On YouTube, I wrote "We all ought to live up to the full stature of Christ in the choices we make." This was in reference to:
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.
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;
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.
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;
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 of itself in love. (Ephesians 4)
A commenter wrote:
"Focus on the 'full stature of Christ!' I guess you are talking about taking on his character and the best way to do that is to start by modeling everyone in your life. Taking the best qualities of everyone you know, like building spokes on a wheel."
Yes.
Gospel principle: You must use all the information God has given you before he will give you very much more.
Gospel principle: All things testify of Christ.
Gospel principle: Godly men and women will teach you more about what Christ is like than anything else here.
Putting it together: Find and collect all the best demonstrations of Christ, live them, and God will teach you much more about himself. Until you do, he not only has no reason to, but it would violate eternal law, and even if he did, you would not notice, appreciate, or receive it.
I found this old graph that will help you understand. (Ignore the $50 label, that was an artifact in the original and I no longer have the code or computer I used to make this some ten years ago).
