Ephesians 4:7-16

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.  Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Spiritual gifts come from God as a result of the salvation His grace bestows on us.  The unity for which we were saved is not achievable in the strength of our own flesh.  We need God’s enabling in order to achieve this unity and to walk in a manner worthy of His calling.  However, God has chosen to work through us to accomplish His mission.  He does not do the work apart from us but does it through us.  We are not passive in the mission of God.  Rather, we are active instruments that are equipped and enabled by the Spirit of God to accomplish the will of God.

 

GIFTS ARE A SUPERNATURAL GRACE: We learn a lot about spiritual gifts from this first phrase.  First of all, we learn that they are a result of God’s grace.  We cannot earn our gifts and they are not given to us because of any merit.  They are bestowed on us by God through His Spirit as blessing.  They are also given to each one which means that all believers have been granted this grace.  They are granted according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  In other words, Christ has determined the gifts we need to accomplish His will.  There are no limits to the gifts available in Christ.  He measures them out according to His sovereign design.  His distribution of gifts is somehow related to his having descended into the world of the dead upon his crucifixion and then ascending with the saints from that place into the heavenly places in the presence of the Father.  We obviously have a limited understanding of all that took place in the world of the dead.  What I “think I think” is that before the crucifixion of Christ the Old Testament believers were “captive” in a place called Paradise or Abraham’s bosom.  They were not in heaven because the price for sin had not yet been paid.  When Christ died, I “think I think” He went to that same place and proclaimed to them the Gospel and then ushered them into heaven.  The death and resurrection of Christ made a fundamental change in the world of the dead and the living.  Those who die in Christ may now immediately go into His presence.  Those who live in Christ are now indwelt an empowered by the Spirit with spiritual gifts that are used to fulfill the mission of Christ on earth.  This is a supernatural gift of the Father in the Son through the Spirit.

 

GIFTS ARE FOR OUR ETERNAL GOOD: Some of the gifts God has given to believers are for the establishment and leadership of the church.  Apostles lay the foundation of the church and expand it to places where it does not exist.  Prophets proclaim God’s Word and reveal His will to men in an authoritative way.  Evangelists proclaim the Gospel that unbelievers might understand and respond to the Good News and be saved from their sin.  Shepherds and teachers communicate the Word of God and minister to them as a means of helping them to fulfill the will of God.  These are obviously not all of the gifts granted by the Spirt but are gifts that God grants to those He calls into positions of leadership for advancing and maturing the church.  Leaders are to equip the saints to accomplish the various ministries of the church that are designed to help the entire body grow into the likeness of Christ, be unified in love, be mature in the face of suffering, and be steadfast in the face of false teachings.  All these things are for our eternal good and the glory of the father.

 

GIFTS ARE FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH: When we were unbelievers, we are without hope and completely vulnerable to the schemes of this world and the devil.  As believers we are rescued from sin, indwelt by the Spirit and placed in the body of Christ.  This body is now working together through speaking truth in love to one another by the power of the Spirit’s giftings so we can grow.  We are cooperating with and through one another to form the image of Christ in one another’s lives.  Our gifts are not meant to be sources of glory for ourselves.  Our gifts are from God and for His glory which is manifest by the church being united together in love to make adjustments on one another and be a blessing to one another.  The greatest joy we can experience is being Christ-like.  The best way we can love one another is to help each other towards that goal. 

 

APPLICATION:  Thank God for the wonder of the Gospel and the gifts Christ’s death has made possible to us.  Lead through Spirit empowered gifts in such a way that others will be made more like Christ and God will be glorified.  Use loving and true words to minister growth and maturity in the body of Christ.