As a college student, I worked the dish crew. Trays filled with dirty plates, glasses, and silverware would slowly make their way to the kitchen on a conveyor belt. Leftover food scraps and beverages were scattered everywhere. Those dishes may have been dirty at the beginning of the belt, but by the time they made it to the end of the line they were perfectly clean.

In Ephesians 4, Paul writes about the believers whom God has given to the church to equip “his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (vv. 11–12). These individuals equip the church so that it can fulfill its ministry. Through their ministry of leadership, evangelism, and teaching, the church is able to fulfill God’s purpose for the church and in the world.

We are not meant to live the Christian life alone. God has given us the Holy Spirit and the church to help us grow so we will “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (v. 13).

Paul warns us of what will happen if we do not mature in this way. We will be spiritual infants, “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (v. 14).

Church leaders must ask, “What type of Christians are we producing after they have gone through the ministry?” The goal, expressed by Paul, is to produce maturity. Christlikeness is the ultimate goal for every believer, which is achieved by means of the community of believers.

Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.