When things are rough, we find value in the community we are connected with. Paul gives us an illustration of each person in unity, with individuality, by comparing it to the operation of the human body. We can see the connected nature of the human body when we see an athlete have an injury. Even though it might only be an issue with one part, but it negatively effects the entire body.
In , Paul describes three phases of our growing stronger with God both internally and externally in unity with other believers.
1. Struggle
Jesus gave to the body, those who will equip the body to live in unity. When we live in unity we grow up spiritually. Paul uses the word “infant” representing a baby that is not yet able to talk. Meaning not able to formulate and verbalize our faith and God’s direction in our life. When we are in this phase, if we are not aware and careful, we can be pushed and pulled by the strong voices around us that try to pull us away from God.
As we move away from being infants, we will become mature. With that we will know how to stand strong in a world that wants to tear at our unity.
2. Strength
This verse begins with speaking in contrast to the previous that speaks of lack of speech. This describes those who are equipped spiritually, but don’t speak enough. But when speaking, we speak in love. Not just pounding on people, but pairing the truth with love that transforms that into a building relationship and not a tear-down relationship. And when we speak truth and love to each other, we WILL grow up to Christ. Then we stop making statements such as, “That guy is not growing fast enough,” or “that person is not in the right place,” because this is a collective movement into Christ’s likeness.
3. Sustained
Obedience becomes an expression of trust. It becomes a wonderful expression that we are connected to Jesus. We obey because we want to! It comes from our relationship. And we are held together by our shared relationship and our shared desire to be obedient. We are still each unique (as each part of the body is unique), but we are all connected together. The result is greater than the sum of all the parts. Christ is found in our unity.
Through our unity the world come’s to know God’s plan.
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (ESV)
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (ESV)
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (ESV)
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (ESV)