ROMANS 8:1-4 In Christ = No Condemnation!

 

From time to time this important question may arise in our minds: Can I be sure that I will not be condemned when I shall stand one day before the judgment seat of God?  

Atheists and Agnostics will say – that’s not a problem for me, since I don’t believe in God; I have no sense of accountability to God.

Universalists will say – Since God loves everyone and will allow no one to perish since Christ has died for the sins of the whole world (whether they know it or not), there’s no need to worry. 

But the person that reads the Bible cannot come to such a conclusion, since they can see from a plain reading that (i) God is holy (ii) man is sinful (iii) God, the Creator will hold man accountable for His sin (iv) God has provided a Redeemer (v) but only for those that confess their sin and turn to Him. 

We left Romans 7 with the apostle Paul, a mature believer in Christ seeing all this, and crying out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  He is struck by the holiness of God and the sinfulness of sin, and he finds himself begging for an answer to this dilemma: How can I, a wretched sinner stand before this holy God? Thankfully, the answer is not slow in coming. It comes in 7:25, “Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In Romans 8 we come to one of the most thrilling chapters in the whole Bible.  The outcome of this chapter will be this thought: What a great salvation we have in Christ! 

Romans 8 begins with the statement of his theme in 8:1 - “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.  In the remaining 38 verses, he works out that statement

In 8:1-4  we learn three things that are greatly liberating   

1. 8: 1 - 2 THE PRESENCE OF SIN IN OUR LIVES IS NOT THE FINAL STORY

8:1,2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

The first liberating reality  we learn is that the presence of sin in a believer’s life is not the final story.  The presence and reality of sin in a believer’s life is undeniable.  We have seen this in Romans 3:9-20 and we have seen how Paul wrestles with this experience of sin in Romans 7:13 -24. And if he had ended there, this would be a most depressing conclusion.  

But now Paul wants us to see that the presence and reality of sin in our lives (Paul calls it  ‘the law of sin’ ) is not the whole story.  It certainly is not the final story.    

He shows us that there is another, much greater law at work in the believer’s life. He calls it  ‘the law of the Spirit of life’.  When you become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ you are born again through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8). You have received the righteousness of God (Rom. 3:21). You are justified by grace through faith in Jesus (Rom 3:24,26,28; 5:1,9). Justification means being ‘right with God’.  The great Judge of the Universe has declared you ‘not guilty‘. And He does this on the basis of the life of His Divine Son, in whom you have believed, and trusted. He has paid the price of your sin and guilt. This is the law of life which has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

But in chapter 7 we have seen that the law of sin (and death) is still at work in the believer. So how can these two laws, “the law of the Spirit of life” and “the law of sin and death” be at work within us?   

(i)                  The Bible teaches us here that this is so

(ii)                Our experience teaches us that this is so. In your experience you find this constant conflict. If you have been a Christian for any length of time you will have said something like this, “I am a Christian. I want to be like Jesus, but I find that I struggle with sin - sometimes even with serious sin. What can I do? Am I still a Christian when sin overcomes me?” Worse still, some think at this point, “Have I lost my salvation”?

Here is Paul’s answer following his struggle in Chapter 7: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death."

You will now have to learn not to base your trust in your feelings, but in facts.  You will need to base your trust in the lifegiving work of the Spirit, who incidentally has just convicted you of your sin, and has made you feel despondent and sorrowful. This is not a normal pattern with an unconverted person.  So, you have sinned!  Will this sin then undo your salvation? No!  Why? Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is greater than the law of sin and death.  A Christian is not someone who has become incapable of sinning. A Christian is someone whose sin has been completely dealt with by Christ.

The law of the Spirit > than the law of sin and death

2.  8:3 A POWERFUL SAVIOUR   DEALS  EFFECTIVELY  WITH SIN 

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh”,

The second liberating   reality   is best expressed in four propositions:

4  Realities  

a.      “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do for you:  Your freedom has come to you because of what God has done. Your sinful flesh weakens you considerably – so much so that you cannot overcome sin by yourself.   GOD TAKES INITIATIVE

b.      "God did this by sending His own Son". The great solution to your sin problem- that which stands between you and your holy Creator is Jesus!  How did God do this?  He sent His own Son.   He is Jesus, the eternal Son of God (John 1:1). He sent the eternal Jesus via a miraculous supernatural conception into Mary’s womb, born in the likeness of a man, a human baby, fully experiencing life in a fallen world, yet remaining without sin, dying as the sinless Lamb of God, bearing away the sin of those who will look to Him and trust Him for His work on their behalf.  This is simply stupendous: The God who created mankind in His image –first represented in Adam and Eve, who fell into a state of sin in Genesis 3, that Creator God sends another Adam – a perfect man into this world. GOD’S SOLUTION: HIS SON – JESUS CHRIST

c.       “By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh“:  Here are two important truths about Jesus: 

      (i) Jesus experienced all the sin and weaknesses common to human beings living in a fallen world, and 

     (ii) at the same time, He never sinned. His nature, His humanity was not fallen. The idea that Jesus became fallen human being is a heresy.  The phrase “in the likeness of sinful flesh” does not mean that He became involved in acts of sin.  True, He became sin for us, but the text in 2 Cor 5:21 reads, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” He became sin in the sense that He became our sin- bearer, but Jesus was never inherently sinful.  In the likeness of sinful flesh simply affirms that God brought His Son into the closest possible relation to us, yet without sin.  

Consider also this: “By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,  and for sin (or as a sin offering)."  JESUS CHRIST – OUR HUMAN SINLESS SIN-BEARER

And therefore…

d.      “he condemned sin in the flesh“…  Being sinless meant that He could kill sin! He is greater than sin. Therefore, He has condemned sin in the flesh. He has freed us from its enslaving power. That is amazing news.  JESUS’  DEATH  EFFECTIVELY DEALS WITH OUR SIN- PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

  Christ in whom we trust   >  is greater than all  our sin

Here are four compelling reasons proving that we must rest entirely in Christ’s finished work.

My greatest challenge is not to look at myself to closely. Too much  introspection without  looking to Christ   will end in becoming spiritually depressed.  Robert Murray MÇheyne (1813-1843), a Scottish pastor, wisely counselled,   "For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ" . We must  spend more time reflecting on Jesus  person  and work - resting in  Christ's grace and sufficiency. Say frequently  to yourself, Christ has done this for me and this is what I cling to. If you say, “but I don’t feel  as if I’m free from the power of sin”, then Paul says to you,  read these words again!  

3.  8:4    CHRIST IN US FULFILLS THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT  OF THE LAW

“… in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. This text stands in relation to 8:3  and must be understood in that context.

The third liberating  reality rests in the fact  that   the law is completed in Christ. Therefore we do not rest in the law. We rest in Christ.  When we walk according to the Spirit  and in Christ, the  righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us.

The result? No more condemnation!  

Christ = the end  and fulfilment of the law 

Your Lord Jesus’ victory over sin – even your sin,  liberates you from the law of sin which constantly shouts, guilty, guilty, guilty … and that is true of course,  for the law is righteous in its requirements, and holy and true.

BUT, it  tells you MORE SO, that the law of sin has been completed and superseded in Christ Jesus. This is the law of the Spirit of life, and it has set you free from the law of sin and death- so called because the law in itself cannot save you. It can only accuse you. 

But the law of the Spirit drives you to Christ. He is the end of the law (Rom 10:4) and the fulfilment of the law. You must walk in that law.  He  is the living center  from which you must live.

This is the promise given to Jeremiah 31:33  and Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:26,27, the anticipation of the new covenant where God undertakes  to give His people a new heart and a new spirit. That new heart is driven by love for your Saviour. All your future obedience flows from that relationship.

Have you received THAT heart? 

In the following verses from 8:5 onwards we will see how that new heart manifests itself in the way we live our lives in this world.    

For this we  will have to wait for next time we meet.

Romans 7:7-25 LAW, SIN, STRUGGLE, VICTORY

 

The letter to the Romans was written by Paul to explain how sinners can be made right with their Creator - a holy God.  

To be right with God! This is the most important matter anyone will ever have to consider in this life- more than a career choice, choice of a marriage partner or choice of a pension plan. 

From the letter to the Romans, we learn that being right with God does not happen through self - effort, but through an act of God’s free, sovereign Grace alone.  All that we must do is look to Christ. 

Look to Jesus and believe!  

Look to Jesus and live! This is the gospel!  When this happens, we are finally alive- dead to sin, now truly alive to God (Rom. 6).

We are now dealing with a weighty text. If you have been a Christian for a time, what you find here will correspond to your experience. 

In our text we find four important words: Law, sin, struggle, victory. You will recognize these concepts interwoven into this passage. Here Paul reflects on his personal struggle with the reality of his sinful nature. It is the reflection of a mature believer, and if you will accept this – this is a description of your and my struggle; your victory and my victory. 

1.      LAW 

In Romans 7 Paul addresses the matter of the law of God and our relationship to it.   What is the purpose of God’s law? Some reflection is needed.    

God has created human beings in His image. Therefore, they must reflect is His holy nature. Sin has made mankind unholy.  

Sin makes us drifters away from God. 

Our desires are inclined away from God and contrary to God’s nature.  

We lose our sense of purpose and finally it becomes ‘each to his own’. 

The final result is chaos and anarchy. Were it not for the common grace of God, there would be no telling what would have happened to us long ago. If God did not restrain sin in this world    who knows where we would have landed by now.  This common grace is found in Romans 2:15. There we learn that the law (of God) is written on their (gentile hearts while their conscience also bears witness.  

Under Moses God presented special revelation, special grace. He gave the people of Israel a written code, embodied in the 10 commandments. This law carries over into the New Testament. Jews and Christians are indeed a privileged people, because we are in possession of God’s thoughts.  

BUT sadly, we find that we rarely ever obey the law. 

We do not desire to be godly or holy. 

On the contrary, the saga of Genesis 3 continues:  forbidden fruit (the standard set by God in Genesis 2) are often seen by us as a challenge to test God. Our sinful nature rebels against prohibition and perversely it seems to be even stimulated by prohibition - hence 7:5 : our sinful passions, aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.  

Did you read that?  Here it is suggested that the law tempts me to sin. 

Question:  Is the law then evil? This is precisely the question that 7:7 asks:  "What then shall we say? That the   Law is sin?" And the answer is an emphatic No!  

What then is the purpose of the law? The purpose of law is to give definition to sin– hence 7:7b- "For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet”. How do I know that coveting someone else’s possessions is wrong?  The LAW tells me so!   

7:8 “But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment produced in me all kinds of covetousness.” The mere knowledge of the law is no barrier to sin. In fact, Paul says that knowledge of a particular sin actually makes it worse, because our sinful nature now not only knows that it is wrong to covet, BUT NOW it actually wants to taste that forbidden fruit of covetousness- i.e.  by letting our hearts roam freely to covet our neighbour’s possessions, and even our neighbour’s wife, as did David when he saw, coveted and took Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, his trusted soldier (2 Samuel 11).  Covetousness is dangerous, because it is a sin of the heart which precedes the next step – taking what is not yours.  The law gave definition to that sin – and so we read, apart from the law covetousness lies dead. If he had not known that covetousness was sin, it could not be sin (7:8b).

In 7:9 Paul reflects on a time when he was not aware of the implications of the law: “I once was alive apart from the law…”   meaning that he lived, but he had no convicting knowledge of the law. 

When he was a Pharisee, he gave the command to have Stephen killed (Acts 7:54ff). You shall not murder (Ex 20:13). In his blind zeal he did not only desire to kill Christians. He had them actually murdered.   

BUT WHEN the commandment (the law) came alive to him in Acts 9, he became another man! 

He died to the old Saul, and he became Paul. 

Sin now became a reality for Paul, so that he could truthfully speak of himself as chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15).  And so, sin, the very thing that the law judges, has ironically become the means by which Paul has  learnt the terrible holiness of God and righteousness of the law.

When the holy law truly finds you, it kills you.  This shows the holiness, righteousness and goodness of the law (7:12).   

[ NB. 7: 7-12 is written in the past tense]

SIN

In 7:13-25 Paul now speaks in the present tense as he relates to the reality of his experience of sin. 

Some have held that Paul is speaking here as an unconverted man. 

Others think that he was thinking here of his conviction of sin, prior to his conversion.  

Others suggest that he is speaking here as an immature believer at the beginning of his Christian experience. 

People generally find it hard to believe that Paul could confess to having a struggle with sin. But we have every reason to believe that this refers to Paul’s experience as a mature believer.  The truth is this: the closer we get to Jesus the more we begin to understand the sinfulness of sin.    

Let’s see how he does this:

7:13 Is the law then bad? And does it really kill me? No, NEVER! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good (i.e. the law)  in order that sin might shown to be sin, and through the commandment (law) might become sinful beyond measure.  If anything, the knowledge of the law actually heightens the sense of sin. 

 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold under sin. The law of God is spiritual, meaning that the law is of divine origin.  It is a reflection of God’s character.  By way of contrast, “I am of the flesh, sold under sin“.  

Paul is not speaking here out of his pre- converted state. 

He wasn’t talking as an immature believer. 

He was stating a fact about Christian experience.  Two things are true about Paul and every believer :  

(i) We have died to sin and we have been raised to newness in Christ (Rom 6:4). We are justified.  

(ii)  But  we  do still struggle with sin. This is a part of our reality. We still have a sinful nature,  which is being sanctified progressively. 

STRUGGLE

7:15:  "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I am doing the very things that I hate."  He struggles to understand himself. His actions are not always in accordance with his new nature  (6:4). And he hates it.

7:16  "Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good."  His conscience tells him that every time he sins, he agrees with the law. The law is good. It is always right.  

7:17 "So now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”   Paul is not making excuses.  He is not saying,” the devil made me do it."   What is he saying?  He is simply owning up to the fact that he is capable of sinning. Remember the position from which he speaks – he is a new creation in Jesus Christ - Rom 6.   His   sinful nature does not define him. It is not His identity.  But the fact that he still sins does exist.

7: 18,19 : "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that I, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do that which is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."  Again, an affirmation of what he has said before.  

He knows what he is by nature- raised with Christ from the dead. 

He knows what he does not want to be. 

He hates sin! 

He is deeply sensitive to it.   

That is the difference between a Christian and a non- Christian.

7:20  is  a repetition of 7:17. "Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin  that dwells within me."  Sin for a Christian is a powerful reality  and  it is quite overwhelming at times, and while it may  overwhelm him at time, notice that  he  does not condone it. He does not say, “I am a victim”. He takes responsibility.  

And so he elaborates on this in 7: 21-23.   He delights in the law of God in his inner being; but he struggles with sin.  Here is a spiritual man wrestling. 

He has come face to face with the holiness of God in the face of the law. 

And he knows he has no human  answer  to his problem.

VICTORY

7:24.  All this leads him to an agonized cry, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"

He wants to be free from the presence of sin. 

The fact is that while we live in this broken sinful  body and in this broken, fallen, sinful  world we will never be free from the presence of sin.  This will only happen when we finally get to glory! 

And so, Paul cries out, "Wretched man that I am… who is going to help me". 

Is the law going to help me?  

No! The law, which is holy, righteous and good has no power to save! 

The knowledge of the law actually makes it worse. 

Who then will  deliver me from this  dilemma?  

The FINAL  answer is found in 7:25: "Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."  

The final answer to our salvation and our assurance is not found in law keeping and despairing ; it  is found  by resting completely  in  God’s grace through the finished  work of our Lord Jesus  on the cross.  

CONCLUSION

1.      Paul has been dealing with the subject of “freedom from the law” (7:1-6). 

2.      He has shown us that each believer has an ongoing struggle with remaining sin. Believers, including mature believers, still struggle with sin.

3.      If our freedom and our salvation and our assurance  depended upon the law, it would all end with “wretched man that I am”. The law is not the answer to the believer’s struggle with assurance.  Believers trapped in legalism always struggle with assurance, because they never know whether they are good enough!  A  believer needs  something  other than  the law in order to find assurance. 

Our text shows us VERY clearly that our only hope and assurance are found in Christ ALONE. 

We must rest on the work of Christ from first to last. 

When we rest in Him, there is true peace, true victory 

This text is so very valuable, because it helps us to understand   the nature of the gospel: It is free and it is  freeing! It is victorious !

The law cannot free us. Law, sin and struggle are a reality, but this is not where we end. We end  in victory when  we own  Christ's  merits  won  for us on the cross. 

Thank God for Christ in whose righteousness and merits I stand, and in whose perfect righteousness I shall be presented   before the Father in the day of His appearing.  This is the ultimate victory  I  need ! 

Amen

 

Ephesians 4:1-16 HOW FRUITFUL CHURCHES FUNCTION

 

At the beginning of 2026 we are looking at the subject of being fruitful. Today our subject is, “Being a fruitful church”.

We do this with the help of Ephesians 4:1-16.

We can learn much from Paul’s way of thinking and writing.  Foundationally solid thinking is required for practical living. A house is only as good as the foundations it is built upon.

Churches are only as good as the solid doctrine of the Word which they embrace.  Doctrine is to church life what the skeleton is to the human body.

Doctrine is fundamental to practice.

All of life illustrates this. You cannot be a doctor or nurse, a mechanic, a teacher without the relevant doctrine or training which undergirds each discipline. A pastor cannot be truly helpful in his preaching and counseling and pastoring without a solid, balanced knowledge of Scripture. The Word of God is as the richest of foods (Ps. 63:5), full of good nutrients. We must be fed from the whole counsel of Scripture. I am thankful for the profundity of the doctrine of salvation in the book of Romans, but I am equally thankful for the practical wisdom for living contained in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, the emphasis on God’s holiness in Leviticus, and the heavenly vision and triumph of God over evil in the Book of Revelation. Thank God for the book of Ephesians and its solid teaching on the nature and practice of the local church.

CONTEXT

In Ephesians 1 Paul tells us how it is that people become Christians.

In Ephesians 2&3 he shows that Christians are called to belong to the church- God's mystery (3:3,4,6,9). He shows us that this church consists of both, Jew and Gentile. Both are saved and reconciled to God in one way- Christ ALONE! His church is built upon one foundation. This church has one apostolic and prophetic word and one cornerstone - one Lord, who the Head of the church, which is His body (2:20). 

It is from Christ the true Vine (John 15:1-17) that the church derives her source of fruitfulness. 

Ephesians  4:1-16 describes the inner workings of a fruitful church:

• Unity (4:1-3)
• Trinity (4:4-6)
•   Ability  (4:7 -11)
•    Maturity  (4:12-16)

 1.      UNITY (4:1-3)

 A fruitful church is a church where unity is a reality.  

We are called to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  We do not have to create unity. It has been provided through the shed blood of Christ (2:13). It is applied by the Holy Spirit. We are called to maintain that unity.  Look at the text: “live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called“ (4:1). The underlying graces which produce a church’s unity are  humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to (make every effort) maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace“(4:3). These are  the  fruit of the Spirit  (Gal. 5:22,23). 

The church consists of born again members of Christ which are rooted in Christ, and if rooted in Christ then this church will bear fruit! Good fruit can only come from a good root.  You must be born again in order   to be able to produce fruit in keeping with your repentance.  All those that are born again, share a similar heritage  and the outcome of this is UNITY.

No wonder that Satan works so hard to sow discord, and to introduce  wolves in sheep’s clothing into the flock  (Eph.  6:10-20). Disunity makes a church fruitless.

 2.      TRINITY  (4:4-6)

 A fruitful Church is driven by the Tri-une God

 “There is one body and one Spirit -just as you were called to one hope  when you were called –one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

The key word “one” (implying unity) is used 7 times in 4:4-6.  The theme of the letter to the Ephesians is in a sense all about this unity. This unity is rooted in the work of the  Trinity, the Holy Spirit (4:4); the Lord Jesus (4:5) and God our Father (4:6).

God has formed the members of the church into one body by the means of  one faith, one hope, one baptism – ALL THIS because there is only one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

The Trinity is central to the church’s existence and fruitfulness. 

The true church proceeds from God.  We must say this because it is possible for churches to not work from this basis, but from the basis of mere human strength and ingenuity.  They are fruitless. They are Satan’s imitations. As such there are many churches that are not Christ-centered, God-centered and not Spirit directed.

It is essential that the church must be made up of those called by God the Father, saved by the blood of Christ, and called to life by the Holy Spirit, into one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, in order for her to be fruitful.

3.      ABILITY – GIFTEDNESS  (4:7-11)

Fruitful churches  are driven by spiritual gifts

Fruitfulness is obtained through the exercise of spiritually gifted members. In this regard we note that …

• All believers are gifted (4:7a): “But grace was given to each of us …”. The ‘grace’ (Gr. charis) is given by Christ through the outpoured Spirit at Pentecost. It is this grace which we must  extend to each other in the body of Christ – FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING ONE ANOTHER UP. Gifts are not given to play with; they are tools to build with. And if they are not used in love, they become weapons to fight with, as had in fact happened to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12-14). We are saved to serve our God and our people with our gifts.  Spiritual gifts are meant to bring spiritual blessing, and if spiritual blessing, then  spiritual fruitfulness.  
• Believers are gifted in differing degrees (4:7b)“according to the measure of Christ’s gift”[1]. This indicates that Christ gives each believer measured (Gk. ‘metron’) grace.  This is often not understood. All Christian people receive gifts, but all do not receive the same gifts, and neither do all receive them with the same intensity. Our different giftedness is due to an enablement by Christ.  He knows what is good and needed in each body of believers in order to make that body fruitful in terms of giving visibility to the fruit of the Spirit.
• Christ is the Giver of the gifts (4:8-10). This fact is substantiated by an interesting quotation from Ps 68:18. This is a call/prayer to God to come to the rescue of His people as in the days of old. David remembers how God went in triumph before His people after the Exodus (v.7) so that Mt Sinai trembled (v.8) and kings were scattered (vv. 11-14). Then, the king who wanted Mt Zion as his residence (v.16), came from Sinai to his chosen holy place (His sanctuary) (v.17).As he ascended   towards Mt Zion  as the conquering King, he led captives and the spoils of war in his entourage. Along the way he generously distributed the gifts (the spoils of war) to the residents of Mt Zion/ Jerusalem. Paul applies this picture to Christ. Christ had descended to this sinful earth to die for our sins, rising up from the grave, triumphing over the power of death, delivering His people from spiritual exile and  under Satan’s dominion.  Christ not only triumphs over death (Satan’s trump card), but He also plunders Satan’s kingdom, robbing him of   many of his “sin slaves“, redeeming them to be His own people. Then He ascends   to His glorious throne - the spiritual Mt. Zion, with all His captives for His kingdom, sharing the spoils of that battle won against Satan, by dispensing these former ‘sin slaves’, as His gifts to His church. These gifts from God come to us in the form of people, whom the heavenly King uses to bless His church - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor- teachers.  
• Christ has given us foundational gifts to build up the church (4:11-12) This list represents the foundational graces for the  church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. I cannot say much about this now. However, since there is  so much controversy about apostles and prophets in our own day, we have to briefly clarify this. In Eph. 2:19,20 the offices of apostles and prophets are regarded as ‘foundational’ in the church. Foundations do not need to be built continually. We do not need new or more apostles and prophets any more than we need a new Lord Jesus.  The ministry of apostles and prophets in particular is maintained by the faithful preaching of the prophetic and apostolic word.

In summary:  these foundational gifts are essential  for the ongoing fruitfulness of the church

 4.      MATURITY (4:12-16)

The most fruitful church is a mature church

We are now coming to our concluding thought. Why does the church need this unity? Why is the  presence  and enablement  of the Holy Trinity essential?  Why does the church need spiritual gifts?

The answer is given in 4:12-16:  to equip the saints for the work for ministry, for building to build them up…  

All these foundational ministries  are  very important  to the church’s  existence and unity  since through these ministries  God’s people  are prepared  and   perfected   and  equipped- they are made fruitful.

• The word for “preparing /perfecting/ equipping“ is  the Greek word  “katartizo“.  It means ‘fixing something that's broken’ (e.g. torn nets in Matt. 4:21).
•   It can also mean ‘to supply something that is lacking’ (as in 1 Thess. 3:10, "We desire to supply, or equip, what is lacking in your faith"). The work of these foundational ministries is to repair what is broken and to supply what is lacking in and among the believers, who are, in the final analysis called "for the work of ministry".  The fixing and supplying what is lacking is meant to make the saints into fruitful servants.  

And the goal is maturity (5:13). The final exhibition of fruitfulness is mature / ripe fruit. That means, …

•       Being Christlike believers
•       Not immature, tossed about  by every wind of doctrine
•       Speaking the truth in love
•       Growing up in Him – our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ
•     Growing into a body built up in love – the supreme mark of the church 

Do you see what Paul sees? The body of Christ on earth is in one sense perfect already in God’s sight, because He knows what she is finally going to be. On the other hand  she is not yet a perfect entity, but she works for perfection. Right now she is work in progress. And the more she is rooted in sound doctrine, and led by foundational gifts, rooted in the work of the Trinity and the more unity she shows  among her members the  more effective she will be as she  fights this  spiritual war, taking  captives from Satan for Christ’s glory. 

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[1] See also Romans 12:6