The Book of Ephesians Pt. 28 Spiritual Gifts from Christ for God's Glory.

Paul continues to teach us what our responsibilities and duties toward God are, in light of the doctrinal truths that He gave us. We will enter the next section of Ephesians 4 today and I am bringing the first 7 verses before us to help keep the context fresh in our minds. 

All Spiritual Gifts are for God's Glory.

Ephesians 4:1-7  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 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. 

Paul taught us about the worthy walk and described what a worthy walk looks like so that we might understand and apply these truths. He concludes this first section of Ephesians 4 with a summary statement. Each believer is given grace and some type of gift from Christ. These gifts are not for self promotion. Rather, they are for ministry to the church body, evangelizing the lost and edifying the saints. 

The word "given" means giving or supplying that which is necessary to complete a task. It is giving something that the recipients are expected to put into practice. 

"Grace" is God giving us salvation that we cannot work to earn and He does so because of His great lovingkindness. "Grace" is God having His Spirit call us through the preaching of the gospel, turning our hearts in repentant faith to Christ and regenerating our heart. 

The phrase "according to the measure" means that God above is dispensing the gifts of Christ to all saints. The Greek word translated "measure" is recognizable in the word "metric" and it refers to units of measurement of dry goods or liquids. 

Different gifts but one focus: Gospel Ministry!

Romans 12:3-8  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4)  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7) Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8) Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

In Romans 12:1-2 Paul teaches about presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, holy and acceptable in Christ. Then he explains that we must have our minds renewed and our thinking reoriented in order to seek those things which are above. Otherwise, we will be pressed into the corrupt mold of the culture. 

After that, Paul explains more about spiritual gifts given or measured out to each believer. All gifts are to be used for the glory of God and not for self promotion. We are not to think highly of ourselves because God has given us certain gifts for ministry purposes. Instead, we need to be sober minded because God has entrusted something special to our care to accomplish His purposes. 

Paul then explains that His gifts are measured out or distributed to believers by the ministry of the Spirit of God and according to the proportion of our faith. Some believers are all in for God, having an abiding passion for Him. The continuum of spirituality and passion for God range from being on fire for our Lord all the way to being cold and disinterested in Him. The idea is that those with stronger faith have learned to live in dependence upon God while those who have weaker faith are still living for self. Thus, gifts are given in proportion to how much we believe what God says, and our zeal for Him.

There are many members in the body of Christ but the variety of spiritual gifts is extremely diverse. Gifts are dispensed according to the grace that is given to us. Whatever gift we are given we are to use it fully for the glory of God. 

A pastor will have a different proportion of people skills, spiritual discernment and study habits than a lay person will have, because he must faithfully and accurately preach the word, counsel people with Godly wisdom and live out the gospel in his life and with his family. 

Many different gifts but One Giver!

1 Corinthians 12:4-7  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

Paul wrote at length to the church at Corinth regarding spiritual gifts because they misused them. Just as each believer is unique in terms of temperament, likes and dislikes and personality, so are the gifts of God unique, diverse, and we could even say, tailored for us as individuals, so we might serve God and others for His glory.

Why did Christ give us wonderful gifts? So that we might profit. The word "profit" is not used in a business sense of making a profit. The word actually means that our gift when collectively used with others, contributes and facilitates gospel ministry in the church, in our homes and in us as individuals.

Jesus led Old Testament saints to the Father. 

Ephesians 4:8-10  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.) 

Paul is fond of connecting words and he used another one here. The word "wherefore" connects what he is going to say to the preceding 7 verses. Jesus descended first to the lower parts of the earth before He ascended to heaven. The idea is that Jesus Christ triumphed over death, the Devil, hell and the grave at His resurrection and then He returned to His heavenly Father and gave gifts to men who were believers. 

Psalm 68:18  Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. 

This text from Psalm 68 is a Messianic text meaning that prophetically is pointing to Jesus Christ. Jesus ascended on high and He led captivity captive and He received gifts. 

Leading captivity captive refers to the three days and nights Jesus was in the grave, and like all Old Testament saints, His spirit was in the place of rest called Abraham's bosom. Those saints were "captive" in the sense that they could not go to heaven in the presence of God until redemption was finished by the work of Christ on the cross.

Jesus led all those "captives" out of Abraham's bosom and took all Old Testament saints to heaven with Him. 

This is a victory text and reminds us that all gifts are given because Jesus Christ the risen Son of God, sends them to us. We do not gain them by our merits or intellect or status. It is all of God, from God and for Him!

1 Peter 3:18-20  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19) By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20) Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 

What did Jesus do while He was in Abraham's bosom? He preached the Word of God specifically to the group of sinners who were killed in the flood of Noah. They refused the gospel Noah preached and suffered eternal separation from God. Remember that Abraham's bosom had two sections: one for the saved and one for the lost and they were separated by a great gulf. Yet, Abraham spoke to the rich man who died and suffered in torment (Luke 16:19-31).

The saints who were resting with Christ in the "paradise" section of Abraham's bosom were the believers that Jesus took to heaven as a first fruit offering to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Thoughts to Ponder...

Pride is something that is offensive to God and it can quietly seep into our lives. As example of this:  a gifted pastor must seek humility of spirit because no matter how powerful and persuasive his preaching may be, he is still a sinner saved by grace. His pastoral gifts are to be used to help others and for the glory of God. 

God has granted amazing gifts but they are to be focused upon Him, not us. 

May we praise God for all that He has done for us through Christ.  

May we ask God to help us rely upon Him for strength to do whatever task that He gives us to do.

May we seek humility and ask God to protect us from being filled with pride whenever God uses us to do what He wants to through and in us. 

Bob