Ephesians 4:11-16
Have you given any serious thought lately to what the purpose of your life is? Our culture is full of distractions and activities that appear to promise fulfillment or pleasure. So it is easy to forget that we are living on this earth for God’s glory and purposes, not our own.
Besides endowing us with spiritual gifts to use in carrying out our calling, the Lord also gives the church gifted women and men who are entrusted with the responsibility of equipping believers (Eph. 4:11-12). This prepares us ...
To serve in the body (v. 12). The church is edified when we each use our spiritual gifts to serve one another.
To attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of Christ (v. 13). This is the establishment of sound doctrine and truth by which the church is grounded and unified.
To achieve spiritual maturity (v. 13). Knowing truth helps us grow in Christlikeness and protects us from being deceived by false teaching (v. 14).
To hold fast to Christ as the head of the church (vv. 15-16). When the believers are equipped by godly pastors through the Word of God and each one does his part in working together, the whole church functions according to Christ’s headship. Then the entire body exhibits growth that is from the Lord.
While God does give many things for our enjoyment, to live only for life’s pleasures is shortsighted; doing so would result in great disappointment when we stand before Christ to give an account of our life. But living with God’s purposes in mind will ultimately glorify Him and prove most satisfying.