

deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to

grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16

from whom 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.

1) We were created to serve and to use our gifts to

unify the body in love and grow each other into

maturity in Christ.

2) Jesus fills all things through the body (us) because

we are an extension of Him, His reign, His wisdom

and His power.

3) The truth of Christ leads us to mature manhood or

Christian maturity.