In Harmony + No Longer Children

We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the crafty presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16) 

Two thoughts here to start our week. Many of you have heard me reference this before, but, to the point of harmony, I want you to read the very best thing I’ve ever seen on the subject. A.W. Tozer, in The Pursuit of God, writes: 

‘Someone may fear that we are magnifying private religion out of all proportion, that the “us” of the New Testament is being displaced by a selfish “I.” Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.’ 

Yes! As you and I are bringing our every day’s gaze unto the face of Jesus, we become a “harmonious structure knit together.” The members all answer to the one “Head,” Jesus himself.

Then something else you, perhaps, heard me reference before. When I think about the difference between continuing to be spiritual “children at the mercy of every chance wind” versus those who are “coming into their own” (Rom. 8:19), I think of a simple thing one of my dear friends said to me 10 or 12 years ago, while we were having breakfast. I asked him: How do you describe the difference between spiritual maturity and just staying stuck where we are? And he quite quickly replied: 

“On the day of a battle, a young child in the household will be hidden away in a cupboard, for his safekeeping; a full-grown son will be told to go get his armor.” 

Yes! Friends, let us “hold firmly to the truth in love,” ever growing up, every attaining to our Lord, ever after our “full maturity in love.” Let us want to learn to learn to BE HIM! To make ourselves as FULLY AVAILABLE to this world as He Himself always was!