SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/11/2019
9:23 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Authentic
Loving Fellowship”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
4:15
Message of the verse: “But we are meant
to speak the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ,
the head.”
John
MacArthur gives us a couple of quotes in his commentary: “When all their garments are white the world
will count them His” writes John Bunyan, and then the skeptical German poet
Heinrich Heine said to Christians “You show me your redeemed life and I might
be inclined to believe in your Redeemer.”
MacArthur then writes “The authentic life that speaks the gospel with a
spirit of loving sacrifice will be eminently convincing.” I like the quote from the German poet because
he is right about the fact that believers should show their redeemed life all
of the time, and I know that because we have the world, the flesh, and the
devil as our enemies that it is difficult for that to happen all of the time,
however we all have the Spirit of God living in us and also we have the Word of
God to read and to study to help us live a life that shows others that we are
believers.
When
we read the words “speaking the truth in love” we can think that this is
deceptively easy, however as mentioned above it is extremely difficult. Other things we need to remember are the
things that we have been going over in the last few days which will indeed help
us live a life that demonstrates love, and that is we are to be thoroughly
equipped in sound doctrine and in spiritual maturity. To the immature believer, right doctrine can
be no more than cold orthodoxy, and then love can be no more than sentimentality. MacArthur concludes his writings on the first
part of verse fifteen by writing “Only the mature man, the man who is growing
up to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ is
consistent in having sufficient wisdom to understand God’s truth and
effectively present it to others; and only he has the continual humility and
grace to present it in love and in power.
The combination of truth
and love counteracts the two great threats to powerful ministry—lack of truth
and lack of compassion.”
We
now want to focus in on the last part of verse fifteen: “we are to grow up in all aspects into Him,
who is the head, even Christ.”
Remember
our focus in this section “Authentic loving testimony,” and this will assist
believers in growing into the very likeness of Jesus Christ. When we look at the phrase “in all aspects”
this calls for a comprehensive Christlikeness which was described in verse 13
and then we can compare that with 1 Cor. 11:1; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19;
Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 2:21; and 1 John 2:6).
13 until the time comes when, in the unity of common
faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity—that
measure of development which is meant by "the fullness of Christ’” (Eph.
4:13 Phillips). “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’” (Eph. 4:13 NASB95).
Paul
has spoken of Christ being the head of the church in different letters and this
means that He has the authority over the church, and also the leadership over
the church, and we would not want in any other way. Jesus Christ is not only the sovereign Head
and the ruling Head, but He is also the organic Head. MacArthur writes “He is the source of power
for all functions. Human beings are
declared officially dead when the EKG is flat, signifying brain death. As the brain is the control center of
physical life, so the Lord Jesus Christ is the organic source of life and power
to His Body, the church.”
In
order for us to grow into His likeness we are to be completely subject to His
controlling power, and we must be obedient to His every thought and expression
of will. We are to personify what Paul wrote in his prayers as seen in Phil.
1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ” and then also in Gal. 2:20 where we read “It
is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: What I got to
say is that in order for these things to be true in my life I have to empty
myself of me and be filled with Christ’s Holy Spirit. “But we deny self when we surrender ourselves to Christ
and determine to obey His will. This
once-for-all dedication is followed by a daily ‘dying to self’ as we take up
the cross and follow Him. From the human
point of view, we are losing ourselves, but from the divine perspective, we are
finding ourselves. When we live for
Christ, we become more like Him, and this brings out our own unique
individuality” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe).
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Humility is also a big part of living
the Christian life in order to please the Lord.
Verse that goes with our
last quotation and this one is from Mark 9:24 “Lord, I believe; Help my
unbelief!”
4/11/2019 10:03 AM
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