He Gave
Grace And Gifts
Pastor
Darrin Wright – April 13, 2008
Introduction
In these verses, Paul shifts his
emphasis from discussing “walking in unity” in the body of Christ to referring
to what God has done for those who have trusted in His son. The worthy Christian walk he has just
described in verses 1-6 is carried out through the ministry of
the grace and gifts He has given us in verses 7-10.
These verses parallel Romans 6:1-4(NASB), where the apostle
Paul writes:
“What
shall we say then? Are we to continue in
sin so that grace may increase? May it
never be! How shall we who died to sin
still live in it? Or do you not know
that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into
His death? Therefore we have been buried
with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
In these verses, the apostle Paul
explains exactly what Jesus was actually doing between the time that He died on
the cross and when He rose triumphantly from the grave. Paul uses the vivid language of ancient
warfare to help us grasp the truth of Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the
devil.
The goal of this passage is for us
to understand what Jesus accomplished in His death, so that we can grasp with
our heart, mind, and soul that whatever He did in His death applies not only to
Him but now also to us.
Romans
Romans 8:11 (NASB) – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from
the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
When you and I grasp what Jesus’ death actually accomplished
with regard to our sin, to death, and to the works of our enemy the devil, we
will be able to appropriate the grace and gifts that are already available for
us to face those same opponents. We will
be able to see sin, temptation, and the enemy of our soul not as potent and
unbeatable foes threatening to overwhelm us but as completely humiliated and
defeated enemies. Because of what Jesus
did on the cross and beyond, we will by grace be able to overcome the power of
sin, the flesh, and the devil in our lives.
Chip Ingram (The Miracle Of Life Change pg. 85) – “The
unfortunate truth is that we have developed a culture among evangelical
believers in which no one is surprised when a person prays to receive Christ
yet very little change occurs in that person’s life.”
In these verses the apostle Paul
explains some profound theological truths that apply to our lives. Understanding them will create the foundation
for genuine change and for personal transformation.
I. He Gave Serving Grace. (vs.7)
1.
“But to each
one of us grace was given”
2.
But
– “in spite of that” or “on the other hand”; contrasting the previous subject
matter with what is about to be said. It
is a contrast between the emphasis of unity in vs.1-6 and the emphasis of
diversity in vs. 7-10. It is a contrast
between “all” and “each one”. Paul moves
from the unity of believers to the uniqueness of believers.
3.
each one – Paul makes a personal, emphatic point; there
are no exceptions to this; if you are a Christian you have received at least
one gift, and the grace to go with it. If you do not have a spiritual gift, you
are not a Christian.
4.
grace – sacred trust for the purpose of service;
capacity for service; it does not refer to our salvation but to the enabling
power that comes from our salvation; it is the ability to perform the task God
has called us to.
5.
We need God’s
grace in order to use His gifts.
6.
Gifts without
grace can be harsh and abrasive in their effect on others. Gifts without grace produce pride, friction,
and carnality.
7.
The more
gifts we have, the more grace we need.
8.
grace was
given – The nature of grace
is giving, because God’s nature is to give.
God is a God of grace because He is a God who freely gives. God is gracious because of who He is, not
because of who or what we are. His grace is therefore unmerited, unearned,
and undeserved. It depends entirely on
the one who gives it, not on those who receive it. Grace is God’s self – motivated, self –
generated, sovereign act of giving.
Grace is God’s self donation, His self giving. He not only gives blessing to men, He gives
Himself.
1.
“according to
the measure of Christ’s gift”
2.
according to
the measure – God’s grace is
given exactly to fit who we are so that our life and purpose will achieve God’s
highest glory and will bring about the greatest joy in our lives.
3.
Saving grace,
the grace which saves sinners, is given to all who believe. But serving grace, the grace which equips
God’s people to serve, is given in differing degrees “according to the measure
of Christ’s gift.”
4.
This special,
Enabling grace is measured out to be consistent with
what is necessary for the operation of Christ’s gift.
5.
There is a
relationship between grace and gifts, and the church needs both grace and gifts.
6.
Paul is
teaching us how the body of Christ functions and grows. The lord has provided everything that the
body needs: grace so that its members
can function in harmony with one another; and gifts so that the body can live
and grow through the ordinary lives of those in the body.
7.
God chooses
to use us and our “giftedness” to help change lives and lead others in the
process of transformation.
8.
There is a
direct relationship between the grace we have received and our giftedness.
9.
Application: There is no need for us to
feel inferior or week. We have been
empowered through God’s grace.
II. He Gave Serving Gifts. (vs.8)
1.
“Therefore it
says, When He ascended on High, He led captive a host of captives”
2.
In this
verse, Paul is going to explain how we as believers came to receive spiritual
gifts and why they are such a significant reminder of our new identity in
Christ.
3.
therefore – introduces an Old Testament quote from Psalm 68:18.
4.
Psalm 68 is a
Psalm of triumph, quite possibly written in celebration of the bringing of the
ark of God (which symbolized the presence of God) to
5.
Paul is using
the imagery of this Psalm and applying it to Christ’s incarnation and
ascension.
6.
When nations
waged war in ancient times, battles often involved an attacking army pitted
against a fortified city. The people of
a city hunkered down behind towering walls and reinforced gates. The attackers surrounded the city and began
building great earthen mounds against the walls. If they couldn’t break or burn through the
massive wooden doors, they eventually gained access to the city when the
constructed ramps reached the top of the walls.
Then they conquered the city and made captives of the people. Citizens became slaves and their possessions
became the booty of the conquering army.
7.
After a great
victory, armies usually followed a certain protocol. The king or military leader got credit for
the victory (2 Sam.12:27-31). Once the
city was captured, the king or the general would often ride a white horse as he
returned from the conquered city back to his home city. The Romans called this procession –
triumph. Behind him marched all of his
troops in shining battle array as the victors.
Behind them, lined up in formation, three, four, or five abreast and
often a mile or two long, depending on the number of captives, would be the
conquered. Captives had no rights. They were often partially or completely
stripped of clothing and dignity while they paraded as trophies of war. Victors utterly humiliated their foes.
8.
Once the king
arrives at his palace, the next order of business involves the sharing of the
spoils. Everyone walks away from the
parade with a valuable token of the King’s victory. The gifts of oxen, jewelry, coins, and
clothes taken from the captives were a constant reminder of the great victory
over a formidable foe.
9.
when He
ascended on High – depicts a
triumphant Christ returning from battle on earth back into the glory of the
heavenly city with the trophies of His great victory.
10.
He led captive a host of captives – He brought the Old Testament saints into the
heavenly city with Him.
1.
“And He
gave gifts to men”
2.
Like a
triumphant conqueror distributing the spoils to his subjects, so Christ takes
the trophies He has won and distributes them to His children.
3.
When the
Savior was exalted on high, He sent the Spirit and with the coming of the Spirit
also came His gifts to the church.
4.
spiritual gift – A supernatural ability Christ gives to His
believers that enables them to perform functions in the church with
effectiveness and skill.
5.
There are
four main passages in scripture that talk about spiritual gifts: Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 28-30;
Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11.
6.
These
gifts have a specific purpose: to serve
and edify Christ’s people, the church.
They are meant to draw our eyes to Christ which means we get joy in
using them, but He gets the glory.
Truths About Spiritual
Gifts
1.
Every
believer has at least one gift.
2.
Spiritual
gifts are given when we are saved and are used to fulfill God’s calling for us.
3.
The gifts are
varied and fill different roles. Some
are more visible than others, but all are equally important.
4.
Spiritual
gifts are different from our natural talents and abilities.
5.
Spiritual
gifts are also distinct from the Fruit Of The spirit (Gal.
6.
Spiritual
gifts are sovereignly given, which means that no
gifts should be sought, no gifts should be unused, and no gifts should be
exalted.
7.
No two
believers are gifted the same way.
7.
John Macarthur – “By definition, gifts are something we receive,
and we receive spiritual gifts through the working of God’s grace. Believers’
gifts are not determined by their preferences, inclinations, natural abilities,
merit, or any other personal consideration, but solely by God’s sovereign and
gracious will. We are gifted according
to His plan, His purpose, and His measure.
We have no more to do with determining our gift than we did with
determining what color of skin, hair, or eyes we would be born with.”
8.
The source of
power behind all spiritual gifts is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His power to overcome sin and death is at work
in every believer, granting us access to God and enabling us to serve Him
effectively.
9.
Not to use
our gift is an affront to God’s wisdom, a rebuff of His love and grace, and a
loss to His church.
10.
Application: Because we have been gifted
by God, there is a place of service for everyone one of us in the body of
Christ. It also means that we are
special and unique, God has not made or gifted anyone
else like us.
III. He Gave Sovereign Grace. (vs.9-10)
1.
This passage
parallels 1 Peter 3:18-19.
2.
1 Peter 3:18-19 (NASB) – “For Christ also died for sins once for all,
the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to
death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; in which also He went and
made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.”
3.
In the Jewish
mind set the afterlife was called Sheol, and it had
two major compartments. Hades, where the
wicked resided, and paradise where the righteous resided. And a gulf or chasm separated the two.
4.
Jesus confirmed
this in Luke 16:19-31 when He told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
5.
Between
Jesus’ death on
6.
Jesus went to
Hades and proclaimed a royal announcement to the wicked and demonic forces
there. He cried, “It is finished, the
victory was won when I died on the cross.
Sin’s power has been broken.
Death no longer has its sting, and you are defeated.”
7.
Jesus also
visited
8.
Early church
dogma taught that the righteous dead of the Old Testament could not be taken
into the fullness of God’s presence until Christ had purchased their redemption
on the cross, and that they had waited in this place for His victory on that
day.
9.
Figuratively
speaking, the early church fathers said that, after announcing His triumph over
demons in one part of Sheol, He then opened the doors
of another part of Sheol to release those godly
captives.
1.
that he
might fill all things – Jesus
came to demonstrate what was always true – He is lord. He is the ruler, the sovereign, the deliverer
of all the world and all the universe.
2.
Jesus
established His right to reclaim creation.
He was declaring that He had defeated sin, death, and Satan. He provided for our spiritual freedom and
transformation.
3.
When we
accept Christ as our Savior, we die with Him.
Therefore, all the benefits of His dearth and His victory over sin,
death, and Satan are applicable to us.
4.
The only
power that Satan, sin, and death have over us is the power we give them.
5.
Christ has
displayed, disarmed, and destroyed the works of Satan. (Colossions
2:13-15)
6.
Application: Because Christ has defeated
sin, death, and Satan, you and I can be victorious over these same
enemies. That means we should not be
living defeated lives, but victorious lives because of God’s sovereign grace at
work in our lives.