THE MEASURE OF CHRIST’S GIFT
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on April 30, 2023 under 2023 |
Bethany Bible Church Sunday Sermon Message; April 30, 2023 from Ephesians 4:7-10
Theme: Our Savior’s ability to place us and uniquely gift us for His gracious calling is immeasurably sufficient.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
Click HERE for the live-stream archive of this sermon.
Click HERE for the audio version of this sermon.
If you have placed your faith in Jesus and have been redeemed by Him … if you have grown to love Him and have given your devotion to Him … if you have rejoiced that He has forgiven you completely, and destined you for eternal glory, and has made you a member of His household of faith … then eventually, you ask this important question: What is my particular place in it all? What role do I play in His church? How am I to serve?”
In other words, “What is my particular ‘spiritual gift’ in the body of Christ?”
The Bible speaks much about our ‘spiritual gifts’—that is, those particular abilities for ministry that God gives His people for the service of His church and for His glory. Some believers seem to have a sense of what their spiritual gift is almost right away. But there are others of us who have struggled with that question for a long time. We know that the Lord wants us to play a role in His church and in His kingdom’s service. But we don’t know for certain what that particular role is supposed to be. Some of us have even searched hard. We’ve gone to training courses, or had formal education, or have taken several ‘spiritual gift inventories’ to help us determine what our particular area of ‘gifting’ in the body might be. We’ve been told that we must find our ‘spiritual gift’ and develop it for the work of the kingdom. And yet, some of us feel that the search has been—at best—a frustrating process of ‘trial and error’ … and even then, without a clear answer.
Well; we come this morning to a passage in Ephesians 4:7-10 that gives us some help in the whole matter of fitting into our place in the Body of Christ. And in the end, it encourages us to shift our focus from off of ourselves in our search for our gifts, and instead on to the divine Giver of those gifts. After all, He’s the one who uniquely gifts each one of His redeemed people for service in His church—just as He sees fit. And He is immeasurably able to guide us, and place us, and equip us for that role … if we will just keep our focus on Him and faithfully do as He commands. In this passage, the apostle Paul writes;
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things) (Ephesians 4:7-10).
Now; to really benefit from this passage, I’d like for us to consider four things: (1) the importance of this passage; (2) the details that we find in this passage; (3) the logical argument that this passage sets before us; and finally (4) the application of this passage to our personal lives.
And as we do so, what we’ll find is great encouragement for those of us who sincerely want to serve our Lord and find our unique role in His church family—but who also feel as if we don’t yet know specifically what that role is. It will show us that it’s not so much about searching to find our ‘spiritual gift’, as it is simply a matter of yielding ourselves to our sovereign Lord. That takes a great deal of the pressure off; because as this passage shows us, our Savior’s ability to place us and uniquely gift us for His gracious calling is immeasurably sufficient.
We can completely trust Him.
* * * * * * * * * *
So; let’s begin by considering the importance of what this passage is telling us. It begins with Paul’s admonition to walk in a manner worthy of our calling in Christ. He writes in verses 1-3;
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (vv. 1-3).
In Chapters 1-3 of this letter, the apostle Paul had been showing us how God—by His grace—has placed us “in Christ” by faith, and has completely redeemed us from our sins by Jesus’ shed blood on the cross. We are now—as a gift of God’s grace—destined to be glorified with Jesus, and to share forever with Him in His rich inheritance. That’s now our “calling” in Christ. That’s our sure and certain destiny. And Paul is urging us to “walk”—or conduct our daily life—in a manner that is appropriate to that glorious destiny. We’re to live humbly and gently. We’re to bear with one another’s faults and imperfections in love. And we’re to preserve and protect our unity together in Christ.
Paul went on to describe that precious unity in verses 4-6. He wrote;
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (vv. 4-6).
We spent some time last week considering what these seven spiritual realities tell us about our unity in Jesus. We learned that we don’t have to make ourselves unified. We’re already united in Jesus—and in ways that no other power on earth could unite us. So; instead of trying to unite ourselves as His people, it’s our job to protect and preserve our unity in the bond of peace.
But that ‘unity’ doesn’t mean ‘uniformity’. We’re joined together in one body in Christ; but not as ‘cookie-cutter’ versions of one another. Our Lord has formed us together—with all of our unique distinctions and qualities, and with our unique gifts and abilities—in order for those differences to function together as a whole. And that’s when we come to our passage this morning. You’ll notice that it begins with the word “But …” This is to show us that we have unity … but within the context of an intentional diversity. Paul wrote;
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things) (vv. 7-10).
Paul wanted to make it clear to us that our sovereign Lord Jesus is the one who established the differences of gifts between us. He’s the one who arranged and gifted the members of His body in place as He chose. And He’s able to empower each person’s gift for the good of all.
And then, that’s when Paul takes up the subject of the gifts themselves—showing us how they work together to serve the whole body of Christ. He writes;
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (vv. 11-16).
I truly thank God for those words! They contain some very exciting and practical truths about what a wonderful thing the church is. It reminds us of how much we need to meet together, and to be involved in church life. But before we can even begin to put those exciting truths into practice—we first need to hear the important point that Paul establishes for us in our passage this morning—in verses 7-10.
And so; I hope you can now see how important the words of this morning’s passage are. They put Jesus Christ front and center in the whole matter of our spiritual gifts and of finding our place in the body of Christ. They establish for us that He is the victorious, sovereign Lord of all. And not only is it up to Him alone to distribute the various gifts of service among us as He wishes, but it’s all made effective by His sufficiency to guide each one of us and empower us in the use of those gifts.
He is the divine Head of His body. And so, when it comes to thinking about our spiritual gifts, let’s take our eyes off ourselves! All eyes go on Him!
* * * * * * * * * *
So then; that shows us the importance of what this passage is telling us. Now, let’s consider some of the details that we find in it. If we don’t get hold of some of these details in our thinking, we won’t understand Paul’s reasoning as we should.
First, look at verse 7. Paul tells us, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” And we need to understand specifically what Paul meant by that important word “grace”. Paul has already spoken of grace in this letter. He told us in Chapter 2 that we’re ‘saved by grace through faith’. That speaks of God’s unmerited favor in saving us as a free gift—apart from our works—through our faith in what Jesus has done for us on the cross. And we love God’s ‘grace’ in that sense. But what Paul means by “grace” in this particular verse is a little different from that sense. You see; he’s writing to believers who have already been saved by grace. And so what he’s talking about now is something that God gives to His redeemed people in the church. He’s talking about their particular place of service to Jesus Christ.
Take a look at Ephesians 3:2. That’s where the apostle Paul told his readers about “the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you …” And what he was talking about was his unique role of proclaiming the mystery of the gospel to Gentiles. In verse 7, he called it a “gift of the grace of God”. So; this word ‘grace’ is being used there to describe the ministry that God ‘graciously’ gave him. It was a tremendous privilege; and Paul felt greatly honored to have been given that role. In verse 8, he wrote;
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ … (3:8).
And that’s what Paul is talking about in our passage this morning—in Ephesians 4:7. He’s saying that to each one of us, “grace was given”; that is, a particular ministry of service to our Lord. In fact, in the original language, he calls it “the grace” that is given to each one of us. But then, notice how it was given. It was given “according to the measure of Christ’s gift”. In other words, it’s not something that we take up to ourselves according to our own initiative and preference. As this passage shows us, each one of us has been given “the grace” of service in some way; but it’s in accord with His gift—in accord with His sovereign choice of giving and in the degree that He wants it given. He is the One who is in charge of arranging His body as He sees best; and of equipping each member with a unique grace as He deems best.
Now; to help to see that this is entirely in keeping with the plan and promises of God, Paul then goes on in verse 8 to quote from the Old Testament. He writes;
“Therefore He [that is, God the Father] says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men” (v. 8).
This is a quote that Paul took from Psalm 68:18. If you were to go back and read that Psalm, you’d find that it’s a psalm of great victory. It describes God as a mighty warrior who comes to the aid of His people Israel. He conquered the wicked enemies who held His people captive and set them free. And once He had—as it were—taken ‘captivity captive’, and sets His people at liberty, He then does what many of the mighty conquering kings and rulers did in the Old Testament. Just as a victorious conquering hero would do, He poured out the blessings of the bounty of his conquest upon His people, and showered them with the benefits of His victory.
Paul was stressing this point to us in order to show us that what the Lord Jesus does for His church is in keeping with the Old Testament promises about Him. He’s the mighty conquering Savior who has released us from the devil’s captivity. He’s the one who has set us free. And now, He’s the one who blesses us richly with the abundance of His victory. It’s a great honor and a glorious grace to be delivered from our sins, and to now be put into the service of our conquering Savior!
Now; the Lord Jesus brought this great victory about for us when He ‘ascended on high’. He was raised from the dead in great victory for us. And that’s when Paul goes on to show us how gloriously qualified and sufficient He is to pour these blessings upon us. Paul goes on in verse 9 to ask; “Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?” That makes sense, doesn’t it? After all, if the eternal King of glory—God’s own Son—has ‘ascended’ far above the heavens, then it must have been that He had first ‘descended’ from above the heavens in order to ascend to them again. And He did that for us in His incarnation. The Son of God took full humanity to Himself, was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary, and was born in lowliness into the human family. He lived among us, and died as one of us—even suffering the humiliating death of the cross for our sins, and even laying in the tomb for three days.
But look also at what Paul then goes on to say in verse 10: “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” The Son of God, who enjoyed eternal glory with His Father in heaven, left that glory and ‘descended’ to save us. And now—having fully atoned for our sins and having completely conquered the devil on our behalf—He who descended has now ‘ascended’ again in victory. God the Father has honored Him above all. There is now no spot in all the universe over which He is not our conquering Savior and Lord. From the realms below to the realms above, He fills all!
He is the conquering Savior! So; once again, all eyes off us! All eyes on Him! Amen?
* * * * * * * * * *
So then; with all that in mind, let’s now consider the logical argument of this passage. And to help us do that, let’s take the three great affirmations of this passage in reverse order.
First, read once again what it says in verses 9-10: “Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” This means that …
1. OUR LORD JESUS NOW VICTORIOUSLY FILLS ALL THINGS.
Think of how the apostle Paul has told us about this wondrous ‘descending’ and ‘ascending’ of our Lord. In Philippians 2:5-11—in the context of the apostle’s exhortation for us to serve one another—Paul wrote;
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).
Can there be any greater descent from the heights of heaven to the depths of the earth in humility—and then, any greater ascent again from the depths of the earth to the heights of heaven in glorious victory—than that of our Lord? Because He did this for us, God the Father has exalted Him above all. He truly fills all things; because every knee will now eventually bow to Him, and every tongue will now eventually confess Him as Lord.
And He specifically fills all things for His church! This is from God the Father Himself! As the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:22-23;
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23).
So then; that’s who our Lord is. That’s who it is that now reigns over His church. He is the one who now victoriously fills all things. And that leads us to the next logical affirmation—the one that we find in verse 8. Paul quoted from Psalm 68—in that wonderful ‘victory’ psalm that speaks to us of our victorious Lord—and said;
“Therefore He says:
‘When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men’” (v. 8).
This means that …
2. IN THIS FULLNESS, HE NOW GIVES GIFTS TO HIS PEOPLE.
No one is richer, or more powerful, or more capable than the one who now gives gifts to His church. He is the one Who has completely delivered us from our captivity to the devil. As Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us;
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15).
We have been set free by Him! And what’s more, He has gained this victory for us through His cross—and to the complete humiliation and conquest of the devil Himself. As it says in Colossians 2:15;
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15).
He pulls those conquered and humiliated demonic forces behind Him in His victory parade! He has taken captivity captive! As our victorious Lord and Master, He has now ascended on high in glory and honor! And He now showers gifts upon His redeemed and rescued people—His church!
Now; back in verse 7, Paul started off by saying, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Not only is the ‘measure’ of this giving in accordance with His will; but with such a Savior as ours, the ‘measure’ is truly immeasurable! And so, this leads us to one final affirmation; that …
3. HIS GIFTS ARE IMMEASURABLY SUFFICIENT FOR EACH BELIEVER’S GRACIOUS CALLING (v. 7).
He’s the one who calls us. He’s the one who puts us into place. He’s the one who equips us with spiritual gifts. And He is the one who sustains us in the work. As Paul put it in Romans 12:3-8;
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:3-8).
* * * * * * * * * *
So then; as this passage shows us, our mighty, victorious Savior’s ability to place each one of us and uniquely gift each one of us for His gracious calling is immeasurably sufficient. It is as immeasurably sufficient as He Himself is. We can trust Him!
And that leads us, in conclusion, to how to apply this passage to our lives. Based on what we have learned from this passage about our Lord—and also based on what we’ve learned from the surrounding context of this passage—I suggest that if you truly want to know your place of service in the church, you should do the following three things:
-
First, since this whole passage is about our worthy walk, you should strive with all your heart to walk—in your daily conduct—in a manner worthy of your high calling in Christ. Be a truly holy woman or man in every area of your life; because sanctified people are who it is that He puts to work in the service of His body.
-
Second, since God will not place a person in a position in His body that is self-seeking, or who is not willing to get along with the other people that He has gifted, you should work very hard to protect the unity of the church family in the bond of peace. Make sure that you are in a state of relational peace with all of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
-
And third, since it all depends upon the sovereign choice and purpose of our Lord, you should be careful not to focus too much on your gifts. Take the focus off yourself, and learn instead to focus your attention on our Lord and on the needs of others in the church family. Just give yourself to Him, trust Him completely, and do for Him whatever that thing may be that He gives you for the service of His body—whether big or small.
Now; if you do this, it may not be that you will end up knowing specifically what your particular spiritual gift is. But that’s alright. The Lord Jesus already knows. And when He puts you to use in this way, your fellow church members will also know.
And that’s really all that matters.
AE
