The Measure of the Stature part 2
Here's our key verse in this Rant series, Ephesians 4:13, in the Message Bible, "Until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ." Man, there's so much good stuff there. The phrase "moving rhythmically and easily with each other" grabbed me right out of the gate. Because this life is supposed to flow, right? It's not always supposed to be a struggle. We aren't supposed to have to fight and scratch and claw every step of the way. But the only way that works is to be still and know that HE is God. We are efficient and graceful only in response to Him. In fact, that's our whole entire "job" if I can say it that way. God made the Way of Grace. And we respond with the Walk of Faith. We are simply responding to who God is and what He did on the cross in the person of Jesus. We don't have to do the heavy lifting, because He already did. In this world we WILL have tribulation, but we can be of good cheer because Jesus already overcame the world. That's what makes us overcomers--not the ability to overcome, but the truth that we already have... in Him. That's what maturity is: Not knowing you can win every battle, but knowing that Jesus already fought and won the war to end all wars. And once that war is over... there are no more wars left to fight. The only fight we should ever concern ourselves with is the good fight of faith. Laying hold of the gift we've been given. Receiving and releasing it. Receiving it BY releasing it. And releasing it by receiving it. That's what a fully mature, fully developed (within and without) Son is all about. Fully alive like Christ. Fully alive IN Christ. See, what it means to know the measure of the stature of the man is knowing Jesus inside and out. Knowing who He is. Knowing what He's about. And that, in turn, shows us who WE are. Shows us what WE are about. Because as He is... so are we in this world. Knowing the measure of the stature of Jesus... is knowing the measure of the stature of ourselves... and each other. Looking at Jesus is looking into a mirror. Seeing Him for who He truly is, is seeing ourselves for who we truly are. Fully alive like Christ. Living the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God (life of love) by letting Jesus live His own life--because nobody can live Jesus's life except Jesus--in us, and through us, and as us. Again, being still and knowing that He is God. Filling ourselves up to overflowing with what God has already filled us up with. Letting what is already inside come out of us. I'll end this Rant series with one of my favorite passages of Scripture, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19). We are filled with the fulness when we use what we've got. When we let what's inside come out. By knowing and believing that it is in there. By testing the height and length and breadth and depth. Taking the measure of the stature. Loving as large as possible by letting God us all large as possible!