Christ’s presence with us is not just an outward companion, but an indwelling Divine Force, revolutionizing our nature and making us like Him. The final and ultimate purpose of Christ is that the Christian will be reproduced in His own Likeness, within and without!
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Colossians chapter 1:
18 And Jesus is the Head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the Blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven.
In other Words, by the Blood of His cross, everything in Heaven and earth is brought back to Himself—back to its original intent, restored to innocence again!
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled
22 In the Body of His flesh through death, to present you Holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight
We will be without blemish! Paul pleads with us to move forward in maturity. Why? This is what Love does! He wants all of us to walk “worthy of The Lord”.
Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech (plead with) you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in Love;
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Unity will be a result of the True Body of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
We should not exalt any member of Christ above another. These ministries are meant to serve, not be served. There is but one goal: perfecting the Body of Christ.
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
The adversary will focus on the immature, and it is up to us to admonish the immature to move on to full maturity.
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Deception is the primary weapon of the adversary… beware!
15 But speaking the Truth in Love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying (building up) of itself in Love.
Self-sacrificing Love should be the primary motivation in all that we do.