Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (v 13) Till we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
God’s whole program for the Church is to bring us to maturity or so we will grow up, function, and do the work Jesus began to do. Age doesn’t always mean mature or wise (Job 32:6-9). We cannot mature without accepting responsibility. Personal growth and maturity also comes by acceptance of responsibility for: who we are, what we have, and what we can do. We never mature making excuses and placing blame.
Spiritual maturity is the plan of God for every Believer. Every Believer is to be a functioning, ministering member in the Body of Christ, the Church. The main purpose of the ministry gifts apostle, prophet … is to equip the saints and bring them to maturity. It is so they will get out of the audience and into the army. He’s given us these free gifts to help us grow and mature. They are one of the channels of God’s grace for us, Heaven’s help, strength, and enabling power that we all need.
He’s not left us totally on our own without help so we must have a regular relational contact with these gifts. They are part of God’s program and provision for our growth. They are part of God’s plan, designed to get Believers to maturity. They are not being phased out because of a so called “new thing” God is doing. It is also not contact with them through the media without being planted in a Local Church where you can be known and be accountable.
But many will say: “But I’m growing and I’m pretty mature.” Well, what’s mature? We really have to ask, “Mature in relation to what?” Are we mature in comparison to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ? I’m sure we all have room for growth. We all need an ongoing connection to these grace gifts from God until Jesus comes for us.
Pastor John Rasicci is the founder and Pastor of Word of His Grace Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where we are building people who are building the Church. Pastor's ministry mission is to help people discover God's dream for their Life, the Local Church, and the Last Days' Harvest. With a strong emphasis on the grace of God and with a prophetic voice, Pastor John preaches and teaches in churches, conferences, and crusades both locally and throughout the world. He has produced books, tapes, and other teaching materials to empower, enable, and equip Believers with the Word of God. Pastor John is married to his wife Candy who with their three children, Krista, Joanna, John Anthony, and two son-in-laws, Matt and Doug, serve together in the ministry. After graduating from Kent State University, Pastor John pursued a career in professional baseball before accepting the call to the ministry. He and his wife, Candy, received their ministry training from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John Rasicci 
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