Made Perfect for the Ministry

It is necessary for the Spirit to do a thorough work in someone before he can be made perfect for the work of ministry. Ephesians 4:12. A servant in the church needs to have a perfect attitude; he must have forsaken and offered up everything—none of which should take a long time.

The church is the body of Christ. Ephesians 5:23. The work of the servants in the church determines whether the body of Christ will grow forth or whether the result will only be a religious assembly.

The servants in the church must first be tested to see whether they are blameless; then they can serve in the church. 1 Timothy 3:10. A person is blameless if the Holy Spirit does not remind him of any of­fenses (Hebrews 9:7-8)—if he has a good conscience according to the light and understanding he has. The goal of a servant in the church must be that he is free from any unnecessary business and that he has the ministry of prayer and of the word. Acts 6:4.

He must serve in such a way that the form of doctrine (Romans 6:17) is clearly presented. John the Baptist was to teach Israel salva­tion by the remission of their sins. Luke 1:77. Paul was to teach the people—after they had received forgiveness for their sins—to know Jesus, by leading them into the fellowship of His sufferings. Philippians 3:10. This is how much more exalted the priestly ministry and the form of doctrine are in the new covenant. The message of the church is redemption from sin and being conformed to the image of Christ. There are great spiritual riches to draw from; one needs to be spiri­tually mature to receive them and be a steward over them.

Offering the bread of God is a most holy ministry; therefore, a man must be without blemish or he will profane the sanctuaries of the Lord. Leviticus 21:21-24. “Having a blemish” means that one is hu­man and soulish, resulting in an imperfect ministry.

The ministry of a brother or a sister will always be relative to the goodness they show. The more we partake of the virtues of Christ, the more valuable our ministry will be. James 5:16. We can use the follow­ing illustration: The sun keeps the earth in place, whereas the moon only keeps the sea in place. This is an illustration of the relationship of the various ministries to each other in edifying the body of Christ.

It was granted to John to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worshiped there. Revelation 11:1. The goal of serving in the church must be that each individual must be given the oppor­tunity to grow up in all things to the Head. Ephesians 4:15. Then there is something which can be measured in breadth, length, depth, and height. Ephesians 3:18. Just as a framework of steel keeps a sky­scraper together, so the doctrines, translated into life, keep the church together.

The preparation for the work of ministry takes place in the school of life. God puts us into the various ministries as we continue to grow. Ephesians 4:11. The Pharisees marveled at Jesus’ wisdom and author­ity. The requirement is faithfulness, from beginning to end.

It is the saints (Ephesians 4:12)—the brothers and sisters—who must now find their place in edifying the body of Christ.