In my last post, I talked about what the shoes protect. They keep our endurance to complete God’s will in our lives. Today I want to talk about how to use this piece of armor.
We’re told in Ephesians 6:15, that this readiness comes from the Gospel of Peace. The Apostle explained this Gospel right in this same letter. You may want to read Ephesians 2:11-22 before continuing with this post.
In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul shows us that the Gentiles were far from God, while the Jews were in His family. However, when Christ came, He destroyed all the barriers.
Formerly there were three parties at war: God, Gentiles, and the Jews. Through His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus reconciled all people to Himself. We are all members of one body. We all have unlimited access to God.
Paul concludes that chapter by stating the point of the Gospel of Peace.
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:21-22
Now, everyone who bows their knee to Christ has a place in this Temple. We are being built into a dwelling place for God.
What we’re told to do takes effort.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3
We’re told here to guard the oneness of the Spirit in the bond, or literally, the ligament of peace. Contrary to what many say, peace is not just some calming factor. It’s the glue, the unifying factor, in the body of Christ.
This tells me that I put on my Shoes of Readiness by connecting to the body of Christ. In talking about the reason for the five-fold ministry gifts, the Apostle Paul explains it.
…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
Ephesians 4:12
This is why we connect with the body of Christ. By connecting, I learn to serve.
I know that right now many don’t go to church meetings. Maybe they’ve been hurt in the past. Or it could be the proliferation of TV and online preachers.
There’s a question that some ask. “Can’t I be a Christian and never go to a church?” The answer to that is yes, but it’s not all about you. Apart from a local church, you can never be prepared for works of service that build up the body of Christ.
Of course, there are a lot of believers who attend church yet aren’t connected. That puts you in the same condition. You’re shoeless.
As a matter of fact, the above verse continues to say…
…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13
It’s all about the body of Christ as a whole operating on the level of Christ. That’s not going to happen without us all being connected. The church needs to arise in this generation.
That’s how you put on the shoes of readiness. You can’t move forward unless you find your connection. If you’re not connected to a local body of believers, then you’re trying to walk without shoes.
It’s my connection to a local church that fleshes out the Gospel of Peace. Then, from that connection, my spiritual feet can be protected as I move forward in God’s will.
Question: What are your connections in the body of Christ?
© 2019 Nick Zaccardi
The Spirit and the Word 