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Growing Up, Truth in Love

to equip the saints for work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer children...*

Gifts are given to the Church for the work of ministry which is to build up or grow up children. This word for build up also means to structure and to strengthen. Think of building a structure, first you lay a strong foundation, then the whole structure or body, each individual part, each board, is fit together, framed together, joined together, according to the active strength of each individual part, constructing, building itself up. It is the picture Paul gives us, in order to help us understand how to build up or strengthen the Church, the body of Christ. You begin with one frame, strengthening the frame by each individual part, then this has the strength to build up others, connecting to it. What builds up is increasing faith which is active or energized in agape love.

but truth in agape love, causes to grow all unto Him, who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and framed together through all supporting fastenings, according to the energy of each individual part, constructing the body, growing, to the extent of building itself up in agape love.*

You see how faith is active in love? "to the extent of building itself up in agape love." Gifts are given to the Church to grow it up, so the purpose of the Church is to grow up which is to build up, which also means to strengthen, "until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer children, tossed and blown about by winds of doctrine in human cunning, in craftiness in deceitful scheming, but truth in agape love growing up all into Him..." There are many cunning doctrines out there, introduced by demons, Paul writes, whose purpose is to hinder the growth of the Church. Some of these are fear of punishment, absolute authority, living to the letter of the law, forms of self-abasement of the flesh, serving that sacrifices agape love for one another... 

In this all will know you exist my disciples, if you have agape love among one another.*

The most cunning scheme I have seen is that which goes back and builds upon the old testament, living to a works justification, to the letter of the law, as if Christ did not give himself for us. But there is another that exists, it deceitfully teaches to sacrifice growth in the name of serving. It enslaves children in activities of serving, so that they never grow up in Christ. Of course the telling sign is the sacrifice of agape love for one another as if this is for some grander purpose. But there is no grander purpose, no service more reasonable, then building up the body. If we were mature and have grown up then we are like Christ, and this is what the world should seen in us, agape love. The world will know our faith is active in that we love one another. So if we really want to serve Jesus, then we should ask, how do you build up, grow up, or strengthen? 

truth in agape love, causes to grow all unto Him,* 

Notice, there is no word for speaking here, I can speak until blue in the face, but faith needs to be active. The word of God is living and active, it builds up faith, and it needs love to be truth in love. We can say truth in love strengthens, not causing others to stumble. Jesus warned it would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and you cast into the sea rather than to cause a child to stumble. A church that doesn't build up does it not cause little children to stumble? There is no cause to stumble in agape love and with truth it builds up, so children do not stay as children. What strengthens is faith active through love. 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision strengthens, but faith active through love.*

 First, one must have God's strength working within them, being a new creation.* Then what strengthens is faith active in love. This word for active means to effect, to put into operation, to be active, to come into activity, be actively developed; to be active, be in operation, towards a result. From this word we get the English word energy, which is defined as the capacity of acting or being active. Energy is what motivates the building up, without energy through agape love the workers burn out. Agape love is what causes truth to be put into operation, to be active. James writes this type of faith has deeds of love and without such faith is dead. Paul agrees, faith without love is nothing. In other words, faith is energized through love. Think again of a literal building, "the energy of each individual part, constructing the body, growing, to the extent of building itself up in agape love."* Agape love is the energy that activates faith. Thus the work of ministry is to build up the Church in faith being energized in agape love.  

So as Paul we pray, "so that from the riches of his glory, supplying you strength, power through His Spirit in your inner being, Christ dwelling in your hearts through faith, rooted and grounded in agape love..."*

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