13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
The phrase “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” gives us the measurement of the edification construct or the ultimate stage of maturity.
to the measure of the stature
“Measure” or stature is how we gauge maximum height. The standard of our spiritual stature is the “fullness of Christ.” The goal for each believer is the sum of the makings which amount to that which marks Christ what He is. This is what also marks a mature believer.
When we reach the measure of the stature of maturity, then we will have reached the goal God has for us. We will have fully possessed the qualities God designed for us. The standard of maturity for the church is conformity to Christ.
of the fullness of Christ;
Arriving at the “fullness of Christ” defines a mature believer or a church corporately. This is the desired height for a mature person. It is the standard that God sets for maturity. This is how we can gauge our edification construct or maturity.
A church that has unity about what it believes about Christ and personal knowledge about Him has grown to maturity. At that point it has reached the standard of “fullness of Christ,” has reached the end for which God designed His church—that is, a corporate edification construct. This is a mature church, a grown-up body that has attained God’s purpose for it. “Fullness of Christ” is the abundance of the excellence which Christ bestows.
This fourth goal is that the church will reach the stature of the fullness of Christ. The aim is to glorify Christ in the church. He is the standard for full-grown maturity. A church can reach this stage of maturity in time on earth.
“Fullness” is when the believer or church reaches the stature of Christ. Obviously the idea of this stature carries a relative sense. When the Christian possesses qualities of the excellence of Christ, he has made it to the point of an edification construct or maturity (Eph 3:19).
We see that the ability to arrive at the “fullness of Christ” in time is clear from the statement “that we should no longer be children . . .”
PRINCIPLE:
The church is to live in a way that is worthy of Christ and glorifies Him.
APPLICATION:
It is God’s unrelenting purpose that every child of God and every church become like the Son of God in maturity. This means we develop His character and view on life, which is a mature attitude toward life. When we become like the Son of God, we reach maturity, the goal God has for us.
Ro 8:29, For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
2 Co 3:18, But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Co 4:12, Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
1 Jn 2:6, He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
We determine the maturity of a Christian or a church by his or its true relation to the Son of God. Fullness is the standard for maturity. The more we become like our Lord, the more we mature. When we do, we glorify the excellence of who He is.
