Ephesians 4:13
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.
We often say “no man is perfect” in order to justify our shortcomings. So we argue that to err is human and therefore it is not realistic for us to expect perfection. Yet God actually expects us to aim for perfection in our walk with Him (see also Mat 5:48).
The fivefold ministers’ main function is to equip the saints until they measure up to Christ’s full stature. Nothing less! Our peers’ examples, opinions or values aren’t the right standard. Jesus is the only true spiritual yardstick for faith, prayer, holiness, relationships, mindset, ministry, leadership and everything. Therefore informed believers do not complain that their mentors expect too much of them.
On the contrary, it’s wrong for Ministers of the Gospel to lower the bar for themselves or the flock (see Phi 3:12-14). Dear friend, don’t expect less of yourself. Don’t lower the bar of your faith-walk and ministry. Don’t accept a substandard morality. Rather, aim for ultimate Christianity–for “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.
Pastor Josh