And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. — Romans 8:17

When you were born into the kingdom of God, you became an heir of God.  You became the inheritor of all that Jesus paid for on the cross.  You are not only an heir, but the Bible says you are a joint heir.  Jesus was made alive, you were made alive.  He was seated at the right hand of God, you are seated.  He was given all authority in heaven and earth, you were given all authority in heaven and earth.  He rules and reigns, you are to rule and reign.  He is the Son of God anointed by the Spirit, you are now a son of God anointed by the Spirit.  You do not receive these things when you die, you received them when He died.  They are available to the Body of Christ today.  If you believe these spiritual inheritances, talk them, and live them, you will suffer persecution, not only from the world, but also from other Christians who are afraid to believe their wonderful inheritance.  Why are they afraid to believe?  Because they are still children who are not led by the Holy Spirit into truth, but are led by their natural circumstances.  They will not believe they have anything until they see it.  But they will never see it, because you can only see it​ when you believe it!  Jesus said if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40)!  Don’t try to figure it out or think it out, just get in the Word and believe the wonderful inheritance that is yours in Christ.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.

— Ephesians 4:11

God has given gifts to the Body of Christ.  The five-fold ministry was given by God to the Church to help the Body of Christ mature and grow.  These are people who have been anointed by God to teach and instruct the Body of Christ.  If they were not needed in your life, God would not have given them to you as a member of the Body.  They are no better or worse than regular church members, they just have been given a different ability.  The leadership you are under will determine what you receive in your spiritual walk.  You cannot desire to live a powerful, supernatural Christian life if you are under leadership which does not believe​ in the power of God!  If they believe God doesn’t heal, then you will live sick; if they believe poverty is godly, you will live poor; if they believe you are still a sinner, you will live in sin.  You can only receive from the head what the head has!  Make sure you find a leader who is in line with God’s Word.  Then sit back and learn of the things of God.  Remember, they are not doing a job, but are a gift to you to enable you to mature spiritually.

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. — Ephesians 4:12

The five-fold ministry was given so that a Christian could grow to a place of perfection or maturity.  When you were born again, you were born a spiritual child or baby in the kingdom of God.  The Bible tells you to “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2).  As you sit under the Word of God and are taught the Truth of God, you will begin to grow up and mature in your thought-life.  Your spirit man (or the real you) was made perfect at the new birth, but your mind must now catch up with what has already been done in your spirit.  This growing time is to bring you to a place of working in the ministry. Through the Word and the anointing, you will find your place in the Body of Christ and begin to fulfill it.  You have a position in the Body of Christ, and it does matter if you take it or not.  Usher, singer, helper, edifier, marriage counselor, greeter, teacher, cleaner, musician, pray-er/intercessor–-whatever it may be, will bring a source of joy and satisfaction to your life!  When you start to mature you will suddenly be more aware of the needs of others rather than your own needs.  Soon you will be helping others to grow up and be what God created them to be–-in the Body of Christ.

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. — Ephesians 4:13

Can you believe or imagine what it would be like for the Church to reach the stature of the fullness of Christ?  When this happens, the devil will once again run into the resurrected Christ–-in the Church.  He will be forced to loose, let go, and come out of people’s lives.  Notice this:  we all can come into this position.  It is not just for a few.  We need to come into the unity of the faith.  How?  Through the knowledge of the Son of God, or knowledge of the Word of God.  The Word preached as the Word is written will stabilize a people to come to a place of corporately believing the Truth.  There will be no division or confusion in that local Body.  They will all believe in the anointing on them and in the Holy Ghost in them, as well as that healing is for today, the devil is defeated, and they are victorious.  They are mature.  As they understand that they are what the Word says they are and they have what the Word says they have, they will rise to a place where they “trust in the Lord (Word) with all their heart”–-no more to be led by natural circumstances or their feelings, but being built on the Word.  Make a decision to believe what you see in the Word and act upon it!  You will begin to grow up and take on the identity of Christ, little by little, in your life.