One Body: Unity in Diversity - Part 2 (Romans 12:6-8)
INTRODUCTION:
This morning I plan to finish up the first section of Romans 12, verses 1-8. Then for the next two weeks Dr. Vern Wilkinson will be here doing a two-part series from the book of Philippians. Then we will be into the first week of December and I will be doing some messages on the first advent of Jesus Christ and His incarnation for the month of December. Then in January we will return again to Romans and finish up chapter 12 and continue on towards the end of the book.
As I said we have been working our way through the first section of Romans 12 which is one of the main passages in the New Testament on spiritual gifts. In what we have looked at so far we have learned that to reach the full potential of our gift requires that we present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, this means a complete surrender of ourselves to the will of God. This is what God desires, He wants our lives and this total abandonment to Him is utterly satisfying to Him and our lives become useable to God and this is genuine, proper worship. This abandonment comes through a thorough knowledge of the mercies of God, as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds by the Word of God we come to an understanding of what truly we have received by grace through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we fully realize what we have received in light of what we deserve the only response can be the surrendering of ourselves completely and entirely to the will of God.
We also learned that to be useful as living and holy sacrifices requires us to have a proper attitude, an attitude of humility that simply means that we do not think to highly of ourselves or to lowly of ourselves, but that we think rightly of ourselves and others and realize that we are all gifted by God differently. Second, we must have a proper relationship or an understanding that we are all members of one body interconnected and dependent on one another. In recognition of all of this we must have proper service understanding that each of us is sovereignly and graciously gifted by God and therefore vital to the body of Christ in our giftedness and this morning we are going to look at each of the gifts that Paul lists here, understanding that this is not an exhaustive list and that each of these gifts have many facets that God blends together to gift us in just the right way so that we can minister to the body to the glory of God. Let’s pray and then get into our passage again this morning.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles again this morning to Romans 12:1-8. This morning we will be looking specifically at verses 6-8, but to pick up the context I will read the whole passage. Please, stand if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
Romans 12:1-8,
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:1–8, NASB95)[1]
GRACE GIFTS (Romans 12:6a)
Last Sunday we ended after the first part of verse 6 where Paul tells us that we all have different gifts according to the grace given to us, and we are to use them or exercise them accordingly. This word that is translated “gift” is a word that comes from the Greek word for “grace”. It could be translated a “grace gift” or a “free gift.” In other words, it is a gift, as I said in my introduction, that is given sovereignly and graciously by God to each believer as He chooses, which simply means it cannot be earned, it is not because we deserve it, it is completely an act of God’s grace and His choosing, the gift will be perfectly suited for each of us and with it will be the grace and faith needed to carry it out through the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit, it will be used to edify, to build up, to instruct, and to encourage the church, it will cause growth in the body as we use our gift to the glory of God. If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for you, that He was buried and rose from the dead, then you are forgiven, justified, being sanctified and will one day be glorified, and you are gifted by God to bless the church and glorify His name. As we begin looking at this list of gifts, I want to remind you that these are broad categories. Within each of these is a whole array of possible expressions. There are a variety of gifts, and God blends and gives you a gift perfectly suited to you and a measure of faith for the use of that gift to whatever extent that God wants it used. Because God gifts us in this way, each Christian is unique and everyone of us stands alone in the body of Christ with a function that no one else can do but you. If you do not do it, then the lack of function must be compensated for, and the benefit will not be as good as it would if each one of us performed our ministry.
Paul begins with the gift of prophecy. He writes, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;” (Romans 12:6, NASB95)[2] The immediate idea that comes into our minds when we hear the word prophecy is the foretelling of future events or making a mystery known. This certainly was a large part of what prophets in the Old Testament did and we even see this in the New Testament. The apostle John certainly foretold or prophesied of future events in the book of Revelation. Paul and Peter also foretold of future events and disclosed the mystery of the church. This, however, is only one part of prophecy, another part was to proclaim the oracles of God. The foretelling of future events, the disclosing of mysteries, the proclaiming of the oracles of God was by divine revelation. Peter wrote concerning this in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:20–21, NASB95)[3] The divine revelation of God was for the purpose of imparting new truth and the foretelling of future events and that ended and passed away with the completion of the New Testament. In this sense, as I said last week, the gift of prophecy has passed away, there is no more divine revelation we have it all right here recorded for us. Do not believe someone if they say to you that they have a message from God unless that message comes right out of the pages of God’s Word. Prophecy as a sign gift along with tongues, the interpretation of tongues, healings, miracles has passed away as I said last Sunday.
So why did Paul include it here in this list? I believe he did because there is still another part of prophecy that I believe is still in use today. If you look at the word “prophecy” in Greek it simply means to speak publicly, to stand before people and speak. Paul defined prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:3 when he wrote, “But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.” (1 Corinthians 14:3, NASB95)[4] The gift of prophecy is the gift of speaking to people and it is a speaking gift that uses the Word of God as its content. If we define the gift of prophecy this way, then this is what Peter was speaking of when he wrote in 1 Peter 4:11, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God… so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11, NASB95)[5] If you go back to 1 Corinthians 14:3 it gives the purpose of the one who has the gift of prophecy, to the one who speaks to men; he does so for edification, exhortation, and consolation. In other words, to build up his listeners in the faith, to challenge them to obedience, and to comfort them in need, using the Word of God. Even in the Old Testament it was not always direct revelation. There were times the prophets repeated what had already been received as revelation. They were reiterating what was already revealed. The point? The gift itself is a gift of being able to preach the Word of God, to make it relevant to a contemporary situation, to confront society. John Calvin wrote concerning the gift of prophecy in his commentary on Romans, “Hence prophecy at this day in the Christian Church is hardly anything else than the right understanding of the Scripture, and the peculiar faculty of explaining it, inasmuch as all the ancient prophecies and the oracles of God have been completed in Christ and in His gospel.”[6] So, when Paul lists prophecy in 1 Corinthians with the sign gifts, it fits there being a gift of revealing divine revelation, it can fit with tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing and miracles. When you come to this gift here in Romans, you know it can fit in with this list of gifts as a speaking gift to edify, exhort, and console in the life of the church.
Going back to Romans 12:6, Paul writes, “…if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;” (Romans 12:6, NASB95)[7] My version, the NASB says, “according to the proportion of his faith,” but in a footnote it says that it can be translated, “in agreement with the faith.” If the translation in the footnotes is correct that would mean when you preach or prophesy, you must make sure that you do so in accordance with the faith. The faith being the revealed faith, what we believe as written in the Word of God. Jude uses this term in his epistle, he writes in Jude 3, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” (Jude 3, NASB95)[8] In other words, biblical faith, what is revealed to us in God’s Word. If it is “according to the proportion of his faith…” then it means according to the measure of faith God has measured out to you, just like it says in Romans 12:3 which we looked at two weeks ago. God has given each believer a certain measure of faith, a certain ability to minister the gift God has given him. So, which of these is right? I think it can be both, we are to prophesy in accordance with the faith with the proportion of our faith that God has measured out to us. In other words, when you preach the Word of God make sure you preach the Word of God, the faith and make sure it is consistent with the measure of faith which you possess.
What this means is when I preach the Word of God it had better exalt the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord and His death and resurrection need to be central in my preaching because that is what the faith is built on. It is because Jesus came to this earth and went to the cross and shed His blood to pay the penalty for sin in His death and because He rose from the dead triumphing forever over sin, Satan, and death that we have faith. That is the basis of the faith, the foundation of the faith, and must be the central theme when I proclaim the faith. So Paul is saying, if you have the gift of prophecy then use it to proclaim the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ whether that be in a stadium to a massive crowd or in a small church in western Washington. If this is your gift, use it.
Next Paul exhorts us that if our spiritual gift is service, then we need to get busy serving. This word that is translated service is the Greek word from which we get our words deacon and deaconess. This type of service is a practical service of any kind and you do not have to be labeled a deacon or deaconess to serve. If you see a need that you can meet, then you go ahead and do whatever needs to be done. The Greek word literally means “to wait on tables.” If you remember in the 6th chapter of Acts seven men were chosen to take over the daily distribution of food in the church. They were serving, they were deacons. This term came to be a very general term for any kind of spiritual service. It can be the official service of someone designated as a deacon or deaconess or it could be the unofficial service of someone just stepping into the gap to serve. Again, it comes in many different forms and expressions. I know that there are some in this church that have this gifting in their own unique form. This is an essential gift for the church. Paul exhorts, if this is your gifting, then go to it and serve.
The third category of gifting that Paul lists is teaching, Paul writes, if you have this gift, then teach. What is the difference between teaching and preaching? The word used for teaching in Greek is a word that means formal, systematic teaching or training. The gift of prophecy or preaching is a one-time proclamation. It is heralding or an announcing of biblical truth. Teaching, on the other hand, is the function of systematically training people, taking them from point A to point B to point C. This can refer to someone who teaches formally in an institution or someone who is a Sunday School teacher or Bible study leader or someone who disciples someone one on one. It is a ministry of leading someone along in a systematic understanding of the Word of God. You can read about this happening in the early chapters of the book of Acts, they were meeting daily and the Apostles were systematically teaching them the doctrine of the church given to them by the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus had commissioned them to do in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, NASB95)[9] Paul had been given this gift as part of his giftedness, we see this in his letters as he systematically imparts truth to his readers. Paul says if you are gifted to teach, then get busy and teach.
Next Paul mentions the gift of exhortation and says if you possess this gift, then exhort. Unfortunately, this word has fallen on hard times in our society, it has come to have a negative sense to it, and no one wants to receive an exhortation. But this gift can show itself in many ways, it is a very broad term, and it does not have to be negative. The Greek word translated exhort is a word that means to call someone near, or to come alongside someone to encourage them, or strengthen them, or comfort them or advise them. It could be to encourage them to come out of sin and into righteousness. The result of exhortation if heeded should always be comfort or refreshment. It can mean coming along side someone in trouble and comforting them, encouraging someone weak to be strong and to become stronger by trusting the Lord and walking by faith. This gift can be shown in so many ways, the exhorter is an encourager. Those gifted with exhortation pull people up to the level of living according to what God has revealed to us in His Word. If you are gifted in this area, like all gifts you are essential to the body, we need your encouragement so don’t hide it or store it away, use your gift.
Next Paul mentions the gift of giving. Paul exhorts us that if we have this gift, then to do so with liberality. The word translated giving is the normal word for giving except that it has a prefix added to it which intensifies it, it adds to the meaning the idea of sharing and imparting, it speaks of someone who gives sacrificially of himself. We are all to give, but the person with this gift is to do so with liberality. This word liberality has as its root a word that means “with simplicity.” This means with no division of motive. In other words, you give with simplicity, for a single purpose and that is to bring glory to God, for the pure joy of giving out of obedience to Christ, with no thought on your mind of receiving anything in return, or regretting that you didn’t keep a little back for yourself. It is not done in pride or with the hope that someone is watching how much you give. Your single purpose in giving is to the glory of God and not the praise of men. If you have this gift, then use it. If you have an overwhelming desire to be generous and you enjoy giving to others, then you possibly have this gift. Don’t suppress it, express it with great joy to the glory of God.
Paul next exhorts those who are gifted to lead to do so with diligence. The word “to lead” means to manage, be in charge, to oversee, to rule. This is the gift of leadership, the ability to organize, administrate, to make things happen, to cover all the details. This is the role of elders in the church as seen in Scripture. This is where men gifted with leadership are appointed to lead the church. If you are gifted in this way, you are instructed to lead with diligence. This word diligence means to do so with haste and with zeal. The church cannot function properly without men gifted to lead. I know that we have some gifted in this area in our church. They are equipped to keep the church on the biblical course, and they seek God for wisdom to do this and they do it with humility knowing that their ability is a gift from God.
Paul ends the list with those who have the gift of mercy and he exhorts them to show mercy with cheerfulness. This is a very important gift, those who have the gift of mercy have a special place in their hearts for those who are miserable, poor, downtrodden, imprisoned, those people who really have it tough and those with mercy desire to show them pity and compassion. This is a beautiful gift, mercy toward those in pain. This gift always sees the worst side of life, Paul exhorts that we must do it with cheerfulness. In other words, this is not a gift for those who see it as a duty or do it grudgingly. If you have ever had a time of suffering or a special need, the attitude of a brother or sister in Christ can make all the difference between their being a help or a hinderance. Think about Job’s friends and their counsel, it only drove Job into deeper despair. Proverbs 14:21 says, “He who despises his neighbor sins, But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.” (Proverbs 14:21, NASB95)[10] and then down a few verses, Proverbs 14:31 says, “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.” (Proverbs 14:31, NASB95)[11] Notice that the keyword in both these verses is gracious. Those who are truly gifted with mercy always meet needs with gracious cheerfulness. Jesus himself was full of mercy, just as Isaiah had predicted that He would be. Jesus reading from Isaiah spoke of Himself as He read these words recorded for us in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18–19, NASB95)[12] Jesus Christ was the perfect example of the gift of mercy shown with gracious cheerfulness. If this is your gift it is sorely needed in the church today, use it cheerfully and use it regularly and consistently.
CONCLUSION:
I know I have gone long this morning, but I did not know how to break this section up and I wanted to finish it before Dr. Vern Wilkinson was here for two weeks and then we move into the Christmas season and focus on the incarnation of Jesus Christ in His first advent.
What a great list Paul has given us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is a simple list and we have looked at it that way. Paul was not trying to give us some detailed technical definition of each gift and all the ways that it can be expressed. He gives a general list for believers to consider as they look for how they can respond to the mercies of God bestowed upon them.
As we have looked at this list of spiritual gifts, I want to bring this into focus as I finish up this morning. You do not want to spend all your time, even with all that I have just said, looking for your gift, trying to figure it out, analyzing it. Instead let the Holy Spirit work in you. You keep your focus on the Lord Jesus and as you do you will become more like Him. As you focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, as you surrender all that you are to Him as a living and holy sacrifice, the transformation will begin with the renewing of your mind by the Spirit of God through the word which will produce in you the attitude of humility and the understanding of the unity in diversity that exists in the body of Christ and the Spirit of God begins to make the gift God has given you function with the measure of faith we have each received from God. As we allow the Spirit to guide us and we seek the Lord and walk with Him day by day we will find the gift God has given us and by the Spirit’s power we will exercise our gift to the edification of the body and to the glory of God.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[6]MacArthur, John, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16. Chicago, IL : Moody Publishers, 1994.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.