Your Gift

Series on Romans

XV Spiritual Gain

B Gifts

Text: 12:3-8

Introduction

We hear a lot of talk about charismatic Christians.This text makes clear that we are all charismatic Christians. A charisma is simply a gift, and as Paul addresses the Christians in Rome he makes it clear that “every one” of them has received a gift with which they can bless others. These are not necessarily the spectacular gifts normally associated with what we call charismatic churches: gifts such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healing. However the excesses associated with those miraculous and striking gifts have often led to a devaluing of the less dramatic gifts. In the body of Christ every gift is vital and important but the tendency is to exalt the sensational and devalue the ordinary. Even the disciples of Jesus vied for a special place in the coming kingdom, so it is not strange that Paul has to remind the Corinthian Christians in his first letter in chapters 12-14 that they should not be proud of their gifts. In fact he says the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is love, and we can all love. There will always be extroverts in the church who want to be important and introverts who believe they have nothing to contribute. We must correct that misconception or we end up with too many chiefs and too few Indians. This passage is steering us in the right direction by reminding us that when it comes to gifts of the Holy Spirit there must be preparation, purpose and passion.

I Preparation

In verse 3 we read, For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. The preparation for service is a proper self-estimate. With a sound mind we are to arrive at a level-headed estimate of the position that God has prepared us to fulfill, neither lower or higher. If we are being transformed by grace, as in verse 2, we will do this because it is conformity to worldly standards that leads us astray. Worldly standards of importance and success can be enemies of the soul, and disruptive influences in the church. Paul’s terminology, “in accordance with the measure of faith,” reminds us that there are various ways in which each distinct individual is able to be a blessing to others and to the church in general by using the particular gift with which, in association with faith, God has endowed him or her. And clearly if a gift is exercised in accordance with faith it will be exercised humbly and soberly with the mind of Christ who as Paul says in Philippians 2:5-8, Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Clearly no one can serve Christ or use their gifts without resting upon and receiving Him as Savior and Lord.

II Purpose

The reason that we have differing gifts is made clear in verses 4-6, Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. The reason is that we belong to one body that has need of different gifts and abilities. Here Paul emphasizes the organic unity of that body (many members in one body); the purposeful diversity of the members and of their functions (and these members do not all have the same function); and the mutual needs and benefits of these several members who are united in Christ (so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members of one another). Thus when God saves us and we are incorporated into the Church each one of us has a special role to fulfill and that role is essential. In I Corinthians 12 Paul explains this by using the human body as an analogy for the body of Christ. We read in the American Standard Version in verses 13-25, For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. We could not get a clearer picture of the importance of identifying your gift and using it for the benefit of others. As Paul says in I Corinthians 12:7, But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal, that is, for the common good.

III Passion

In addition to preparing our hearts with humility and realizing that the purpose of any gift we possess is to serve others, Paul adds in verses 6-8 the injunctions urging us to utilize our gifts fervently, whole-heartedly and passionately. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. There is no appearance of a systematic arrangement; on the contrary, Paul seems to refer, without any order, to the various duties which the officers and even private members of the church were called on to perform.The gifts emphasize the two-fold ministry of the church which is “word” and “deed.”The service of which Paul speaks here is derived from the same Greek word as Deacon and is a term applied to both leaders, including Apostles and members in the church. Paul in no way confines these gifts to the official leadership. They are shared in different measure by members of the body, however, and as the church gradually matured and leaders were chosen as in Paul’s later epistles to Timothy and Titus, these gifts became focused in the leadership. Yet, the membership of the church continued to exercise these gifts, and that is how new leaders are discovered. The one gift in this list which is truly different in our time is the gift of prophecy. From Paul’s teaching in Corinthians we know that in the first century there were prophets who were immediately and directly inspired. This was essential in the period of formation when, as yet, the church did not possess a completed New Testament. There was revelation that had not yet been written down or inscripturated. This is the reason Paul says of the gift of prophecy that it is to be exercised in proportion to the faith. Notice in verse 6 that in the original it is not “his” faith but “the” faith, and the word translated “proportion” is actually the word from which we get “analogy.” So literally Paul is saying that one should prophesy according to the analogy of faith, and this means according to the divinely revealed content of the faith in the Old Testament and in those portions of the New Testament available along with the teaching of the Apostles. Paul says the same things in his first letter to the Corinthians in Chapter 14. There he clearly asserts his apostolic authority over the prophets in verse 37, If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord. The last three gifts mentioned are significant because they are described with adverbs that tell us how all the gifts were to be carried out: generously, diligently, and cheerfully. Thereby we are reminded that serving others in the body of Christ is fulfilling Jesus words, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.” He gave Himself generously, diligently, and cheerfully, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.