Love Fulfilled Ministry

struggle to go in through the narrow door, because many I tell you seek to enter and are not able (Luke 13:24) Matthew writes the way to life is found by few and the gate is narrow and difficult to squeeze through (Matthew 7:13-14). Luke uses the word struggle or contend to enter.  The word struggle is  ἀγωνίζομαι ( agōnizomai ) meaning "to contend for a prize, struggle." The prize is life, and the one who finds it will find it valuable to struggle for, like a treasure found in a field he will give all to keep it. That we have to ask, seek, and knock to find our way seems a bit extraordinary. And that we can't really find something valuable that we can not physically see seems a contradiction. If not but that faith exists evidence and substance of things not seen. And that the Spirit guides us into the truth and the way also interceding for us when we do not know what to pray. Maybe the reason we have to struggle to find the way is that if it were all given to us we would...

to equip the saints for the work of ministry to the extent of building up the body of Christ... (Ephesians 4:7-16) The word equip καταρτισμός ( katartismos ) is a little difficult to translate into a few English words. It is an abstract noun that speaks of bringing to a condition of fitness, perfecting. The suffix - mos is added to the word katartízō (perfect, complete, train, prepare, restore) to denote a state of bringing to a condition of completeness and perfection; prepared and fitted. Fitted is a good translation if we take it in the context of joining or fitting the members of the body together. from whom the whole body fitted together and brought through all supplied  ligaments, according to the working of each one part, making the body grow to the extent it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16) Completeness and perfection speak of maturity. Love is the bond that leads to perfection and maturity (Ephesians 3:14-19; Colossians 3:14; 1 John 4:18) thus love helps fit the m...