Growing in faith can feel like a solo project, but Jesus grows his people as one body, connected to him and to each other. In Ephesians 4:7–16, the apostle Paul describes the church as the body of Christ, whose life and growth flow entirely from its connection to Christ as the head, and in which Christ gives every member grace and gifts to build up the others. This is part three of the Pass It On series on handing the Christian faith to the next generation, following parents in the home (Deuteronomy 11) and mentors in the church family (Philippians 3), and it shows that Christ builds his body through all of them, so no Christian is on the sidelines. For anyone who feels unprepared for that work, the passage offers a hopeful answer: Christ is faithful, and he supplies the forgiveness, peace, and gifts that his people need.

Key Takeaways

• Scripture pictures Christians as the body of Christ in Ephesians 4:7–16, and Christ is the head from whom the whole body receives its life and its growth.
• Ephesians 4 teaches that growing from spiritual infancy to maturity cannot be done alone, because growth flows from Christ and is shared among the members of his body.
• God’s grace in Jesus does more than forgive sins, because that same grace also gifts and equips every believer to serve others so that the body of Christ is built up.
• The Pass It On series began with parents in the home (Deuteronomy 11), who pass on Christ by first receiving his mercy for themselves, and continued with mentors and models in the church family (Philippians 3), whom God gives as a gift to help the next generation keep their eyes on Christ; Ephesians 4 shows that Christ himself is at work through both.
• Because Christ builds his body through the members of his body, no Christian is on the sidelines when it comes to passing the faith on to the next generation.
• Christ himself is at work in passing on the faith, sharing his own life with believers and giving the gifts they need, including the pastors and teachers he gave to equip his people for works of service.
• Christ is faithful, giving forgiveness through his wounds, peace through his blood, and grace through his life, death, and resurrection, and this is the mercy that parents and mentors receive first and then pass on to the next generation.

This episode is part three of the Pass It On series from Ascension Lutheran Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where the church is working to help parents and Christian mentors carry what is taught on Sunday into everyday family life, with daily rhythms rooted in Christ and guidance for the challenges young people face to their faith. If you missed parts one and two, look for them in the Ascension on Air feed. If this episode was meaningful to you, please subscribe to Ascension on Air, leave a review to help others find the show, and share this episode with a friend or family member.

Ephesians 4:7-16

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