The Twenty Seventh Sermon, the Seventh on the Fourth Chapter - Ephesians 4:15-16
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16
We have learned here that we must maintain the order God has established among us in order to make progress in God's school throughout our lives. Since God has not ordained anything superfluous, we must conclude that we will never achieve perfect learning while we live in this world. We will always need to continue learning, and we will not reach our destination until the end of our lives.
Recognizing that we have only scratched the surface of what we must attain and that our faith will always be somewhat weak, we should strive all the more to be strengthened and draw closer to God. In doing so, we will not resemble little children who waver and are swayed by every wind, lacking stability in their faith. By diligently seeking to learn from God's Word, we will be equipped to withstand the tricks of Satan and the deceit of wicked individuals.
Even though God may not bring us to perfection instantly, allowing us to remain somewhat feeble, we will always have a good remedy if we receive what He offers us and apply it wisely. The means to achieve this, as shown here, is to follow the truth and love one another. St. Paul seems to suggest that the knowledge of God and love for our neighbors should not be separated. He emphasizes this because our unity would not be as effective without Jesus Christ as the bond of our harmony, and it is grounded in God's Word.
St. Paul's intention here is to differentiate between us and the heathens and unbelievers. All would agree that chaos ensues among people when they behave like dogs and cats. Throughout history, across nations and among various cultures, it has been considered a fundamental principle that unity and agreement among people are valuable. Even those who did not understand true religion recognized the benefits of harmony and cooperation, although they often lacked a solid foundation for it.
Therefore, St. Paul begins with God's truth, suggesting that we should not only unite among ourselves but also let God lead us. We must obey Him and gather under Him, making Him our ruler. We must choose to stand together against the whole world rather than turning away from Him. The key point in this text is that God doesn't want us to come together without a purpose. He desires us to agree in worship and service to Him and to place our complete trust in His infinite goodness. Jesus Christ should be our head, and we should all be members of His Body through the power of faith.
Once we understand that we have a heavenly Father who has adopted us as His children and that Jesus Christ has taken on our flesh and substance, making us one with Him, we should be motivated to love one another, care for each other's salvation, and help one another to the best of our abilities, as granted by God. As it is said in the Psalm, the friendship of brothers is precious, and the Prophet likens it to the anointing oil poured upon the priests. This illustrates that living in peace and harmony with one another is a blessed thing.
The brotherhood that we intend to form must be consecrated and dedicated to God's name. Just as the anointing oil was poured over Aaron and his successors, it should symbolize that our unity is sanctioned by God. Otherwise, our fellowship may exist, but it will be cursed, and its ultimate end will only lead to confusion.
To lead a good life, we must ensure that our unity is grounded in truth. This warning is especially relevant today, as critics often accuse us of causing division and unrest in the world due to our efforts to seek truth and revive faith. In the past, there was no debate as everyone simply accepted the status quo. Now, to drive the devil out of his possession, we must diligently seek and follow the truth.
Unbelievers often resist God and cannot tolerate the truth. Their stubbornness and opposition to the truth have led to conflicts and religious wars. We desire that everyone should submit to God's Word and unify in faith. We seek a true unity based on the simplicity of the gospel. However, the papacy opposes these ideas and criticizes us. Our doctrine only aims to have unity in worship and following God's word while eliminating corruption in His service.
On the other hand, the papists cling to their errors and abominations, unwilling to give preeminence to Jesus Christ. They have stripped Jesus of His officers and distorted His saints, treating them as advocates who can obtain favor with God through their merits. Their doctrine is riddled with errors and superstitions, and they even oppose God Himself, attempting to eradicate the memory of Jesus Christ through violence and persecution.
What should we do in this case? There is no compromise with them, except by renouncing God's truth. We know the order taught to us here by the Holy Ghost. St. Paul could have simply said, "Agree, my friends," but he foresaw that this would be insufficient and that his doctrine could be misinterpreted. Therefore, he says, "Let us be united in the truth." We should be willing to forsake all worldly friendships and incur the anger of unbelievers and rebels against God rather than deviate one inch from the truth.
If we aim to have a harmonious agreement in the truth, none of us should be self-centered. Instead, we should seek the welfare and salvation of our neighbours. This is the harmony that should exist among us. We must be cautious about compromising with God's enemies, striving not to please them. While it is important to seek peace and unity with all people as much as possible, God's truth must always be upheld, and we must value it more than anything in the world. Those who seek to please creatures while turning away from God's truth will ultimately find themselves unhappy.
Therefore, let us remain steadfastly loyal to our God, placing ourselves under His yoke and not shrinking away in any way. Even if there is no one else to stand with us, we should defy the whole world if necessary. On the other hand, if we can win the world over to obedience and faith, we must make every effort to do so, avoiding the two extremes of offending God to gain favour with men and being proud and self-reliant, caring only for ourselves.
We must learn to combine these two inseparable aspects: yielding to God through obedience and faith, adhering to the pure simplicity of His Word, and at the same time, not despising our neighbours but striving to win them over to submit quietly to God. Through the Holy Spirit reigning in our hearts, both the great and the small among us can speak with one voice and share the knowledge that God is the author of our salvation and has adopted us into His household. This unity is essential because He is the God of peace.
Even if we are compelled to contend with the whole world, let us take comfort in knowing that the angels of heaven are our companions in cleaving to God. In these times, should we separate ourselves from the multitude of people who rely on their wealth, status, wisdom, and more? No, let us regard all of these worldly things as insignificant. Despite being called schismatics, we should consider ourselves content knowing that the angels of heaven, the holy patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, and the martyrs stand in agreement with us. God's chosen people throughout history are sufficient company. We can dismiss any accusations when we possess God's truth and the assurance that we are His children. God cannot deny Himself, and He will always be with His church, as long as she clings to His Word.
In the meantime, let us not forget to seek peace to the best of our abilities, as mentioned in the text from Romans that I cited earlier.
Therefore, let us not willfully separate ourselves from the world, but let us extend our arms to welcome all those who willingly submit to God's obedience. We should strive for unity and work towards it. The reason St. Paul tells us here that faith and obedience to God should not inflate our hearts with pride, causing us to reject others and become self-absorbed, is that we should follow the example of our Heavenly Father. He calls those who were far off and is ready to reconcile with His enemies.
Just as God showed this through our Lord Jesus Christ, providing us with an excellent model, we should also hold the doctrine of peace in our thoughts and hearts. We should make every effort to bring those separated from the Gospel into union with it. If those who were once staunch enemies of God now willingly come forward like lambs and sheep of the flock, we must be ready to receive them.
Let us bend ourselves to this task and not focus solely on our own interests. Since God has bound us together, each of us should employ our abilities and resources to draw our neighbours closer, forming one body where Jesus Christ reigns as our head. This is the reason why we must grow, for our life is a journey, and we must continue progressing.
We must not become like little children in understanding but continue to grow, recognising our weaknesses and seeking to improve. Our journey is ongoing, and it is not enough to start; we must keep making progress until our dying day. We must not deceive ourselves into thinking that we possess the power or understanding necessary for our salvation. Instead, we should consider how the Holy Spirit exhorts us to grow.
Lowliness must always accompany faith. The greater a person thinks themselves to be, the more they blind themselves to their need for God's instruction. Thus, we must continue to be like little ones, not in understanding, but in naughtiness. Recognising our weaknesses should encourage us to seek God continually and be zealous in His service, confirming ourselves in His Word.
This order should also motivate us to serve Him and strengthen our faith. Many are afflicted by sloth and apathy because they believe they are already sufficiently knowledgeable. To prevent God's gifts from fading away, we must remember that we need to continue growing. The Holy Spirit instructs us to grow under our Lord Jesus Christ, so He may rule over us. All, both great and small, must submit to Him.
Experience has shown that this lesson is not given in vain. Many seek personal renown and would rather bury our Lord Jesus Christ to elevate themselves. They mix Jesus Christ with so many superstitions that His true essence is obscured. In this way, Jesus Christ loses His preeminence. Among us, too, some desire fame to such an extent that Jesus Christ becomes insignificant to them. They neglect Him in their pursuit of recognition.
St. Paul teaches us that our growth must be in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is akin to John the Baptist's statement: "I must decrease, and He must increase." We must follow this example so that the excellence found in the Church continues to shine, while Jesus Christ remains our chief anchor. Stars may have their brightness, but the sun must shine above them. All must recognise that it is Jesus Christ who provides true light. Therefore, let our Lord Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, be regarded so highly that nothing can diminish Him or obscure our vision of Him. Our faith should focus solely on Him.
That is why St. Paul emphasizes that Jesus Christ must be our head, and we must grow in Him, resort to Him, and fix our minds upon Him. To illustrate this further, he adds that Jesus Christ is the One who knits the entire body together through its joints, providing it with sustenance and life according to each member's measure. When this is achieved, the body is wellproportioned. Without love reigning among us, there will be nothing but confusion. If greatness is present, it will be excessive, leading to a monstrous state rather than a natural body.
Now, in saying that our growth comes from Jesus Christ, that He is the source of the body's unity, and that He sustains our life, He shares our ingratitude. We fail to give Him the honour He deserves, for we do not acknowledge the greatness of the Son of God who gives us everything, yet we do not glorify Him as we ought. He does not demand recompense from us, nor is it necessary, but He seeks glory. Therefore, since we are so enriched by Him and yet deprive Him of His honour, we must be worse than devilish. Let us take note of what Paul aimed for and intended here: to reprove the world for its ingratitude and failure to give our Lord Jesus Christ the honour He deserves. He is not exalted among us, nor do we think of Him or place Him in supreme sovereignty, where all should pay Him homage.
With all this, we act almost foolishly when we fail to honour and exalt Jesus Christ as we should. For there is no man who does not naturally seek his own profit. Therefore, in forsaking Jesus Christ, we seem to have conspired to bring our own downfall, to be deprived of all His grace, and to become weak and decayed members. He is like the head of a man's body or the root of a tree, the source of our life and sustenance. Therefore, if the hands, feet, belly, stomach, legs, and all other members conspired to abandon the head, what would be the outcome? Or if they conspired to hide the head and tuck it into the belly so it cannot be seen? The entire body would suffer, just as it does when people diminish the glory and majesty of God's Son and fail to acknowledge His purpose, which is to provide all their well-being and salvation. It is as if they are attempting to put down their own head.
St. Paul tells us that there should be no unity in the body apart from that which comes from the head, from which everything originates. Veins distribute nourishment throughout the body, and sinews hold the bones together and allow them to move, but they all must be rooted in the head. So, if we disregard God and diminish the glory of His only Son, it will lead to our downfall. Jesus Christ can sustain us, but we will perish miserably, like rotting carrion, if He does not provide everything necessary for our life.
Thus, you see the importance of what Paul is teaching us here. Additionally, he emphasises that there is a certain measure for each member, and the provision comes from the head, nourishing the entire body. It is all in proportion. When he says "it is in measure," he means that the excellence we see here does not diminish the perfection in Jesus Christ. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, everything in man is imperfect, so we must turn to our Lord Jesus Christ, the only one who remains faultless and should not be mingled with other creatures.
The other reason is that the measure and portion present in every member does not have its own distinct source. For what could the hands do if they were not continually nourished and sustained by the head? The bond that holds us all together must necessarily come from there. Also, the natural heat and movement must come from the head, so much so that the hand would wither every minute if the heat did not continually flow. The same relationship exists between Christ and His Church. Even if we consider someone to be as angelic as possible, they still have their limits. Why? To ensure that Jesus Christ does not lose the honour that rightfully belongs to Him. Since each of us has our portion, as previously explained, it is only reasonable for each of us to be humble and not seek to take on what God has reserved for His only Son.
Another aspect to understand is that the same measure comes to us as a free gift, as previously mentioned. It is not without reason that St. Paul repeats this point. It reflects the foolish presumption of men, where each one desires to be a Lord and protect their rights to the end, wanting to be esteemed and advanced. To counteract this arrogance and cleanse ourselves of such vices, St. Paul reminds us once again that we possess nothing that has not been given to us. Therefore, we must turn to what he says in the first Corinthians: "Who are you to think you have made yourself so excellent by your own cunning? Do you have anything that you can claim as your own? No, everything has been given to you, so humble yourself." His meaning, then, is that all the connections and all the provisions come from the head. It is not enough for us to be created and formed; we must also have our members continually maintained in their condition. This is why St. Paul adds the word "furniture" or "shutting down," as if God pours His workings into the head, and the head distributes these workings throughout all the members. That's what St. Paul means when he says that Jesus Christ is our spiritual head, who has received all fullness of grace, as mentioned in the first chapter of St. John. It was not given to Him for Himself alone but for us, His brethren.
Therefore, let us understand that all the grace we have received from God flows into us through our Lord Jesus Christ, and we are fully supplied through Him. These strengths and workings pass through every member and come from the head. They will be in the shoulder before reaching the arm, and afterward in the arm before reaching the hand. Yet, despite this, will the arm boast in itself and not share its power with the hand? No, for every member understands its role and naturally inclines to serve the rest of the body. They are bound to this duty and know that they need each other's help. It is true that my hand cannot judge anything, but God has instilled in it the desire to serve the entire body. Similarly, the foot carries out its function without needing an order, as if God had given them the wisdom to understand that they all receive their power from heaven and must use the gifts they have received for the benefit of the body.
If someone were to ask whether all members in the church are equal, St. Paul, in speaking of portion and measure, does not mean that God has distributed the same portion to every member. The leg is not the same as the eye, yet the leg has its own qualities and functions that are needed. Therefore, diversity exists in the church, and some members are more excellent than others. Just as the eye is more excellent than the foot, it is honoured accordingly. St. Paul addresses this diversity and emphasises that it should suffice us if the church is edified as a whole. If our neighbours are enriched with God's gifts, it partially benefits us as well. Conversely, if we have received a larger measure of grace, we are more obligated to share it with those in need. St. Paul's point in this passage is that if this unity is maintained, the body will be well-built and complete. Here, he continues to emphasise that we must be so closely connected according to the gospel's doctrine that Jesus Christ may reign over us. The Heavenly Father has given Him to us on the condition that we all unite under Him and maintain brotherly unity among us. Above all, we must be subject to Him, who holds supreme dominion. We must understand that, since the Heavenly Father has placed Him in this role, we must all aim at Him and remain obedient to Him until the end.
And with all, let us understand that this cannot be done without love, meaning that we must overcome the selfish desire for personal gain, for it is evident that this self-interest blinds us and causes us to disregard our neighbours. Therefore, it is even more essential for each of us to strive to relinquish our own rights and realise that God has not distributed His gifts in such a way that each person can be a world or a church unto themselves. Instead, since every person needs their neighbours, this should be the means by which we are held together. It should also motivate us to do what we can for one another. Although there is one source from which we receive all spiritual gifts, namely our Lord Jesus Christ, God has arranged for the fullness of His grace, which He has placed in Jesus Christ, to flow like channels so that each person receives their appropriate portion.
So, with this doctrine firmly instilled in us, many of the troubles in the world today would be easily resolved, and there would be fewer disagreements and disputes. Ambition and vain glory are the root of all heresies. When individuals seek to elevate themselves, they inadvertently push Christ aside. Superstitions also arise from this, all because people fail to appreciate the immeasurable benefits brought to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, which are presented to us daily through the gospel. This tendency has made the world restless and driven by its own desires. It has caused people to forsake their patrons and advocates and to overstate their own merits. It has led people to invent various forms of satisfaction, many means to please God, and new services, all because they were not content with Jesus Christ. This happens because people fail to understand the manner in which we should cleave to Him, acknowledging that we should trust in Him completely, recognising that there is nothing but filth within us, and that our spiritual life comes from Him. This is not a one-time occurrence, but a continuous process of Him working in us, strengthening and advancing us until we attain perfection through Him.
This is why the Holy Supper has been given to us as a reminder that our Lord Jesus Christ is the one in whom we should seek everything related to the life of our souls. When we partake in this, we proclaim that He is our nourishment, completely satisfying us. Therefore, the reason we gather to eat and drink is to remind us that in Jesus Christ, we have not just a portion but the entirety of our spiritual life. When we are fed by Him, we should be content with Him and not seek anything elsewhere. In this manner, when we approach the holy table after examining our own sins and recognising our insignificance, we should seek to understand how God calls us to Him and how we can continue on our path until we are fully united with Him. This can be achieved by acknowledging that Jesus Christ has given us everything that is good and lacking in ourselves. Therefore, we should hold our Lord Jesus Christ in such high esteem that we regard Him as our sustenance. Our faith should not waver but be firmly rooted in Him, knowing that there is no righteousness, holiness, merit, power, or anything else within ourselves. Everything we need can be found in Him, and as we partake in Him, we also partake in all the blessings that He has received from God His Father. Since all the blessings that God has placed in our head are shared with us through Him, we should humble ourselves and not seek to exalt ourselves to the point of robbing Him of His honour. Instead, we should confess simply and without fail that everything given to us by His free goodness is preserved and increased in us through Him.
Furthermore, let us understand that we cannot possess the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ or gain any benefit from them unless we first receive Him. This is why He offers Himself to us, along with all the benefits of His righteousness, His merits, His sacrifice in His death and passion, His obedience to God the Father, and all the gifts He received from God. He not only gives us a portion of them in His sacraments but declares, "I am yours; possess me." So, it is not sufficient for us to seek our needs from Him; we must also consider how He has offered Himself to us.
He says, "Here is my body, delivered for you; here is my blood, shed for the remission of your sins." He does this so that we may truly know that He dwells within us through His Holy Spirit and that we live by His very substance. It is not without reason that it is mentioned here that the body is needed, and He is the one who provides it. Since we lack the grace and gifts essential for our spiritual life, we must draw them from this source. If we continuously approach Him in faith according to the Gospel, we will feel ourselves increasingly strengthened and established in all grace until He has purified us of all imperfections and weaknesses. This process will allow us to partake in His heavenly glory alongside Him.
Now, let us humble ourselves before the majesty of our good God, acknowledging our faults and praying that we may become aware of them, feel remorse for them, and resolve to work diligently to be cleansed of our imperfections and vices day by day. May our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of all purity, pour forth the grace of His Holy Spirit upon us so that we may become new creations, giving our Sovereign King the honour that is rightfully His. Let us all say, "Almighty God, Heavenly Father, etc."