2026.10.03 Hopewell @Home ▫ Ephesians 4:14

Read Ephesians 4:14

Questions from the Scripture text: What is the ministry of our pastor-teacher given to us by Jesus to stop us from being? Otherwise, what would various ‘winds’ of doctrine do to us? What else would do this to us? What do some men practice to unsettle believers’ doctrine?

What do believers need if they are going to be united, Christ-like, and Christ-filled? Ephesians 4:14 prepares us for the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers need theological stability. 

This week’s text is one little verse, but it is a hugely important and overlooked point. 

We desperately need theological stability.

We want to be united! We want to know Christ! We want to be filled with Christ! 

These are the praiseworthy goals of Ephesians 4:13, at which each of us aim in our ministry to all the others (Ephesians 4:12b).

And, for this, we need the constant mending by the ministry of faithful shepherd-teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12a).

But why do we need this constant mending?

Because without it, we are like unstable toddlers. 

We’ve all seen a wobbly little one, just learning to walk. But the wobbler in this picture has an additional problem: he’s in a boat, on a wavy sea, during a storm!

This is how the apostle likened the doctrinal instability of believers who did not avail themselves of the ministry of faithful shepherd-teachers.

And things have certainly not improved in the 21st century!

Biblically genuine Christian unity comes by way of theologically stability. Christ-like Christians are theologically stable. Christ-filled Christians are theologically stable. That’s how Ephesians 4:14 is explaining the Ephesians 4:13 fruit of a Ephesians 4:11-12 ministry.

Theological stability is a priority of the Holy Spirit, in the New Testament, that is rejected and contradicted by many in the church today. But, when the Holy Spirit, and many in the church today, are at odds, a believer knows with whom to agree.

What are some ways in which you have been theologically unstable in the past? What has the Lord provided, in order to remedy that? How are you making use of His provision? How have you seen unity, Christ-likeness, or Christ-filledness come from this theological stability? How would you like to?

Sample prayer:  Lord, keep us from being unstable children in doctrine. Don’t let us be tossed to and fro, or carried about. Make us those who prize theological stability, and give us that stability by Your Spirit’s use of the means that You have provided, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

 Suggested songs: ARP78B “O Come, My People” or TPH409 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”