Thoughts on mending the nets
Paul, the Apostle, wrote a lot about the work of the Holy Spirit. He himself was filled with the Spirit and wanted the early church to know the work of the Spirit in their midst. It was important for the believers to understand what the Spirit wanted to do for them. I believe it’s just as important for us to know what God’s Spirit wants to do for us.
One aspect of the work of the Spirit was what Paul called “spiritual gifts.” He called them spiritual gifts because the Holy Spirit was the one administering those gifts to the believers. The gifts were given because there were needs in the church.
There are three main references to spiritual gifts in Paul writing: To the church in Corinth (1Corinthians 12), written around AD 57. To the church in Rome (Romans 12:3), written around AD 58. And to the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 4:1-16), written around AD 62.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians several years after his first letter to the Corinthians. He introduced spiritual gifts to the Ephesians by reminding them that the gifts are possible only because of Christ.
Paul used an illustration they knew well:
In Rome, after a victorious campaign the emperor made his triumphant return home with pomp and circumstance. The emperor marched into Rome followed by his officers. He then sat on his throne and watched the defeated king as he and those taken captives, being ridiculed, made their way humbly to the emperor’s throne. It was then that the defeated king approached the emperor, knelt before him, and in a public sign of total surrender took off his crown and placed it at the emperor’s feet.
The apostle John uses that same imagery when in Revelation (Revelation 4:1-11) he sees the redeemed placing their crowns at the feet of Jesus — a sign of total surrender. It’s the pledge from the redeemed that rebellion against Him will never happen again.
It was also customary for the victorious king to demand gifts from those subject to him. But Jesus, Paul points out, ascended to Heaven victorious, took captives from this earth — but instead of demanding gifts to celebrate His victory, He gives us gifts.
To the Corinthians and the Romans Paul said the gifts were the ability, the capacity to do things for God. But to the Ephesians, Paul adds a new dimension: “You are the gifts”.
In Ephesians it’s not the capacity to preach, teach, prophesy; it is rather the preacher, the teacher and the prophet who are the gifts.
Every member of our congregation then is a gift from God to His church — the Body of Christ.
The purpose of the gifts: for the perfection of the saints. (Ephesians. 4:12) The KJV has the right rendition of the word. Perfection in the Greek is not an absolute word. It is relative. In this case simply means God put us here because together we can “perfectly” do what we have been commanded to do: bring people to Christ (Be fishers of men).
The same word is used in Matthew 4:21. When Our Lord first met James and John they were mending (perfecting) their nets. Nets are perfect for catching fish. When they break they loose their perfection. A mended net may look very ugly, may have permanent scars showing where it has been mended over and over again. But a mended net, scars and all, is perfect for catching fish.
So, God has filled His church with all kinds of people-gifts. Some are beautiful to see, they look like they never saw a day at sea — while others are so scarred and ugly from fighting heavy storms we would rather hide them from view. God did not intend for His church to be a showcase where beautiful lives can be on permanent display. Rather, the church is a repair shop; a place where under the guidance of the Holy Spirit every member needs to become involved in the loving work of helping mend others.
It is not just a few mending the many, but everyone getting involved in mending each other, and reaching out into the community to mend still others. I believe it is the process of mending and being mended that brings closeness and power. When one can approach another and say: “My net is braking; please, help me”, something happens. The Power of God begins to work on both of them. In helping others mend, we are mended.
Every single member God has given us is here to have his/her life mended—that is, perfected— To make us spiritually strong until we attain the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
It is that kind of unity that will make us mature Christians; people who are so firmly grounded in Jesus, in His word, that they will never be shaken by foolish ideas coming their ways, that will be able to teach the truth in love, and will be able to grow up in every way into Him who is Our Head: The Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Alvaro Sauza can be reached at the Sandpoint Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2235 Pine St., or by phone at 208-263-3648.