Ephesians 4:14

"So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men." Ephesians 4:14

If your study of Ephesians, so far, has convinced you that "growing in love" is the most important thing that Christ is looking for... "building you up - in love"... and "love reveals to God that you are in Christ", it is likely that you have dug into finding out what love is, or looks like... "what is God's definition of love"? If so, there in I Corinthians 13, you will have come across this, reference to being like a child as we see here in verse 14. The manifestation of God's love is the measure between spiritual immaturity and maturity! Listen to this verse...

"For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded). When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside." I Corinthians 13:9-11

Now, Paul is talking about our "Spiritual Maturity" being measured by our manifestation of love. We are reminded that you and I cannot produce this love, but that it is what moves freely From God, into each of us... filling us, actually... and then outward into the world around us. Back to our study verse... Paul is saying that by the time all the things he has told us about love's work in and upon us (up to this point), we should no longer be Spiritually Immature.

He say's we shouldn't be, "tossed to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine". On the surface, it seems hard to connect God's love in us to being tossed, but the secret that Religion is missing is that, "If the body were built-up in love - first", it's members "would" tithe... actually give generously - because love is not self-centered! If the body were built-up in love - first", it's members would not struggle with forgiveness - because love does not account for evil! Now, you and I know this, but getting this message "up" these entrenched ladders of church politicians is part of the battle. Not "our" battle, but the battle Christ has had with man since day one!

Tossed to and fro is the moving back and forth on the things of God, such as salvation - "if we had nothing to do with earning it... how can something we do make us lose it"? Or, divorce - "if we are free In Christ, why can't we re-marry"? The list goes on, BUT, the more we come into the knowledge of God's LOVE, the sooner these kind of floating issues become foundation stones. We learn that salvation is "set", and we stand on it solid. God's love takes us to the next question, reveals the truth and we stand on it too! Higher and higher we come into the fullness of God's love... Mature!

Finally, the "chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men", Paul is talking about is not a warning, like it is elsewhere in the bible... but, a FACT, which WE DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT, - "IF" WE ARE BUILT-UP IN LOVE. AMEN?

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 4:15 next time.

I love you.