Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8: Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10: He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

Introduction

The apostle Paul has been emphasizing church unity in this section. He stresses that believers must endeavor to maintain spiritual unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Having exhorted the believers to endeavor to keep the unity in the church, Paul then specifies four traits or virtues that believers need to develop and to exercise to maintain spiritual unity, namely, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and forbearance. In other words, believers must strive to develop the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, if unity of the Spirit is to be maintained in the bond of peace. Then, he reminds believers that the unity we are to pursue and maintain is not a unity at all costs. It’s a unity based on truth. It’s a unity anchored on the Biblical doctrine—One body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

But then notice in the next section starting in verse 7, Paul begins with the word ‘but,’ which is a word of contrast, indicating that he is transitioning to a different emphasis. And what emphasis he is now transitioning to? Look at the text:

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

“Every one of us” or “each and every one” refers to each individual member that makes up the body. While in the last section, Paul’s emphasis was on oneness of believers, now in the next section, his emphasis is the uniqueness of believers. He now moves from unity to diversity. Though we are one, we are still individuals. John Eadie writes, “Unity is not uniformity.” It is true that all believers are one in Christ, and we are all of one family, but we are not identical. This is the paradox of the church—we are one, yet each member is uniquely individual. There is unity of the body, yet at the same time, there is diversity in the body. So, understand that the call to maintain unity, is not a call to uniformity. Biblical unity does not eliminate individuality.”

John MacArthur puts it this way, “Unity is oneness and harmony, but it is not sameness and absence of variation.” 

Another added, “The diversity does not destroy the unity and conversely the unity does not do away with the diversity.”

Reading our text again:

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Paul highlights the diversity in the body, by describing the grace given to the church. And what is this grace? We often think of “grace” in terms of salvation. But in context, the word “grace” in this verse does not refer to God’s saving grace, but God’s serving grace. It refers to the grace of God that “gifts” us for service. Paul is speaking about the ability to perform the task God has called us to. He describes this grace in verse 8 as “gifts,” saying, “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” That’s what I invite you to consider with me this morning—the spiritual gifts that God has endowed the church. These gifts are endowed for the unity and the maturity of the body. There are four important matters that I want to direct your attention regarding these spiritual gifts that God has endowed the church, The Recipients of the Spiritual Gifts, The Distribution of the Spiritual Gifts, The Diversity of Spiritual Gifts, and The Giver of the Spiritual Gifts

I – The Recipients of the Spiritual Gifts

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Whom does God grace with spiritual gifts? According to Paul, “every one of us is given grace.” Each one receives a spiritual gift. Every believer in Christ is given a spiritual gift. Each and every member of the body of Christ has received a spiritual gift. Every one of us has been granted some spiritual capability to serve God and to benefit the church. Nobody is left out. Peter Obrein puts it this way, “No one misses on Christ’s bounty.”

There is not a single person who is born again who is without a grace gift. Every Christian shares in Christ’s gifts given to His body, the church, by the Spirit. No one is without a gift; therefore no one can be considered useless or unneeded or unimportant in the life of the church. “On the ship of the church there are no passengers; all are members of the crew.” If you are born again, you can never say that there is nothing you can do in the church! Everybody has a ministry for God in the Body of Christ. If you have received God’s gracious gift of salvation, you have also received His gracious spiritual gift to be used for His glory and for the good of the church.

Some of you may be saying, “I don't know my spiritual gift.” Then make it a priority to discover it. Don’t’ waste your spiritual gift. Find out your spiritual gift and start using them for the glory of God and for the service of the church. But how does one discover his or her spiritual gift or gifts? What is the best way to discover your spiritual gift? The best way to find your spiritual gifts is to start serving. If you want to find your spiritual gift, get involved in a local assembly of believers and get busy serving the Lord. In the first place, this is why He gave us serving grace—it is to serve. God did not save us so that we could go to the house of God just to sing and listen to endless preaching. No, God saved you and me so that we can be servants in the church and do good to others and bring Him glory. He will give us all the grace we need to do just that. Now, as you faithfully serve Him, God will open doors of service for you that will fit perfectly with the gifts He has given you in grace.

II – The Diversity of Spiritual Gifts

Second, there are diversity of gifts.

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

There are many different gifts. The gifts are diverse, but it is all from the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God doing the work through the gifts. So, while there is diversity, there is also unity because all gifts are received from the same source. As we saw earlier, every believer has at least one spiritual gift. Some may receive two or more, but every believer has at least one spiritual gift.

And what are the spiritual gifts? There are five passages in the New testament that list spiritual gifts. We find then in 1 Corinthians 12:8-12; 28; Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:6-8; and 1 Peter 4:11. These lists of spiritual gifts are not intended to be exhaustive. There are many other spiritual gifts that are not mentioned in these passages. They are representative of the variety and the range and the type of spiritual gift. And as you look at these spiritual gifts, you will see that there are at least three main groups of spiritual gifts. First, there are sign gifts. This group includes spiritual gifts like miracle, healing, prophesy, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The apostle Paul calls these sign gifts as signs of the apostle in 2 Corinthians12:12 where he says, “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” Spiritual gifts involving signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds are signs of the apostle. In other words, these sign gifts were like badges or credentials that were given by God to the apostle. Sign gifts mark the apostle out as being the true messengers and ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. These gifts no longer exist since there are no more apostles today. Furthermore, since the Scripture is already complete, there’s no need for apostles.

The second group of spiritual gifts is speaking gifts. This group includes spiritual gifts like teaching, preaching, evangelism, and encouraging. And the third group is serving gifts. This group includes spiritual gifts like hospitality, giving mercy, and helping others. And so, there are sign gifts, teaching gifts, and serving gifts. A variety of gifts is needed for the church to do its ministry, and every believer is enabled to make his or her unique contribution to the whole. So, while there is diversity, there is also unity because all gifts are from the same source.

In the words of David Guzik, “Two things are true and important: the diversity and the unity. By God’s Spirit we are different, but we are all one. Don’t focus so much on the diversity that you miss the unity. Today, appreciate the powerful diversity and unity God has made among His people, and find a way to thank God for someone else’s gifts and ministry!”

III – The Distribution of the Spiritual Gifts

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

The grace that each believer has been given is “according to the measure of the gift of Christ”. As I have pointed out earlier the word ‘grace’ here does not refer to saving grace but serving grace. It is grace for service. Our gracious Lord has provided everything that the church needs to enable us to perform the task He has called us to. He has given grace to each member so that every member can function in unity and harmony one with another.

Understand that the spiritual gifts that Christ has given to the church are gifts. They are gifts of Christ through the Spirit. In fact, the word that is used for gift in the New Testament is the word charisma which comes from the Greek word  charis which means grace. These spiritual gifts are given to us by our gracious Lord out of the sheer grace and kindness of His heart. Charis always carries the idea of free and undeserved favor, not something merited or earned. We must remember that whatever spiritual gift or gifts we may have, we have them only by God’s free and sheer grace. So, there is nothing to be proud about. Nothing to boast about. These things are gifts. They come from outside of ourselves.

Naught have I gotten but what I received;

Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed. 

--James M Gray

Isn’t it wonderful that God not only has given spiritual gifts to the church but also, He has given grace to the church. In the words of the Bible commentator John Philipps, “Gifts without grace can be harsh, abrasive, and presumptuous in their effect on others, and tend to create egotism and self-complacency in ourselves. Gifts without grace produce pride, friction, and carnality—a truth all too evident in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. The more gifts we have, the more grace we need. That is why Paul spoke of grace being “according to the measure of the gift.”

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

It is Christ who determines both what gift each believer is given, and the measure or amount of that gift. The implication of this truth is that each believer should be content with his or her gift. We do not have the right to choose which gift we prefer. We should not envy those who have more gifts than us, or whose gifts are more visible and used up front of a church. Nor should look down on those who have less gifts or whose gifts are less visible than what we have. We should not envy those with greater gifts nor scorn those with lesser. In 1 Corinthians 4:7 reminds us of this, when he said, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

This grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ says nothing about who you are or what you have done, but it says everything about who Christ is and what He has done. So, all the glory and all the praise must all go to the Giver. This brings us to the fourth and last heading.

IV – The Giver of the Spiritual Gifts

Then in verse 8, Paul focuses on the Giver of the spiritual gifts that each of us receives, where he writes, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” The “he” in this verse is Christ. What Paul does here in verse 8 is he goes back to the Old Testament in Psalm 68:18, where we read, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” Three phrases here that’s worth looking into, namely, “ascended on high”, “led captivity captive”, and “received gifts for men.” This Psalm 68 is a victory song written by David and he “pictures God as a victorious warrior returning spiritual to Mount Zion (he ascended up on high) leading Israel’s defeated foes in triumphal procession (he led captivity captive); He then distributes to Israel the spoils of war (gave gifts unto men). Similarly, when Jesus returned to heaven (he ascended up on high), He conquered Satan and all his demonic horde (he led captivity captive) and distributed spiritual gifts to His church (gave gifts unto men)” (Bible Commentary).

The apostle Paul cites Psalm 68:18 to show that the Lord Jesus is the One who conquered our enemies and ascended to give gifts to each one of the members of His church. He is the One who has ascended and led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men.

Then in verses 9 and 10, Paul goes on to say, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.”

Here Paul is reasoning that if Christ ascended, He first had to descend. There are various interpretations on this phrase “he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth.” Some believed this refers to the incarnation. When Christ descended, he left heaven and came to earth as a man to die for the sins of the world. But, at His resurrection, He ascended to heaven to rule. Others believe it refers to Christ going to hades during His three days in the grave. Then, others say that Paul is referring to Christ’s ultimate humiliation on the cross. I am leaning toward this view. I personally believe this refers to the Lord’s death and resurrection. Our Lord is the victorious One through His death, resurrection, and ascension, and worthy to give gifts to men and women who believed in Him. But whatever view you take; Paul’s point is that Christ’s descent led to His victory. God highly exalted Him and enabled him, as the conquering King, to give gifts to believers.

One last thought before I give my closing exhortations—Paul, in bringing up the suffering, resurrection, and ascension of our victorious Lord reminds his readers how costly those gifts. It brings to his mind how costly those gifts Jesus Christ has given to His church were to Him. Paul wants the church to know that although the gift is free, there was a great cost that had to be paid to make this bestowal of grace available. Free to us who are recipients of His gifts, but at great cost and price to the Giver of those gifts.

Closing Exhortations

There are two things are true and important that we need to remember as we think of the body of Christ: the unity and diversity. Unity does not mean uniformity. Every one of us is different in so many ways, but God by His grace and in His wisdom has brought us together as one in Christ in this local church called Grace & Truth Bible Baptist Church. God has saved us and gifted each one of us that we can be a blessing to the whole body of Christ. And so, celebrate and appreciate our oneness and uniqueness, and find your spiritual gift and use it for the glory of God and for the blessing of the body.

Let me speak first to those who are saved. If you are saved, but you are not sure of your spiritual gifts, I invite you to come and talk to the Lord about that matter. Ask the Lord to help you find out what your gift or gifts and start using them for the glory of God and for the service of the church. As I have said earlier, the best way to find your spiritual gifts is to start serving. If you want to find your spiritual gift, get involved and get busy serving the Lord. Now, as you faithfully serve Him, God will open doors of service for you that will fit perfectly with the gifts He has given you in grace. Has God spoken to you about your spiritual gift today? If He has, please come before the Lord in prayer.

Now, let me speak to those who are not saved. I invite you to come to Jesus Christ. He will save you and He will grace you with spiritual gift to serve Him and His church. Has God spoken to you about salvation today? If He has, please come. He calls you to be saved.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Do you hear Him calling you to salvation? Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. (Hebrews 3:15).

AMEN!