Edify the Church

 Eph.4:11,12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

As Christians, we are charged to spread the gospel of Jesus, and to share the grace of God to a lost world. It is the great commission given to us by Jesus before He ascended back to the Father. But, we have also been charged with edifying the church, the body of Christ to grow and learn to be more like Jesus. It is given to each one of us to ask God what we can do to help edify the church. It is not enough to just go to church and sing the hymns, lift our hands in praise, and soak in God’s presence. God calls each one of us to be a part of the ministry of building each other in Christ. The old days of looking out for self have been put away. God’s Spirit now pushes us forward to be partakers of this ministry. I believe that is why it is so important to be a part of a body of believers who are like-minded in heart and desire to live according to God’s word. Yes, the church is more than just a building or an organization, and the label on the church door is not so important as the label that God has stamped on our hearts. Edification, or the building up of faith and love, is not done in isolation. The Lord may call some to make the world their mission field, and spend their life sharing the good news, but their call is no greater than those He has called to serve in the local church to edify believers to live holy and learn to love. What this will look like is different for each of us. Find that calling, ask God, “What will you have me to do to help edify the body of Christ, the church.” 

Being a Saint

Ephesians 4:11, 12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The calling of God to ministry has more than one purpose. All are called to be a witness to a lost world without Christ, to let our light shine in a world that is full of darkness. But there is more to ministry than reaching the lost for Jesus. The ministry of edifying the body of Christ for the purpose of establish believers in the faith and sound doctrine. All that follow Christ are made saints of God. The ministry of perfecting the saints is to draw followers of Christ closer to God, to put their faith in Christ to practice, to live a life of holiness and godliness. Achieving the title of “Sainthood” in our day is reserved for those who have demonstrated a life set apart from the world and have manifested the love Christ in every aspect of their lives. In this sense, we all that are sanctified strive to be saints. Obtaining “Sainthood” is a life long process, but living a life of a saint is a daily choice to live a holy life.