Experiencing the Fullness of God
“But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 NRSV
Series: Love: For the Sake of Others
Devotional: 4 of 5
The way you live your life matters!
Why?
Because in the quiet places of your life, Jesus is continuously molding your public words and actions so that you might be a light shining on a hill for all to see (see Matthew 5:14). He has given you the Holy Spirit to be your guide - a filter that all of your words and actions must pass through in order that they might glorify His name. In the words of Henry Nouwen, "Inward transformation of our souls should not be hidden from our public lives. What we live in the most intimate places of our beings is not just for us but for all people." In other words, your relationship with Christ is deeply personal but was never meant to be private.
As we surrender our lives to Christ, the work He is doing in us should profoundly impact the lives of others in our faith community. But the reverse is also true. The work that God is doing in the lives of other believers has a direct impact on our journey toward becoming more and more like Jesus. We need other believers just as much as they need us! We need them to bring the transformation happening in their lives into the community so that all believers might experience the "fullness of God" that the Apostle Paul spoke about in his letter to the saints in Ephesus (see Ephesians 3:19).
Scripture is ripe with many examples of the importance of living out our faith in community. Looking closer at Paul's letter to the Ephesian church, we see at least two examples that directly impact you and me "growing up" into full "maturity" in Christ Jesus.
First, we have been created to be in a relationship with God and each other. Paul writes that each of us is part of the "whole body, joined and held together" by Christ who, "is the head." When the body of Christ is "working properly," the result is a transforming love that attracts those living in darkness so that they might also believe (see Ephesians 4:15-16).
Second, we all have spiritual blind spots - areas that have not yet been formed into the image of Christ. On our own, we are blind to these points of unlikeness to Christ, but often these areas are quite apparent to those around us. This is precisely why we need other followers of Jesus, who know and love us and are willing to "speak the truth in love" so that we might be made whole in Christ.
As you go, consider these three questions. Are you involved in a local community of believers engaged in the "process of being formed into the image of Christ?" Are you allowing those who know and love you to speak into your life? And finally, when given a chance, are you telling your unique story of inward transformation so that others might know the fullness of God in their lives?
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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