In this scripture Paul is stressing the importance of the love of the truth. It does not say ‘because they received not the the truth’, you have to have a love of the truth. From this scripture it is clear that it is impossible to receive a love of the truth without intervention from Jesus. Jesus came to bear witness of the truth, because there was a lie. There is an attack on the truth and the attack is from the devil. So we have to continue to bear witness of the truth. There will always be opposition when you bear witness of the truth.
One of the truths the Lord reveals unto us is how the church works through ministries.
Ef 4:7 “But unto everyone is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
Our ministry in the church is a measure we receive from Christ. It is the measure of Christ within us. The Lord created each of us around our measure. Our measures are not the same. All have a different measure of Christ. These measures are identified in five different ministries:
- Apostles
- Prophets
- Evangelists
- Pastors
- Teachers
Our measure (ministry) is used to speak the truth till Jesus comes.
In our worldly thinking the question arises “is your measure bigger than my measure”. It makes no difference. The principle is that everyone contributes according to their measure and through the contribution of each measure we get a full measure of Christ in the body. So if I do not contribute, the body of Christ is lacking in that measure and the picture is not complete. I am incomplete without your measure. That is the principle of the measure of Christ within us. We complete each other through the measure within.
Ef 4:12,13 tell us what the ministries are for. If a ministry is working effectively according to God’s Word it wil be:
- working toward perfecting of the saints and contributing to God’s progress
- promoting God’s work on earth so the church of Jesus Christ will be effective
- Edifying(building) the Body
- Bringing the believers into unity
- Contributing to bring the full picture of Jesus Christ to the world
We have to ask ourselves if our ministries are working effectively in the Body of Christ. If my ministry is not working effectively I have my own agenda and trying to be a BIG BOSS. The ministries belongs to Christ and we have to give back to His body. Your ministry belongs to the Body.
Friends there is no agenda or big boss in the church of Jesus Christ. There are only members fulfilling their individual ministries. In the world today there are lots of winds of doctrine and people do not know what they believe, because their measure is not working. Allow Jesus to work a love of the truth in your life. Let your measure work for the fullness of Christ in the Body.
Rene Welgemoed
