Ephesians 4 Part 8
Bible Study Time 11-13-05
Ephesians 4:7 (NKJ)
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
Believers have this assurance today, that we have been given gifts that will enable us to accomplish anything and everything that God calls us to do. If God wants us to do something, He will give us the ability and the strength to do it. To the Philippians, Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13, NKJ)
Satan will set obstacles in our path any time God calls us to do something. There will be set backs along the way, and we may be tempted to quit at times. But God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape. God will supply our need and give us the victory for the sake of His own honor and glory. God alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.
Moses was called to bring the children of Israel up out of Egyptian captivity. He had his doubts about whether he was up to such a monumental task. After all, who was Moses in comparison with the king of the most powerful nation on the face of the earth? But God said, “Moses, I will be with you.”
When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He said, “I am the God of your father-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6, NKJ) Immediately, Moses hid his face for he was afraid. Then God said, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. (Exodus 3:7-9, NKJ)
This must have been encouraging news for Moses for he too had seen the misery of the Jews in Egypt. God went on to say:
Church links:
Bible Study Time 11-13-05
Ephesians 4 and verse 7 says:
Ephesians 4:7 (NKJ)
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
Believers have this assurance today, that we have been given gifts that will enable us to accomplish anything and everything that God calls us to do. If God wants us to do something, He will give us the ability and the strength to do it. To the Philippians, Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13, NKJ)
Satan will set obstacles in our path any time God calls us to do something. There will be set backs along the way, and we may be tempted to quit at times. But God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape. God will supply our need and give us the victory for the sake of His own honor and glory. God alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.
Moses was called to bring the children of Israel up out of Egyptian captivity. He had his doubts about whether he was up to such a monumental task. After all, who was Moses in comparison with the king of the most powerful nation on the face of the earth? But God said, “Moses, I will be with you.”
When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He said, “I am the God of your father-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6, NKJ) Immediately, Moses hid his face for he was afraid. Then God said, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. (Exodus 3:7-9, NKJ)
This must have been encouraging news for Moses for he too had seen the misery of the Jews in Egypt. God went on to say:
Exodus 3:8 (NKJ)
8 "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, . . .
God has heard the cry of the Jews, and He is planning to deliver them. This must have been exciting news for Moses, but watch what happens next. At this point God says:
Exodus 3:10 (NKJ)
10 "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
All of a sudden Moses realized that God was not just giving him the scope on His plans for Israel, but that God was calling him to return to Egypt to deliver his fellow countrymen from slavery.
Moses immediately shrunk back with fear and doubt, and the first question on his mind was “Who am I.” He asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh.”
Then Moses asked an even better question when he asked, “Who are you?” It is nice for us to know who we are, but it is much more important for us to know who God is. Our greatest need is to learn about God and to know Him personally.
God said, “I am who I am, and I will certainly be with you.” God set forth His own personal power as Moses’ guarantee of success. But when Moses got to Egypt, He quickly learned that his success was going to be a little more complicated than he may have thought.
As it turned out, Moses went before Pharaoh over and over again. Each time Moses faced Pharaoh’s stubborn rebellion. But by the time Moses and the children of Israel left Egypt after the Passover, Moses was fully confident in the power of God. It was God who had called him to this task, and it was God who was going to bring it to pass.
We today can have that same confidence because God has given to each one of us grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. As we serve the Lord, we can rest assured that God will supply our every need so that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
First of all, God has given us His word, and we know that:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJ)
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When my wife, Joan, and I first married, I was perfectly content to use sheets for curtains over the windows. To my mind, buying curtains would just be a waste of money. I soon discovered that Joan had a different point of view. She had the idea that our home should eventually be thoroughly furnished with all kinds of beautiful things that would turn our house into a beautiful home for us and for our children.
Well, it seems that God feels the same way about our lives. He has made provisions to fill our lives with everything we need for every good work. Through His word, He has given us doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, that we may be completely furnished unto every good work.
But here in Ephesians 4, we learn that we have been given individual gifts as well. God gives us tailor-made gifts which are crafted according to our particular need and according to our particular mission.
During the Acts period, the gifts which were given to believers were quite a lot different from the gifts which are given today. At that time, God was offering the New Covenant Kingdom to the nation of Israel. If the nation of Israel had accepted Christ as her Messiah during that time, Jesus Christ would have returned from heaven, and He would have established the glorious earthly kingdom which had been promised to Israel from the time of Abraham.
During the Acts period, God gave many sign gifts to confirm the kingdom offer. Many believers experienced the power to heal and speak in tongues and other miraculous things. The book of I Corinthians was written during this time, and these gifts are clearly seen in passages such as I Corinthians, Chapter 12 where we read in verse 7:
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJ)
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Even here, however, Paul goes on in Chapter 13 to show that love is greater than all of the sign gifts. Chapter 13 verse 1 says:
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Paul concluded that:
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (NKJ)
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
Paul was looking into the future when the sign gifts would no longer be necessary. He referred to Christ and His kingdom saying, “When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part will be done away.” Where believers experience the fullness of Christ, there is not need for sign gifts.
By the time Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, Paul had been called to reveal the Church which is the Body of Christ, and in Ephesians 4, we see no hint of the sign gifts, such as healing or speaking in tongues. Chapter 4 verse 11 says:
Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJ)
11 And (Christ) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
In this passage we see that Paul is no longer waiting for that which is perfect to come for the kingdom offer had been set aside. In the program for the Church, the Body of Christ, God has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to build up the Body of Christ so that it may grow into the full stature of the perfect man, into the stature of the fullness of Christ.
God could have chosen to build up the Body of Christ all by Himself, just like He could chosen to deliver Israel from Egypt all by Himself. But He chose to work through a man in the Old Testament, and today He has chosen to work through men to bring the Body of Christ to perfection.
The gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 include apostles and prophets, but we should not be confused by that. When Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, most of the apostles were still alive, and the word of God had not been completed. The Apostle John completed the word of God when he finished the book of the Revelation, and since that time Christ’s gifts to the Church include only evangelists, pastors and teachers.
When were these gifts given to the Church? According to verse 8, when Christ ascended on high, He lead captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Paul explains in verse 9, saying:
Ephesians 4:9-10 (NKJ)
9 (Now this, "He ascended"-- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
When Christ died upon the cross, He descended into Hell, which is in the lower parts of the earth. In Psalm 16 David said, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Ps 16:10, KJV) In Acts 2, Peter confirmed that David was speaking of the resurrection of Christ.
In Romans 10, Paul spoke again of the fact that Jesus Christ descended into the earth before He ascended into heaven. Verse 6 says:
Romans 10:6-9 (NKJ)
6 . . . the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
When Christ descended into hell, He did battle with Satan and all of Satan’s forces. According to Colossians 2:15, He disarmed the principalities and powers of darkness, but when He ascended into heaven, He triumphed over Satan’s forces and made a public spectacle of them. It was at this point that Jesus Christ led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.
Through these gifts, God has provided the means by which the members of the Body of Christ can and will grow into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
We saw last week that there is one faith and that that faith is the faith which is fully invested in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is the one faith of the scriptures. It is disheartening that today we see so many different denominations of believers with each holding to its own brand of doctrine.
We must keep in mind that God’s purpose for the gifts today is that we might grow into the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, but we must also keep in mind that this is a spiritual unity, not an organizational unity. There can be no spiritual unity apart from the absolute truth of God’s word.
Contrary to all appearances and in spite of the many divisions within the realm of Christianity, God is moving the true Church toward the unity of the faith. No Satanic conspiracy can thwart the plan and purpose of God. As the Church which is the Body of Christ moves ever closer to the unity of the faith, it will become more and more as odds with this world system which includes the religious system of the world.
May God place within our hearts a genuine desire to grow in the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God so that the true Church which is the Body of Christ may grow into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ who is the perfect man.
It’s been a pleasure being with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
8 "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, . . .
God has heard the cry of the Jews, and He is planning to deliver them. This must have been exciting news for Moses, but watch what happens next. At this point God says:
Exodus 3:10 (NKJ)
10 "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
All of a sudden Moses realized that God was not just giving him the scope on His plans for Israel, but that God was calling him to return to Egypt to deliver his fellow countrymen from slavery.
Moses immediately shrunk back with fear and doubt, and the first question on his mind was “Who am I.” He asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh.”
Then Moses asked an even better question when he asked, “Who are you?” It is nice for us to know who we are, but it is much more important for us to know who God is. Our greatest need is to learn about God and to know Him personally.
God said, “I am who I am, and I will certainly be with you.” God set forth His own personal power as Moses’ guarantee of success. But when Moses got to Egypt, He quickly learned that his success was going to be a little more complicated than he may have thought.
As it turned out, Moses went before Pharaoh over and over again. Each time Moses faced Pharaoh’s stubborn rebellion. But by the time Moses and the children of Israel left Egypt after the Passover, Moses was fully confident in the power of God. It was God who had called him to this task, and it was God who was going to bring it to pass.
We today can have that same confidence because God has given to each one of us grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. As we serve the Lord, we can rest assured that God will supply our every need so that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
First of all, God has given us His word, and we know that:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJ)
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When my wife, Joan, and I first married, I was perfectly content to use sheets for curtains over the windows. To my mind, buying curtains would just be a waste of money. I soon discovered that Joan had a different point of view. She had the idea that our home should eventually be thoroughly furnished with all kinds of beautiful things that would turn our house into a beautiful home for us and for our children.
Well, it seems that God feels the same way about our lives. He has made provisions to fill our lives with everything we need for every good work. Through His word, He has given us doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, that we may be completely furnished unto every good work.
But here in Ephesians 4, we learn that we have been given individual gifts as well. God gives us tailor-made gifts which are crafted according to our particular need and according to our particular mission.
During the Acts period, the gifts which were given to believers were quite a lot different from the gifts which are given today. At that time, God was offering the New Covenant Kingdom to the nation of Israel. If the nation of Israel had accepted Christ as her Messiah during that time, Jesus Christ would have returned from heaven, and He would have established the glorious earthly kingdom which had been promised to Israel from the time of Abraham.
During the Acts period, God gave many sign gifts to confirm the kingdom offer. Many believers experienced the power to heal and speak in tongues and other miraculous things. The book of I Corinthians was written during this time, and these gifts are clearly seen in passages such as I Corinthians, Chapter 12 where we read in verse 7:
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJ)
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Even here, however, Paul goes on in Chapter 13 to show that love is greater than all of the sign gifts. Chapter 13 verse 1 says:
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Paul concluded that:
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (NKJ)
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
Paul was looking into the future when the sign gifts would no longer be necessary. He referred to Christ and His kingdom saying, “When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part will be done away.” Where believers experience the fullness of Christ, there is not need for sign gifts.
By the time Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, Paul had been called to reveal the Church which is the Body of Christ, and in Ephesians 4, we see no hint of the sign gifts, such as healing or speaking in tongues. Chapter 4 verse 11 says:
Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJ)
11 And (Christ) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
In this passage we see that Paul is no longer waiting for that which is perfect to come for the kingdom offer had been set aside. In the program for the Church, the Body of Christ, God has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to build up the Body of Christ so that it may grow into the full stature of the perfect man, into the stature of the fullness of Christ.
God could have chosen to build up the Body of Christ all by Himself, just like He could chosen to deliver Israel from Egypt all by Himself. But He chose to work through a man in the Old Testament, and today He has chosen to work through men to bring the Body of Christ to perfection.
The gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 include apostles and prophets, but we should not be confused by that. When Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, most of the apostles were still alive, and the word of God had not been completed. The Apostle John completed the word of God when he finished the book of the Revelation, and since that time Christ’s gifts to the Church include only evangelists, pastors and teachers.
When were these gifts given to the Church? According to verse 8, when Christ ascended on high, He lead captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Paul explains in verse 9, saying:
Ephesians 4:9-10 (NKJ)
9 (Now this, "He ascended"-- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
When Christ died upon the cross, He descended into Hell, which is in the lower parts of the earth. In Psalm 16 David said, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Ps 16:10, KJV) In Acts 2, Peter confirmed that David was speaking of the resurrection of Christ.
In Romans 10, Paul spoke again of the fact that Jesus Christ descended into the earth before He ascended into heaven. Verse 6 says:
Romans 10:6-9 (NKJ)
6 . . . the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
When Christ descended into hell, He did battle with Satan and all of Satan’s forces. According to Colossians 2:15, He disarmed the principalities and powers of darkness, but when He ascended into heaven, He triumphed over Satan’s forces and made a public spectacle of them. It was at this point that Jesus Christ led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.
Through these gifts, God has provided the means by which the members of the Body of Christ can and will grow into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
We saw last week that there is one faith and that that faith is the faith which is fully invested in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is the one faith of the scriptures. It is disheartening that today we see so many different denominations of believers with each holding to its own brand of doctrine.
We must keep in mind that God’s purpose for the gifts today is that we might grow into the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, but we must also keep in mind that this is a spiritual unity, not an organizational unity. There can be no spiritual unity apart from the absolute truth of God’s word.
Contrary to all appearances and in spite of the many divisions within the realm of Christianity, God is moving the true Church toward the unity of the faith. No Satanic conspiracy can thwart the plan and purpose of God. As the Church which is the Body of Christ moves ever closer to the unity of the faith, it will become more and more as odds with this world system which includes the religious system of the world.
May God place within our hearts a genuine desire to grow in the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God so that the true Church which is the Body of Christ may grow into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ who is the perfect man.
It’s been a pleasure being with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
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