Robert E Rasmussen.com

Several readers are expressing to me that the shelter in place order is losing its novelty! It is as if our society is changing gears for a longer journey than previously realized. And some gears are grinding!

In our study of Ephesians, Paul now gets very practical and specific. In some ways, I find this passage frustrating right now, because I feel my capacity for kindness and discipline is diminishing. I desire encouragement, not exhortation.  But I have to be honest with Paul’s letter. And I call to mind that the brother is writing from prison!

So let’s open our minds to what the Holy Spirit has for us today in these paragraphs (Ephesians 4:17-32). Paul again uses walking as the image of living righteously.

Our text clarifies that if we are ever going to walk in a new way, we must stop walking the old way.

Out With the Old Wardrobe

The passage gives us this picture. You go to the doctor for a full physical exam. You first remove your worn out clothing and set it all aside:

“that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph.4:22).

With the disposal of that old clothing, you also stop walking in your former lifestyle. There is a lot of putting off to do (mostly having to do with your words):

• put away lying (4:25)
• don’t sin when feeling anger (4:26)
• give no place to the devil (4:27)
• steal no longer (4:28)
• no corrupt words (4:29)
• don’t grieve the Holy Spirit (4:30)
• put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice (4:31)

Many times we are surrounded by one or more people who still wear these old corrupt clothes. Their vocabulary, prejudices, dishonesty, and critical spirit can affect us. Some marriages or friendships are debilitating when we don’t realize the other person emanates uncleanness or greediness. Thinking we are showing patience and love, we may tolerate words which tear down. Bad company corrupts good morals. It is vital that we tend to our own souls and make sure we are not partnering with darkness.

In With the New Wardrobe

Continuing our analogy, your physical exam has checked many indicators of well-being. Some lingering problems have surfaced. So the doctor prescribes a new way to live and walk. He issues you a new set of clothes.

“be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:23-24).

What does the new wardrobe look like? Paul writes:

• speak truth with your neighbor (4:25)
• labor, doing good work, so you have something to give one in need (4:28)
• use words good for edification, imparting grace to the hearer
• be kind to one another, tenderhearted
• forgive one another, as you have been forgiven

How are these new items of clothing looking on me during Covid-19?

Many people go to a doctor to fix a problem, but then ignore his advice to change behavior which improves health. For example, we’ll get a pill for high blood pressure but fail to eat healthily and exercise.

In our walk with Jesus, we can eliminate old behavior but fail to practice new ways. Here is a brief check-up to consider:

• When you earn money, do you look forward to sharing?
• How have you intentionally built others up with your words?
• How have you expressed forgiveness to others recently?
• Who would say that you are a genuinely kind person?

If there are some practical exhortations from this passage which need some attention, choose one to bring to the Lord in prayer. Sit with the issue, or situation, and ask the Lord to show you what He would want you to do about it.

These days a lot of people are learning to walk:

• toddlers are wobbling
• people are mending after surgeries
• those recovering from various weakening diseases or injuries

With the current shelter in place situation, many people are taking time to walk for exercise and sanity!

We are learning from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that the body of Christ is also learning to walkout our faith, being equipped by five kinds of “physical therapists” — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. 

What does the Head of the body desire that all this equipping will produce? Let me capture it in three characteristics of church health.

1. FULL GROWN.  We have already seen that Christ is the fullness of all things, and that the church is the fullness of Him (Eph. 1:22-23). So Paul says that our destiny is to measure up to the full maturity and beauty of Christ:

“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph.4:13).

I struggle to imagine myself as being full of Christ. I think I would surely explode! The soul of the living Son of God would decimate my human soul. But I must still ask myself:
>>What are the practices that expand my knowledge of Christ and increase my likeness of Him?
>>And, who am I equipping to stand taller in Christ-like maturity?

2. SURE-FOOTED.  My wife has started a small group Bible study in James. She just came into the room where I am writing to share an insight from her personal study this morning. The Word of God is equipping the women in her Bible study to discern what is true — exactly the thing Paul predicted,

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph.4:14).

There is a difference between reading over a passage and digging in and studying it. I know you know that.
>>What is your regular practice of studying God’s Word for yourself?
>>Who are you equipping in being sure-footed doctrinally?
(This post is starting to really convict me).

3. COORDINATED AND FIT. (OK so that’s two)   Picture an Olympic figure skater perfectly circling the rink and flawlessly twirling with joy. Every part of her body is getting direction from her brain. Her nervous system, her muscular system, her pulmonary system — every muscle and tendon play a part in executing her routine.

The body of Christ is being equipped for just such a wonder:

“but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph.4:15-16).

Jesus loves His body. In a following paragraph, Paul will describe a mystery in which Christ “nourishes and cherishes” His body, the Church (5:29). His body is beautiful in its synchronization. The Head perfectly controls every part. There are no limp limbs, no paralysis, no amputations. At least that is the full image Christ desires.

The Head of the church is altogether true. And so, in community where Christ reigns, we speak the truth in love.
>>The healthy body speaks truth, but not without love.
>>The healthy body loves, but not without truth.

Everybody wants to improve the church. Change it. Correct it. Shape it. How about a bit of preening in front of a mirror and admiring her beauty for a change?

>>What coordination do you observe in your church?
>>What parts of the body are fit and beautiful to watch?

Because we are all in one body, we each have something we need from others.
Because we are all in one body, we each have something we owe to one another.

Lord, this is a year to pause and reset my place in your body.
I’ve had certain thoughts about it. Criticisms of the church.
But there is so much beauty going on in the church.
As you see me, how do you want me to contribute?
How would you like me to help the body grow up into the full stature of Your fullness?

The restrictions of Covid-19 are opening our eyes to see in a fresh way how the church actually grows. Services are cancelled, gatherings are held by Zoom, yet the Church is adapting and functioning. How?

If there is one key to understanding the Church, it is that it is a living organism, connected to Christ for its existence. The body of Christ has systems which help all the parts thrive. Here’s how it work.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph.4:11-12).

Recent teachings on this passage have entitled these roles ‘the five-fold ministry.” The concept is that ideally every local church should have people filling these roles or functions (with my definitions):

Apostle — one sent to launch and extend into new works
Prophet — one who boldly speaks truth from God
Evangelist — one who announces the gospel
Pastor — one who shepherds God’s people
Teacher — one who explains the Scriptures and corrects falsehood

Clearly, each of these functions is important in establishing and maturing churches. It’s good to remember that the giver of these ministries is Christ (“And He Himself gave…. v.11).

A key question for any local body, or any fellowship of churches should be, Who are the people whom Jesus seems to have given us to grow us up in maturity?

Let’s not forget Christ’s intent. These are not five superstar experts who perform better than all others. In fact, super performers are usually the worst equippers. True equippers are often in the background, where they resource, empower, and release others for a life-time of fruitful ministry.

Performers gather large crowds. Equippers build up the body by helping many others excel.

Instead of handing out titles and budgets, remember that these functions constitute a living system in the organism, the one new man with Christ as head and the church His body. The church thrives when all the saints are being equipped to minister in one or more of these five areas.

If you are an experienced believer, you should be equipping others. What does equipping look like? The Greek word (katartismon) has this range of meaning:
1. Mend, or repair.  (In Mark 1:19 it refers to mending fish nets; In Gal.6:1 it speaks of restoring the one caught in sin)
2. Render fit or complete (cp. 1 Peter 5:10 “perfect,” and 1 Cor.1:10 “joined together in the same mind”)

All equipping is to result in “edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). It is interesting that just as Jesus was a builder, now His church is to be built up (the Gk word, oikodomen, translated “edification,” comes from the realm of home construction).

Have you noticed how much of this system depends on facilities and formal worship services? Did you see anything in the text about the necessity of outstanding national leaders, fair taxation, and efficient health care?

The beauty of the organic nature of the church is that it is thriving today in high-rises, slums, and “underground.” Its even working in many suburbs!

My point is not that budgets and bylaws are wrong. But let’s not forget what actually helps the body of Christ grow according to God’s design.

I had a seminary professor who always encouraged mentoring. He often asked us, “Men, where are the men you are mentoring?”

If you are reading this, you are not a baby Christian. So I would pose these questions for our reflection: 

• Who are you equipping?
• What kind of conversations and vocabulary feed the equipping system of the body?
• What styles of teaching the Word enhance equipping? Which detract?
• How are our children being equipped? Our teens?  In our homes?

Covid-19 has prompted many churches to stream their weekend worship services. This is an important step in both maintaining community with regular attenders as well as reaching a new audience. Church workers are laboring diligently to expand technological capacity. This is admirable and much appreciated!

However, the attention which is required to stream services has a troubling aspect to it. Church leaders are being drawn to ask (among other things), “How do we produce the best quality online experience?”

I have been writing of my conviction that Covid-19 trumpets the call to Jubilee 2020 — a year to pause, reflect, and make deep changes in personal and church life. The effort put into streaming services could distract us from seeing the opportunity to shift our energies to more important questions, such as, 

>>How would God want us to equip our congregants to extend friendships with their neighbors?
>>How can we help our members be the arms and words of Jesus to lonely and suffering people locally and globally?

As we improve our abilities in reaching out with technology, let’s use all these means to build the body of Christ according to God’s design. Which is what?
Experienced ministry leaders are given to the church,

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph.4:12a).

Fruitful ministry is ripe for harvest during this season.
Personally, we have seen more of our neighbors in the last two months than in the last two years.
>>Dads are biking with their kids.
>>Moms come pushing strollers around the block.

I tell you, we are having many conversations and learning many of our neighbors’ names simply because they are outside and have time. We are sitting intentionally in our front driveway to wave to neighbors as they walk or drive by. We stroll around the block and stop to talk.

We’ve posted this sign on our front lawn. An Arab woman and her daughter thanked us for the sign. She read it for us in her language, and had her daughter interpret!

Even though (understandably) no one joined us, our family sat and watched a Good Friday worship concert in our driveway.

These merely illustrate that we who know Christ have fresh opportunities to get out there with Jesus’ love. Let’s stream our services for the glory of God. But let’s ask the bigger questions of how to equip all the saints for the work of ministry.

Most of us don’t need much equipping. We know how to be neighborly. We just need intentionality in moving beyond our own needs and concerns.

Till next time,

Robert

P.S. About the sign, we got ours here.

As many times as I have studied this missionary newsletter from Paul, I nevertheless saw something new in this go-around. What surprises me is that a short paragraph I’ve passed over due to its difficulty is, I think, one key to understanding the letter and the grand theology behind it.

Please belt in and grab the safety bar

Paul, from prison, writes:
“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7).

That which Christ gives to each believer is immense. Ultimately, Christ Himself is the gift and He desires that His body (the church) know Him fully and grow up into His fullness (4:13). He continues:

“Therefore He [God] says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men” (4:8)

Take note. This is taken from Psalm 68:18, where King David recounts God’s victory in delivering Israel from captivity in Egypt. In that historical incident, two events occurred:

1. PLUNDER.  Egyptians surrendered to the Israelites all kinds of silver and gold (Exod.12:35,36).
2. VICTORY.  The Egyptian army was swallowed up in the Red Sea.

I believe David refers to #1 when he says, “You have received gifts among men” (Ps.68:18). This represents the spoils of war.

I think David then refers to #2 in saying, “You have led captivity captive.” This depicts victory over the enemy. The Egyptian captors became God’s captives and perished. This tragedy speaks of the hard truth that God does and will have vengeance on His wicked enemies who oppose Him.

Back to Paul

Our imprisoned apostle teaches us how to walk out our beliefs. Grace given by Christ to each one of us who believe will empower us to do this.

The source is the victory of Jesus Christ over His enemies through His sacrificial death on the cross. And as the Victor, He shares the spoils of war with us, His body and bride.

What are these gifts? The church that works together beautifully (which we will explore next time).

One more head-scratcher

David wrote, “When He ascended on high” (Ps.68:18). This takes us back to the Exodus story and refers to God dwelling up in Mt. Sinai where His holiness makes surrounding mountains jealous (Ps. 68/16)!

Now Paul applies this ascension in a New Covenant sense:

“(Now this, ‘He ascended’ — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things)” (Eph.4:9-10)

Wow, this is difficult.

The best I can make of this is that after crucifixion and before resurrection, Jesus’ soul descended into Hades (see Acts 2:27 and 31). Peter also seems to say that Jesus proclaimed the gospel to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:5-6).

I don’t know if this was to announce ultimate defeat of Satan and all his wicked allies, or whether this was a one-time retrospective proclamation to Old Testament people, even giving an opportunity to accept the good news of salvation, or both (any opinions or insights on this?).

What is clear is that Jesus fought the good fight and ascended far above all principalities and powers as the Victor (Eph. 1:20-21). From His victory, He brings grace-gifts to distribute to His own — “every spiritual blessing” in fact (chapter 1). The unfolding verses say that the spoils of victory include five ministries for the Church (next time).

And when we get to chapter six, we will see that the armor of God which brought the victory is a part of Christ’s gift to us, that we might share in His battle and win. The armor is beat up, but its accustomed to victory!

Do you see how this knotty paragraph sheds light on much of Ephesians?

Too much information, I know!

Here is a take-away for you. Jesus wants to share His victory with you and me (“each one of us”).   

• How have you see His generosity with you in recent days?
• How has He gifted your church?