What a great study it is of those “golden ingredients” that will make a great church. This study will be based on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This book has a great deal to say about the church; in fact, the church is at the very heart and core of the epistle.
There is no doubt that Paul wanted the church at Ephesus to be a great one. He would encourage them to be such a church. He would not only encourage this but would also offer instructions. What are some of those things that would insure their being a great church?
A DISPOSITION THAT WOULD LEAD TO UNITY
This is clearly seen in Ephesians 4:1-6. There is spelled out, a disposition of mind that is necessary, if unity is to be had. He will speak of “lowliness.” This has to do with the mind. It has to do with humility. It has to do with the estimate a man may place on himself. If such a person is not humble, there is no way for real unity to exist. The only kind of unity you would have under those circumstances, would be that kind where people would bow to that person’s estimate of himself or herself and just go along for the sake of peace. That would not be real unity. There must be lowliness of mind.
There must also be the control of self. That is inherent in the word “meekness.” A person may have great strength, but that strength must be under control. It must be properly channeled.
There must also be “longsuffering.” This calls for patience on the part of people as they deal with one another. It takes time for people to grow. It takes time for people to become more mature.
DEVELOPMENT THAT LEADS TO MATURITY
It becomes very obvious that Paul would stress this point in Ephesians 4. Notice the phrases, “perfecting,” “edifying,” “no more children.” All of these lend themselves to the need for spiritual maturity. Yes, if a church is going to be great, there must be spiritual development that will lead to maturity.
When maturity is achieved, there are some very good things that are in place. For one thing, a man’s value system will be different. He will come to see the real worth of things that have to do with the soul. He will be able to see the need for the study of the Bible. He will be able to see the need for prayer. He will be able to see the need to add those graces that a Christian must exhibit. This is all necessary, if a church is going to be a great church.
DESIRES THAT LEAD TO PURITY
This becomes evident as we will study the rest of the Ephesian letter.
-Winfred Clark
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