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cannot automatically do the work they are expected to do. They have to be prepared; they have to be trained. These five ministries have been given to do that training. The second purpose of these ministries is “so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
    Our vision expands as we go on in verse 13. We read: “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature.” Do you see this truth? These ministries are placed within the Body of Christ to bring us into the unity of the faith and to bring us to maturity.
    Paul concludes verse 13 with this thought: “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” In order to attain this maturity, Jesus Christ, as head of the Church, has providedthese five main ministries. Frankly, I believe that God’s people will never attain maturity without this provision.
    In verse 16 of that chapter, Paul, speaking about Christ again, says: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16 NIV 1984).
    The ultimate portrait of the Body of Christ painted here by Paul is not an assortment of separated, isolated individuals, each one doing his own thing. Rather, the result is to be one body held together by ligaments—by strong bands that hold it together—building itself up and growing. For that growth to happen, it is essential that each part of the Body does its work.
    Two Requirements
    God’s program for coming to maturity has two main requirements. First, we must come under the discipline of the God-given ministries that Paul has just listed: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Without that discipline, without that oversight and without that instruction, I cannot see how God’s people can ever attain to maturity. Jesus never made a provision that was not important—so I believe this provision is essential.
    The second condition is that we must be part of a growing body, not just isolated individuals. In this same Ephesians 4passage, Paul states the only possible alternative to a growing body—one that is very sad. If we do not follow God’s program for maturity, we will be “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14 NIV 1984).
    You see, if we do not come under these ministries—if we do not become part of a body and accept this scriptural discipline—Paul says the only alternative is that we will remain infants. We will be “tossed back and forth, blown here and there by every wind of teaching.”
    I know many believers like that. Every year they have a new fad, a new doctrine and often a new teacher to provide the fad—“by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” Instead, they ought to come under the discipline of the legitimate ministries Jesus has given as gifts, and be part of a body. That is the only way to maturity.
    Let me ask you a personal question. How about you? Are you under discipline? Are you part of a body of believers? Are you fulfilling the mandate of this fifth key? Are you advancing—pressing on—to maturity?

8 Let Us Draw Near to the Most Holy Place
    O UR SIXTH KEY for successful living is found in Hebrews 10. It is interesting to me that in almost every one of these keys, the text begins with the word therefore . In other words, we see a logical unfolding, a sequence of thought. Here are our first five keys:
Let us fear
Let us be diligent
Let us hold fast our confession
Let us draw near to the throne of grace
Let us press on to maturity
    Have you placed these first five squarely in your memory? If so, let’s move on now and look at the sixth key.
    KEY #6
    “Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place”

    Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by