9)
(Now that he
ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of
the earth?
10) He that descended is the same also that
ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11) And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ:
The
idea of “perfection” is hard for many to accept, due to misconceptions we
refuse to change. To further complicate matters, the conventional meanings for
words are ways the same in scripture.
We
can never forget that God has a purpose for all that He has given to the
Church. Nothing has been haphazardly presented or done and all requirements are
to end our conducting ourselves as spiritual beings.
The
Church world definitely seems to be in a fog concerning how one can be
spiritual while still housed in a body of flesh. But once one is vested with
the Holy Ghost, it is his responsibility to bring his flesh under subjection to
that Spirit.
God
has worked all things so that we need want for nothing. So, why has He gone so
far out of His way? Because He wants nothing to impede our
work for Him.
Many
of us have been in situations in which we wondered if we would ever be able to
overcome them. For us to exhibit victory, we must first accept that God already
gained victory over all situations.
There
is no mistaking the fact that God’s requirement is perfection. It is ignored so
often, because men would rather avoid pressure. However, without the pressure for
perfection here, we would not gain heaven.
Anyone
who knows that he does not “measure up” to God’s standard, yet wants to believe
that he can “make it” is attempting to live in a “dream world.” To gain God’s reward
we have no choice but to “measure up.”
Verse
nine of our scripture text today, does not mean that He went down into Hell. It
does mean that He defeated Satan and all of his angels by being put to death,
being buried and resurrected. His “ascending” speaks of Jesus’ raising from the
grave and His “descending” of His burial.
Through
these acts, Jesus has done His job, that is, He has fulfilled all things that
He was expected to do.
We
often deprive ourselves of many blessings of God because of our misconceptions.
For example, the “ministries” mentioned are still part of the Church. The
purpose is not for any one person to gain notoriety, but rather, to aid Man in
developing a complete relationship with God.
“Apostles”
are mentioned first. They are “special messengers” sent out to establish new
works rooted and grounded in the truth. Next, come evangelists, the
“exhorters,” or those who motivate. Particularly now, God’s people need to be
kept moving forward in a world rapidly “losing ground,” lest they be overcome.
Also,
in these ministries is mentioned “prophets.” Now, what must be understood is
that prophecy consists not only of “foretelling” (telling what is to come), but
also, “forthtelling” (telling what thus saith the Lord).
“Pastors
and teachers” is properly translated “pastor-teachers”, the “and” being read
more accurately as “even” or “also”. This is validated in that “bishops”
(pastors) are admonished to be “apt to teach.” After all, this is the only way
for an established flock and new converts to he aided in their growth. Though
teaching is required of a shepherd of God, some simply cannot due to either
lack of ability, lack of knowledge, or both.
A
pressing question is how to get the people of God more interested in His
affairs than their own. Well, it is absolutely essential that we get past the
point of worrying how others feel about us. We have to become convinced of the
necessity of being concerned solely with the fact that we belong to the Lord—and
nothing else. The Lord is continually reminding us that He has not saved us to
allow us to make our own decisions. He has saved us to work for Him, and
simplifies the task by caring for us.
When
we speak of “... the perfecting of the saints,” we mean everything but flesh,
for flesh can never be “perfect.” Flesh, by nature, is corrupt, therefore one
who will be perfect has no choice but to drop some flesh. To that end, the Lord
allows all that comes to us to destroy the flesh. In this way, little-by-little
and step-by-step, we are built into what God wants us to be. Frequently, this
requires the destruction of pride, also. The only way that one is made “better”
and not “bitter” by the life after salvation is in knowing that even though
some things are unpleasant, they are working in us what He wants us to be.
The
question was asked many years ago, “What price perfection?” The answer may
be that there is no “price” for us to pay at all, but simply, benefits to
enjoy. One thing is certain: if we do “this” right, by the time it’s over,
we will know what we are “good” for. And, “for the perfecting of the saints,”
isn’t the trade-off of a “little” flesh worth it?