The Church Maturing
to Fullness by Unity of Faith

The United Church

(Ephesians 4:13)

What is the specific goal that we should achieve to become the church God desires? Regarding this, Paul says in his letter to the Ephesian Church, “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.”

1. Unity of the Faith
Above all, the church should be united in the ‘content of faith.’ We must be cautious of any doctrinal assertions or interpretations that deviate from the Gospel handed down by the apostles. As evidenced by the division in the Corinthian Church, disregarding or thoughtlessly distorting the Gospel preached to all nations by the apostles ultimately leads to the church’s division.

2. Unity of Fellowship
The church should also be united in ‘knowing the Son of God.’ To achieve this, saints should continue a life that faithfully learns and thoroughly obeys God’s word. Likewise, there is no separation between a life of deep fellowship with the Lord and a life of deep fellowship with saints. Fellowship with saints within the Gospel is a necessary condition for fellowship with the Lord.

3. Unity of Spiritual Maturity
The church should be united in the ‘work of achieving spiritual growth’ as well. The reason the term ‘spiritual’ is used here is not merely to emphasize the need for accumulating spiritual knowledge, but to highlight that growth, which cannot be achieved by human power, must be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. The goal of this growth is to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Christ’s goodness and kindness, His unwavering righteousness in the face of sin, His truthfulness and faithfulness, and His lack of variation – these are what we should strive to embody. While we are in the flesh, it is difficult to achieve this perfectly. However, the seed has already been planted within us. As we yearn for it to grow and bear fruits within us, let us walk with the Lord.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim