Most people who read a blog like this love the church. I hope you do.

At the same time, most of us wish the church didn’t have so many spots and blemishes. The Bible, of course, tells us that the day will come when Christ will present His church without spot and blemish.

That statement implies two things: (1) the church now has spots and blemishes. You and I can enumerate many of those. The very fact that we have letters to the churches in the New Testament indicates there are many spots and blemishes. Those letters were written because of the problems in the churches.

(2) These spots and blemishes can be improved. Paul exhorted the believers to move forward to love and good works. When he wrote to the churches, he gave instructions for Godly living and joy filled lives.

Paul had a vision for the churches. He wanted them to live “worthy of the calling” to which they had been called.

I love the way Paul described how we should live. He didn’t give rules or regulations. He didn’t motivate with guilt. He simply wanted the people of the churches to live their lives with the same weight (the meaning of the word worthy) as the calling they had received to be Christians (Ephesians 4:1-3).

He then gave them a picture of his vision for the church. He wanted the church to display charity, unity, diversity, and growing maturity.

Paul asked the church to display charity by being humble and gentle. He called for patience for each other, making allowance for each other’s faults (we all have them) because of their love.

Paul called on the church to be “eager” to promote unity in the Holy Spirit. There is only one Spirit and one God and Father. Therefore, there can be only one body as well.

God has given differing gifts to His people. This diversity of gifts promotes a beautiful variety in the church.

Finally, God envisions a church maturing in its faith. When the church is a truly caring community marked by humility and love and works according to its gifts, “the whole body will be healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16).

May God work in you and your community of believers to fulfill His vision for the church.

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