14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,16 from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:14-16 New revised standard Version
Central in all of Paul’s writings is the work of Christ and the consequences of it. Paul preaches the gospel, the fullness of Christ, in order that the church, the people of God, will be built up and presented as perfect in Christ. There is so much that could be said and written about ‘the gospel’ but one thing that is clear from all New Testament writers is that Jesus is the fulfillment of all that God has promised in the Old Testament. So we see Paul referring in this passage to the mystery or secret that has been kept for ages and generations. That mystery or secret is Christ himself, the one who has been spoken of throughout the Old Testament but has now been revealed and made known. God’s salvation plan that had been foreshadowed in the Old Testament is now made plain in Jesus Christ. The glorious riches that we have in Christ are available for all, Jew and Gentile alike. We all can have Christ living in us when we accept salvation on God’s terms. And it is in this that we have our hope of glory. Christ living in us assures us that we are saved, that we are being made into Christ’s likeness and we are fully acceptable before the Lord Almighty. Only because of Christ are we invited to draw near and receive his blessing and to share in his glory. We have nothing in ourselves to boast about before God but Christ in us changes everything. Therefore Paul is unashamed to say his life work is about preaching Christ, to proclaim and to teach in order that people will presented perfect in Christ. Paul’s aim is that we know Christ, love Christ and live for Christ because Christ is in us. It is an ongoing relationship that sees us change and mature and become more like Jesus.
This ministry is dedicated to building up and encouraging believers, to proclaiming the gospel and teaching about Christ in order that the saints, all of us who put our faith in Christ, are perfected. We rejoice in the truth of Ephesians 2:10 ‘We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ and we seek to see Ephesians 4:14-16 worked out in our gatherings.
24 I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are things that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am accepting, in my body, my part of these things that must be suffered. 25 I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you, and that work is to tell fully the message of God. 26 This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God’s holy people. 27 God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory. 28 So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ.
Colossians 1:24-28 New Century Version