The Daily Word of Righteousness

Justice for the Nations, #5

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4;13)

Four Goals of the Functioning of the Gifts and Ministries of the Body of Christ

There are four goals to be accomplished if we are to grow to maturity as measured by the full stature of Christ.

The unity of the faith.

The knowledge of the Son of God.

The moral image of Christ.

Untroubled rest in Christ in the Father.

The unity of the faith. The unity of the faith has nothing to do with our belief in doctrine—that we all believe the same theology. The unity of the faith refers to our daily growth in faith in Jesus Christ. The unity of the faith is found in how we make our decisions. Do we make each decision by looking to the Lord or do we plunge ahead according to our own lusts and fancies?

Jesus Christ did nothing except what He saw the Father do. We must learn to make our decisions in the same manner. We must be perfectly responsive to the Head. Every member of the Body of Christ must learn to be perfectly responsive to the Head. When this is true, the Head, Christ, is in perfect control of each member of the Body.

Until each of us is making every decision according to the will of Christ, the Body is suffering from a neurologic disorder. The parts of the Body are not in perfect harmony with the Brain.

The knowledge of the Son of God. We know a little of Christ when we are first saved. But as we follow Him closely each day He expands in our consciousness until He fills all in all. He is greater than all the galaxies. The riches of Christ are profound beyond imagination. After more than sixty years as an earnest believer the present writer is aware of knowing hardly anything of Christ. But we are pressing forward. "That I may know Him!"

The moral image of Christ. Each son of God has been predestined to be in the moral image of Christ. In order for this to be true the worldliness, lust, and self-will must be driven from us by the fires of God's judgment. Also, Christ must be formed in us.

We are destined to be the eternal tabernacle of God and Christ. However, God and Christ will never dwell in Adam. We must have Christ formed in us before we are a suitable tabernacle for the Father and the Son.

Untroubled rest in Christ in the Father. Of enormous importance is our entrance into the rest of God. We must be in perfect union with Christ in God if we are to be part of the Servant of the Lord, if we are to bring justice to the nations of the world.

The salvation and Pentecostal experiences lay the groundwork for our entrance into the Kingdom of God. But it is evident that if present-day Christians appeared with Christ they would not bring justice to the nations. They would in many instances seek their own glory or cower in fright when they were resisted. No, we are not ready to be resurrected and caught up to the Commander in Chief.

To be continued.