Unity in the Local Church

Ephesians 4:7-16 is a great passage on the interconnectedness of Christians within the church. As members of the same body, we exert mutual spiritual influence as we engage and interact one with another.  Although not everyone in the church is specifically an evangelist, pastor, or teacher, nevertheless, every member contributes something vital to the edification of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:16). The application of this truth to church ministry is that we should not think of certain church members as unimportant or expendable. We should not make the mistake of only valuing people who are obviously talented, or whom we like on a personal level. Every Christian plays a role in God's plan, and the neglect of any part of the body is going to hurt the body as a whole. 

Another important teaching of this passage is that Christ has given leaders to the church, who are uniquely equipped to facilitate spiritual growth in the lives of God's people. We should respect and listen to these leaders and allow them to increase our knowledge of the word of God. Although every member of the church is important, not every member is equally qualified to teach and preach sound doctrine. The church should not be an open mic night or a karaoke bar. The men who are preaching in church should be apt to teach and scripturally qualified. There are situations where churches will allow every single person to say whatever is on their mind during church services or Bible studies, and this is not necessarily edifying (1 Cor. 14:26). It can often lead to false doctrine and confusion. The church should be guided by the effective leaders whom Christ has provided, and they should set the tone. During times of fellowship, everyone can talk among themselves and edify one another. However, the quality teaching and preaching coming across the pulpit will help keep everyone on the same page. 

Another important lesson from this passage is that Christians need to be fed knowledge through the teaching ministry of their church. Some churches gear their entire Sunday morning service every week at evangelizing the lost. People will then often complain that they are not being fed since they are already saved, yet they hear a salvation sermon every week. We are repeatedly told in scripture to go out and evangelize the lost (e.g., Mark 16:15), but that predominantly takes place outside of the church. Within the church, the teaching and preaching should perfect the saints and edify the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12). There is a lot in the Bible for Christians to learn and a lot of false doctrine to avoid. If there is going to be unity in the church, the entire Bible will need to be preached, as opposed to only passages dealing directly with the Gospel and salvation. 

Finally, we need to always be mindful of the fact that conformity to the image of Christ is our ultimate goal (Eph. 4:13, 15). Christ is the head of the church, and spiritual growth within the church starts and ends with him. The connection to Christ as head is what supplies the body with the spiritual nutrition needed for growth.  Christ is also our role model who left us a perfect example to follow. Although Christ also supplied human leaders, they will sometimes let us down. They are not perfect examples, and they should only be emulated to the extent that they are following Christ. Christ is the standard by which we are to judge ourselves and our spiritual growth (Eph. 4:13).

Conclusion

Every member of the church is important, and it is God's will that the church be unified. Unity is achieved by increasing the knowledge of God's people and bringing them into greater communion with Christ and with each other. Christ purchased the church with his own blood and defeated death and Hell in order to provide us with everything we need to succeed as Christians. This includes God's gift of evangelists, pastors, and teachers, who are here to feed us with knowledge and lead us to greater spiritual heights. The leaders of the church should evangelize the lost, but they should not neglect the task of edifying those who are already saved. If we do things God's way, and if the vision for the church found in Ephesians 4 is realized, more people will be saved in the long run. Many enemies are out there, lying in wait to deceive our brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us have a part to play in making sure that the integrity of our faith is maintained, and that the work of Christ goes forward.