All right, let’s move on to the next set of gifts.

Let’s review quickly so that we have context for clearer understanding. There are three sets of gifts described by the Apostle Paul and all are referenced in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

The previous devotional described verse six and now we are going to focus on verse five.

What Paul teaches in verse five corelates to Romans 12:3-8.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”  

There are seven gifts mentioned in this passage by Paul, and these gifts are different than the other groups. While the previous group that we studied has a tendency (depending on the faith and grace given) to lean toward leadership of some sort, these do not.

That sounds strange given that one of the gifts seems to be leadership, so I will explain my rationale in a while.

Let’s list the gifts and take a closer look. There is Prophesying, serving, teaching, exhorting, contributing, leading and mercy.

In our wise perception, immediately we recognize that the gift of prophecy and teaching seems to be redundant. It is mentioned in the gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11 and in the Romans 12 passage we are looking at today. Are they redundant? I don’t think so.

This will help our understanding. Although, I believe everyone has one of the five gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, not everyone has been given the grace by God to use the gift in a governmental way in the church. God apportioned to each one for the general good of the church according to His will for that person’s life.

Those gifts in the Ephesians passage can and do rise to become titles and roles of leadership, steering the church toward maturity in Christ.

The gifts in view today are not designed to lead a church. They are described by Paul as being used in the church. Notice his language around the description.

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”

Paul is telling us that these gifts are not roles we have in the church like the prior gifts. A person can be a prophet or evangelist, but they cannot be a mercy. You can have mercy, and you can teach, and you can give generously.

I believe that you Christian, have at least one of these gifts, and maybe more than one. And these gifts are oh so necessary for all of our churches to exist in power and excellence. This specific set of gifts have the purpose of making sure the local church is efficient, effective and in unity.

These are practical, day-to-day gifts that are to be used in small and great ways to make the church stay the church.

In the act of ministering to others, which of these would make you feel satisfied and happy to do? In other words, suppose you got to do your favorite thing at church some Sunday morning, which of these things would it be?

1. Prophesying: The divine enablement to proclaim God’s truth with power and clarity in a timely and culturally sensitive fashion for encouragement, building others up and comforting those who are hurting.

2. Serving: The divine enablement to attach spiritual values to the accomplishment of practical and necessary tasks, which support the body of Christ, coupled with the desire to come along side those who need help with various needs.

3. Teaching: The divine enablement to understand, clearly explain, and apply the word of God to the lives of listeners.

4. Exhorting: The divine enablement to reassure, strengthen, and affirm those who are discouraged, wavering or young in their faith.

5. Giving: The divine enablement to contribute money and material resources to the work of the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality.

6. Leading: The divine enablement to instill vision, to motivate, and to direct people to accomplish the work of the ministry.

7. Mercy: The divine enablement to see past brokenness to what God is doing in a person, showing compassion and understanding so-as-to compel toward spiritual growth.

So, which of these resonates in you? One or more will. After using your gift, driving away from a gathering of the body of Christ ought to make you feel excited and fulfilled. If you have embraced your spiritual gift and are eager to be used of the Lord…there is nothing like it on earth!

I can’t for one second imagine the false teaching today, that spiritual gifts are gone. It is preposterous to me to conclude that none of these things are happening in the church. If a person simply took a second to look around in the church, you would see these things happening everywhere in the church.

Are we to conclude that they are happening, but we shouldn’t call them by their God given names…spiritual gifts, so that we can keep our Holy Spirit quenching theology intact? Look at the church – these gifts are everywhere.

Embrace them, use them, do not deny them.

1 Timothy 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.    

Father, thank You for Your heart that gave gifts to men. And Your Son Jesus made them possible by demonstrating what they are to look like and then by dying for us, He made it possible that we could have them. And then he sent the Holy Spirit to live in us to activate the gifts, so that we and the world could see that You are active and powerful to love and save.

Blessings,

Pastor D