I was reading Ephesians 4 again today, and I was struck by the phrase. "Attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." And in particular the word, "Attaining!"
Reaching fullness in Christ is not an impossible dream, but an intended design. It is attainable, because it is what Christ has purposed for his church.
BUT... it is not something that we can attain on our own. That was never the design. It is only attainable in the corporate setting of the church. No one individual can ever represent the fullness of Christ. It even takes five types of ascension ministry gifts to represent the nature of Christ's gift to his body. But we each have a measure of Christ's grace and a unique portion of his gift.
We need each other. To reach the fullness of the head requires a fullness in the working of the body. Ephesians 4 talks about the maturity requirement of both "every part" and "every joint". "Each part working properly" is not enough. We also need "every joint with which it is equipped." It is a connected body where the members have concern for each other and work together in love that takes us closer to the "attaining" we are destined for.
