Intro to "The Gifts of Christ to His Church" (Eph. 4:7-11)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/9/2019 9:26 AM

My Worship Time                                          Focus: Intro to “The Gifts of Christ to His Church”



Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Ephesians 4:7-11

            Message of the verses:  “7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." 9 (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,”

            I have mentioned that the Spiritual gifts are spoken of in 1 Cor. 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and then 1 Peter 4, and so this is the first time that I have actually studied the different Spiritual gifts since I studied the book of 1 Peter, and off hand I don’t remember when that was, but it was a while ago.  The gifts of the Spirit have had a lot of controversy stated about them for a very long time, and so it is very good that I will get to studied those that Paul mentions in this section, mainly from verse eleven, and he does not mention many in this letter to the Ephesians, but we will study all that he mentions as we go through these five verses.  I am excited to look at this section.

            Before we talk about these verses I want to once again mention what John MacArthur wrote at the end of his introduction to verses 1-6 of this fourth chapter, and I think as I go on with this introduction you will understand why I am doing this.  “In Ephesians 4:1-6 Paul appeals to believers to walk worthily of their high position in Jesus Christ,  In describing that walk he discusses its call, its characteristics, and its cause.”   We spent the last several weeks going over those three main points.

            Let us begin this introduction by looking at what is the essence of the gospel.  Think for a moment about John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost, but should have eternal life” (Phillips).  What we see here is not what men should do for God, but what we see here is what God has done for man, and that is the essence of the gospel.  Now as we study both the OT, and the NT we see many commands and requirements, we see many standards to be met and also obligations to be fulfilled.  However as important as those things are, they are not the heart of Christianity.  What these are, are simply what God calls and also enables us to do for His glory, and they are in response to what He has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ.  As we look at each of the New Testament books we will find that they all teach what Christ has done for believers, and also every NT exhortation is built on that foundation, the foundation of what Christ has done for us, that is the foundation of God’s gracious provision through the Savior.  God has given us the supreme gift of grace and so His children are to respond in faithful obedience as seen in a verse which I have quoted many times in these SD’s and that would be Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

            John MacArthur writes “Paul begins this passage by referring to what God has done for those who have trusted in His Son.  The worthy Christian walk he has just described (4:1-6) is carried out through the ministry of the gift He has given us.  In verses 7-11 the apostle first assures us that every believer has been individually gifted; then he shows us how Christ obtained the right to give gifts; and finally he mentions some of the specially gifted men through whom the Lord blesses the whole church.”

            As I look at this quotation from John MacArthur it confirms what I have been learning for some time as I have studied the Word of God, and that is that what I am to do for the cause of Christ is to do the things that He has planned for me in eternity past, and in order for me to do that I have to receive His gifts so that I can accomplish those things He wants me to do.  This all boils down to having everything I do bring glory to my Lord, for after all Jesus paid it all so that I can be a believer, and I must remember that He came to earth doing the will of His Father, and then I must also remember that the Spirit of God gave me an effectual call 45 years ago so that I could become a born-again believer in Jesus Christ.  All of this was done by the triune God in order for me to bring glory to God.  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength to do them so that He will be glorified.

Today’s quotation:  “Do you love life?  Then do not squander time, for that the stuff life is made of” (Benjamin Franklin).

3/9/2019 10:05 AM