DIVERSITY. Ephesians 4:7-16 As the Ephesian believers would have heard this letter read to them, they probably wondered where each of them would fit in to meet the needs of the body. "Where do I fit in this work? I can't do what that other person does." Paul made clear to them, and to us, that we all have been gifted by God's grace to do and be what He intends. No two believers are exactly the same because God has made us to be what He wants. We are all different, with different roles to fill in the body. Unity doesn’t happen by itself; it’s a challenge we must work to achieve.
Diversity is a wonderful thing when all parts work together in harmony. Differences don't mean we have to divide over them. It's part of our responsibility to ensure cooperation despite differences. A body functions best when each part can fulfill its unique role. There are millions of parts in a human body, but it won't work properly if even one small blood vessel bursts in the brain. A stroke, blindness, heart failure, and many other problems can occur when an unknown part fails to do its part for the benefit of the whole body. That principle applies to the body of Christ. Each believer has an assigned role, and it is important that I fulfill my role.
There are seven things that already exist which form the basis of the unity of believers. The focus should be on the fact of “oneness” rather than on what divides us. “Oneness” does not diminish individuality but makes us aware of how we fit within the whole. These are spiritual realities, not organizational or physical structures. “One Body” is already a fact; we do not create it because it has been in existence since Pentecost. The key point is that the body functions properly when all members submit to the Head, Jesus Christ our Lord. Together, we can accomplish more than we ever could alone. Confusion arises when members of the body seek to please themselves.
“One Spirit” has placed every born-again believer in the body of Christ. Even though everyone is different, the Spirit of God has “baptized” (immersed) us into the body. He also gives gifts and is delegated to see that believers use their gifts to do the work of the Lord under His guidance and in harmony and submission to God's will.
“One Hope” pertains to the calling of believers that will be fulfilled when Christ returns for the church. That will happen when we are fully transformed into His likeness. During times of loss, sorrow, and discouragement, believers are united as they remember the promise of the Lord to return for His church, and we will be changed into what God intended when He saved us.
“One Lord” unites God’s people under His authority, who holds the preeminence in all things. He alone is Lord—there is no other. The Lord has full authority; “all power” in heaven and earth belongs to Him. The time will come when every person will confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
“One Faith” refers to the body of truth about our Lord Jesus Christ that we apply to ourselves and our lives. All who have come to God by faith in Jesus Christ have been redeemed by Christ alone and are united when they put their faith in Him to live for Him, as revealed in the scriptures.
“One Baptism” refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in immersing a believer into the body of Christ, which they demonstrate through believers’ baptism in water. “One God and Father” is the spiritual Father of those who trust in Christ. It is then they enter a spiritual family relationship with the heavenly Father.
There was a prophecy in Psalm 68 that the Christ, the Jews were expecting, would ascend into heaven from earth, and when He did, He would give gifts to men. This is the depiction of a victorious general in a victory parade coming home from battle and passing out the spoils of war to the troops under his command. "He gave gifts to, 'in,' men." The men were the gifts. Christ has apportioned to us what He intends us to have. Before He ascended, He came here to earth "found in fashion as a man." Before He ascended back to heaven, "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him..."
It was here on earth that He "conquered those who conquered us." His defeat of sin, Satan, and death on the cross has made Him a unique Victor who can never be copied. His incarnation and substitution, followed by His resurrection, are not replicable by anything man can do. But in men who are in the flesh, a spiritual birth occurs when we personally accept all that Christ has done for us. Our new life in Christ is entirely because of what He did for each saint. Now, this diverse group of people has been unified into one body with Christ as the Head.
His ascension into heaven as the Mighty Conqueror has occurred. The Victorious General is now bestowing gifts to "His troops" to help strengthen His kingdom and bring others into it. The Conqueror is "His Majesty" who is now in heaven. He possesses a glory from within Himself, and that glory was enhanced by His actions while He was here. Additionally, there is glory from redeemed people who are able to "glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." More glory is added when His "glorious Gospel" is preached and others are saved from sin and the coming wrath. The Lord Jesus Christ is also the Supreme Authority who "fills all things." Nothing in the universe exists outside the scope of His authority. He, the universal Judge of all things and the Throne-Sitter, will be properly honored when "every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
From the ascended Christ, a wide variety of gifts has been given to continue the work He began when establishing the church. The gifts He provided include people who meet the needs of others. The purpose of these gifts is to train and equip all believers to serve others and care for themselves. “Perfecting” involves making people strong in faith, well-equipped, and prepared to build up other believers. The church as a body and a building highlights the need for ongoing growth and strength. This work should continue until the Lord returns for His people. All believers are responsible for expressing the unity and diversity found in Christ’s body.
The gifts listed here are not God-given abilities mentioned in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. Instead, they refer to living persons, each with different gifts. These persons are given by the Lord Jesus Christ to the entire body of believers. These gifts are not limited to use within the local church. The apostles and prophets were gifts to the church at its founding. Foundational doctrines and the ability to explain them were given to those who had seen the risen Lord. These gifts began when He gave the commission to the apostles who had been with Him and saw Him physically after His resurrection. Paul saw Him later on the road to Damascus and was the last of the apostles to see Him.
Along with these men were New Testament prophets who received revelations from the Holy Spirit. They spoke the Word of God to the new believers who formed the church. Now that we have the complete Word of God, apostles and prophets have finished their foundational ministry, which the Lord gave them to accomplish. Evangelists are gifts meant to proclaim the good news of salvation by grace, and their ministry effectively reaches lost souls and brings them to Christ. Pastors and shepherds are similar; they tend to the needs of God’s people through comfort and encouragement, and they build them up in their faith by teaching and applying God’s Word as a guide for Christian living.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave the gifts to achieve His purposes through His grace, which has been shown to produce the growth necessary to bring the church to maturity. These diverse gifts were given to equip and to "perfect" the believers, so they might be built up into a serving, unified, maturing, fully functional body that is conformed to be like Christ. The Lord wants the saints to be well fitted out with the goal of fulfilling the work of the church. When that is accomplished, the church will be edified itself and prepared to do any work in which Christ will be glorified.
There are dangers to be aware of that can be avoided through the proper use of these leadership gifts. Immaturity is an ongoing issue because new believers are added to the church daily. Children are expected to be children for a time, but not to remain childish; "be no more children." Instability is a problem that must be guarded against. It causes uncertainty and raises questions that stem from human feelings rather than solid faith based on scriptural truth. "Every wind of doctrine" is not trustworthy teaching. Changes are often made when people say, "I am not comfortable with that." Speaking the truth is not too complicated if a mature person is willing to do so. However, speaking the truth in love is not always easy or convenient.
People have become accustomed to acting on their feelings in nearly every aspect of life rather than taking time to reflect. Thinking rooted in sound doctrine overcomes instability. There are also deceivers who come among God's people and appeal to immature, gullible believers. These believers need to be strengthened by leaders who speak the truth of God. Despite false teachers and false doctrine, we should not become overly focused on what is wrong or on analyzing others' actions. People may accomplish wonderful things, but our responsibility is to do what God directs and to leave the handling of others to the Head of the body.
Spiritual growth comes from communicating truth consistently and in a Christ-like way where love is evident. Believers need to be committed to speaking the truth in love so that whether the truth hurts or comforts, love is clearly shown. Not everything that must be said is pleasant, but when the spirit in which truth is given is right, the results will lead to saints growing in grace and faith in Christ. Applying truth with understanding will influence all the actions of the body in relation to Christ. Evidence of growth that comes from Christ will unify the parts of the body that are next to each other, so they will be "fitly joined" in one and work as one. These individuals working as one body are effective as each part fulfills its role. In this way, the body can build itself up in love. This leads to increasing growth as each part is concerned with effectively working in the sphere of service in which we are called. This will continue worldwide until the church is complete and the Lord returns.
Alone, we are weak and powerless to do what is right and proper or to become what God intended. Everything necessary is missing in a person by themselves. Solitary power is fragile and unable to sense the emptiness—the vacancies that surround us. Frustration is everywhere when our needs are not met, and expectations await fulfillment from some deep well or unseen, great power. What are we seeking to fill the void so deep and overwhelming? Is God not interested? Are there not resources in His heavenly arsenal to meet such needs? Unseen forces—where are the armies that can charge through the ranks arrayed against us? Isn’t this a place where instant help is called for and needed immediately, here and now?
Please come and deliver us so that this tower of hope and refuge does not fall. Do not delay. Come to our aid and supply something fitting or someone strong and mighty. Please, hear our SOS, our signal of distress, our white flag is near. These are the thoughts of a child of God who tries to “go it alone.”
If I read and observe where I should have been looking all along and right at hand, I realize the need is already fulfilled; I have merely been seeing the sights and sounds that induce fear. From the beginning, all that is needed is provided by the captain of our salvation. They are learned from Him, the Source, the Alpha, the Beginning – the Son of God. The foundation is laid and remains unshaken, unmovable by man or principalities or powers. It is exactly as it should be, and as each layer is added, the completion approaches.
It started small, in hearts filled with fear but strengthened by divine power given to ordinary people. It grew as each role was filled according to God's plan: the messengers who saw Him form the foundation. Then, right behind them, came those with a vision for what needed to be done. After that, came those who recognize basic needs. They are men whose eyes are anointed with heavenly eye-salve. Care is provided and lessons are learned by those who follow the orderly and right path. There is a specific order here – a plan laid out to follow.
I see that what is needed is already in place: supplied and intended to meet the need. Each gifted person is arranged and directed by the One who knows the need. Walking, talking gifts, working quietly at times and often overlooked and unappreciated. Each one moves through their appointed “times” with hands guided as the Head impresses upon the fleshy hearts that care, feel, and sometimes cry. I can sense that “perfection” does not come alone, but with each one who fits and fills the role given to them.