In this passage Paul mentions four traits of a spiritually mature person.

Maturity Involves Christlikeness. (4:13) Our goal is to be like Jesus. We should long for the qualities Paul mentions in verses 2-3. We should long for spiritual maturity both individually and as a corporate body of Christ.

Maturity Involves Doctrinal Stability (4:13-14)  We need to grow in our knowledge of the  truth. In verse 14 Paul says that we should no longer be “little children” thrown about with every wind of doctrine.

Children spiritually are gullible and easily deceived. False teachers prey on the gullible saying things like:

• All religions are the same.
• If you are a good person, you’ll go to heaven.
• The Bible is just one of many other religious books.
• Believe in the idea of a resurrection, not a bodily resurrection

Children must be taught as they grow up. It is the same spiritually with new believers.We are to row through the Word and become disciple-making teachers (1 Peter 2:1-3; Heb. 5:11-14)

Maturity Involves Truth Joined With Love. (4:15-16)  We must present God’s truth to others with love. We must hold the truth high (1 Tim. 3:15). Maturity  involves a truth-telling, truth maintaining, truth doing love.  Are you and your congregation know as  ones know and teach the truth with love?

Maturity Involves Contribution. Every member is to contribute, using what he or she has. We must use our talents  to reach the lost and strengthen the saved.We must grow into Christ and use our gifts in love.

-Larry Miles, June 3, 2018 Anguilla

This passage gives us the “7 Unity’s.” These “one” statements emphasize the oneness we share as Christians. We must understand however, that Eph. 4:4-6 is not teaching unity at any cost. There is a difference in unity and uniformity. Our unity must be in Christ.

One body. The Lord only has one church, and all who have accepted Jesus and have obeyed the gospel are members of the church  universal. We are diverse in background and gifts, but united in Christ.

One Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the  3rd Person of the Godhead indwells every believer (Acts 2:38). He enables us to live the Christian life.

One Hope. The one hope is the “Blessed Hope.”  (Titus 2:11-13) Jesus has promised to return for His Church. We are  to live in anticipation of that hope.

One Lord. Believers in the early church confessed  and proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord!”  (2 Cor. 4:5) When doing that they were saying, “Caesar is not Lord.”  This confession could’ve caused them their life. Today we  proclaim the Lordship of Jesus.  It is our aim and desire to live according to what He taught.

One faith. Jude wrote that we are “to contend earnestly for the  faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” The one  faith is the body of truth we  embrace and believe.

One Baptism. This is  immersion into Christ for the  remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). It is  after we are baptized that we receive our sins  forgiven and we receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

One God and Father. As his adopted children, we share the same Father (cf. Eph. 1:5) He is God over all and Father of all His children.

-Larry Miles, June 2, 2018, Anguilla