Christ is Head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22). As the Head over all things to the church, He makes all things work together for the producing and building up of the church. In His ascension, Christ was not only made the Lord of all and the Christ of God, but also given to be the Head over all things to the church, that all things may be subjected to and headed up in Him (Eph. 1:10) through the building up of the church which is His Body, the fullness of Him, the One who fills all in all (Eph. 1:23), for the eternal expression of the Triune God, the Father embodied in the Son, the Son realized as the Spirit, and the Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the Trinity expressed through all of God’s chosen, redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified saints.
As the Head of the Body, Christ in His heavenly ministry is perfecting His members by giving them growth in life for the building up of His Body (Eph. 4:12, 15-16). This is the finest work Christ is doing in His heavenly ministry. By His sovereignty He brings us together for the accomplishment of the divine economy. Now He is doing a very fine work to perfect us by giving us growth in life. This growth is for the sake of the Body, the church. Through the growth of life we shall arrive at a full-grown man and at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The fullness of Christ is the Body of Christ, His expression.
Ephesians 4:15 speaks of growing up “into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ.” Here we see that we should grow up into Christ, not grow up into ourselves or into anything apart from Christ. Furthermore, this verse clearly says that we are to grow up into the One who is the Head. This indicates that our growth must be in the Body. In order to grow into the Head, we must surely be in the Body. It is of great significance that Ephesians 4:15 speaks not of growing into the Savior or into the Lord but into the Head. This growth can take place only in the Body.
Ephesians 4:15 says that we must grow into the Head in all things. As the members of the Body are perfected through the ministry of Christ, they will grow up into Him in particular matters. We have Christ within us, but in many matters we are still in the self. Hence, we need the growth that will bring us out of ourselves and into Christ. This can take place only through the ministry of Christ.
In Ephesians 4:16 Paul goes on to say, “Out from whom all the Body, fitted and knit together through every joint of the supply, according to the operation in measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.” Our growth in life is to grow into the Head, Christ, but our function in the Body is to function out from Him. First we grow up into the Head. Then we have something which is out from the Head.
Ephesians 4:16 indicates that growth is not for individuals but for the Body. Any growth that is not for the Body is not genuine. The words “each one part” refer to every member of the Body. Every member of the Body of Christ has its measure, and this measure works for the growth of the Body. The Body causes the growth of itself through the supplying joints and working parts. Both the joints of the supply and every single part with its measure are needed for the church to build itself up. The growth of the Body is the increase of Christ in the church. This results in the Body building itself up.
Ephesians 4:16 tells us that all the Body causes the growth of the Body. This means that the Body grows by the Body itself. The Body makes the growth of the Body. For this reason, Christ, the Head of the Body, gives the growth in life to the members so that they may be perfected for the building up of the Body.
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