"Equipping the Saints"

“Equipping the Saints”

So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.        Ephesians 4:11-13

God’s plans for His Church, the body of Christ, included the equipping of His Children to use the gifts given to them by Christ Himself.  This equipping and perfecting would be done by five kinds of gifted people, listed in the Scripture, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.  They were given to the church as gifts, in order to equip and perfect the saints of God, to do the work of God.

The apostles and prophets were the foundational gifts to the beginning of the church. And, therefore, since they were foundational they did not exist after the first generation of believers.  The evangelists, were responsible for spreading the gospel, and are similar to our present-day missionaries.  The pastors and teachers would do the work of comforting and guiding, while instructing the believers in God’s ways.  They would and do equip and perfect the saints to do the work of the ministry.

These gifts were given to those who were called and gifted in the five gifted areas of ministry listed in the Scripture, to equip other believers for the ministry so that they in return can equip others.  The goal is for the building up of the body of Christ.  This includes ALL saints and not just the leaders.  ALL saints are gifted to serve others spiritually. 

Today in our churches, the pastors are to minister till ALL the church reaches unity in the faith and the knowledge of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  So that the body of Christ may be built up and mature, to be able to attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, and to become more like Him.

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to Him, then you are missing out on being a part of the body of Christ and exercising your gift for the building up of His body, the Church.  But instead you are building up the works of Satan and are a part of his doomed crowd, who are headed for an eternity in Hell.  You NOW have the opportunity to separate yourself from him and become a part of the body of Christ and share in all the glories of Heaven for ALL eternity, by:  Confessing your sins to Him and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation and become a ‘body-builder for Christ.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!