Ember Friday
Posted on May 28, 2021 by under
Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-16 (NKJV)
4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Devotion
Who doesn’t like Christmas? A lot of the world likes Christmas, albeit for the wrong reasons. People like getting gifts and having thoughts of world peace, even if those thoughts are short-lived.
As Christians, we like Christmas for the right reason. God the Father gave us His Son in order to redeem poor sinners like us. The Gift of Christmas came wrapped in swaddling clothes and is truly “the gift that keeps on giving.” Today’s reading makes it clear that Jesus gives gifts to His Church. However, much like Jesus in swaddling clothes, the gifts He gives may not look all that attractive.
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” Many of the Apostles were fishermen. Nothing really attractive there. Many of the prophets were just ordinary, everyday men. To bring this whole matter of gifts closer to home, take a look at a picture of the members of the ELDoNA. They all look quite different. Dress them up in everyday clothing and you wouldn’t even know they were pastors.
Yet, they are Jesus’ gifts to you. They are to bring you the truth of God’s Word so that you are not “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” He gave them to you so that they might equip you for life in this world, but more importantly, that you are equipped to die in Christ and thus live forever in Him.
Prayer: O God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people by sending to them the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
