MISSION OF TRANSFORMATION

“Till we all come … to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” – Ephesians 4:13

The MISSION of TRANFORMATION is central to Christianity: “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” (Eph.4:13). The chief purpose of the five-fold ministry gifts – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – is to transform Believers from spiritual babyhood to adulthood. God’s Will is that His people be mature, equipped followers of Jesus. The Mission of the Church is to produce devoted disciples; more and more people who give their whole lives to Jesus and see their sojourn on earth as an eternal opportunity to follow and serve Him. Many professing Christians do not live this way because there is a maturing that must happen; there is an equipping that must take place. True believers must grow up in Christ. Growth is a Must!

Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church, set Ministry offices in His Body, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 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; 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, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Eph.4: 12-15). “Perfecting of the saints” means maturing of believers! To grow to maturity as Christ’s followers, we must be transformed through the Word of God and alongside the people of Jesus. We cannot mature in Christ in isolation from His Body, the Church!

Our Lord Jesus Christ established His Church by giving His people various gifts, like a king who conquers a land and shares the spoils of victory with his people. These gifts are to equip His people for the work of ministry, so that the Body of Christ may be edified or built up. Growth to maturity takes time, with a steady diet of God’s Word: the Word preached, taught, read, sung, and prayed. Our ultimate Ideal in maturity is “the stature of the fullness of Christ” (v.13). The One whom we look up to is Jesus. The word “Mature” could also be read as “complete.” And “measure of the stature of the fullness” means that our stature at any given time is relative to His. Paul refers to maturity in Christ this way: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil.3:12).

The apostle or “Sent one” is a Pioneer, Foundation Builder, and Missionary, always on the move, forging new paths for the Kingdom, initiating the next move of God, and acting as a catalyst for the advancement of the Church. The prophet is effective in accurately discerning God’s heart for a situation, and revealing His heart for His people. The Evangelist is the messenger or proclaimer of Good News, gifted to make the good news of salvation stir up curiosity and a desire to know Jesus in the hearers, and partnering with Him in celebrating people’s transformation. The Pastor is the shepherd who feeds and cares for the flock, guiding them through brokenness back to wholeness and healing their soul from debilitating wounds. The Teacher makes the truth and knowledge of God’s Word accessible to all, bringing clarity and revelation from scriptures.

The danger of resisting growth is for God’s people to remain stunted and end up like infants, tossed around by people who would mislead us in their deceptive scheming, heresies, or false teachings. That’s why we need all of the five-fold ministries in operation. God would have each of us mature to find our place and function in His Mission of Transformation!