Gifted By God To Serve!

Thank you for reading the post! God has gifted every one of us to serve Him. Be encouraged today by what the Word of God reveals. Eric

Everyone has been gifted by God, our Creator to function in this world in some fashion or another.

Uniqueness is manifested in individuals according to the varied gifts God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has given them .

Some are mechanically minded and are good at working with their hands. Others are artistically gifted. We have those who have become carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, engineers, farmers, doctors, chefs, seamstresses, teachers, preachers, businessmen or women, musicians, etcetera. Obviously, we could continue on and on with this list.

Everyone working at what they are good at provides for the needs of all. Every one of these giftings is important and given by God, as He has created us all.

Just as we have various gifts to share with the world around us, God has given the church, the body of Christ, gifts to share also. We are encouraged in God’s Word to use our various gifts to the best of our abilities.

As we look at Romans 12: 3-8 , we will see that several of the gifts given by the Father are mentioned in these verses. Romans 12:3—8, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

“Transformed kingdom living calls for lives marked by humility and service through giftedness to the body of Christ. Just as a physical body is made up of many members each with a different function, the church is a body of many members but all closely related and constituting a unity in Christ, with each one having individual functions and responsibilities. The phrase ‘measure of faith’ in verse three is not saving faith but the faith to receive and exercise the gifts God apportions to us.” (Textual notes in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible on Romans 12:3-8)

It is also important for us to understand that the ‘work of ministry’ is the enterprise of each member of the body of Christ and not the exclusive charge of select leaders. That means, even if you are not fulfilling a ‘leadership role’ in your body of believers (church) you still have a specific place and function to fulfill as being a part of that body! You are important!

“The gifts of the Father are unique to us individually. These gifts are given for moments in time, but the gifts of the Father stay with us our whole lives. They’re part of our DNA or come from unique opportunities that God has given us to develop skills. Some examples of natural gifts are artistic, athletic, organizational, and relational ones.” (www.bible-knowledge.com)

Every believer is encouraged by God’s Word to use your various gifts to the best of your ability.

The next gifts we will look at are those which Christ gave for the nurturing and equipping of His church to do the work of ministry (service) and for the building up of the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:7-12, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." 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.) 11 And He 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,

The Greek word used for ‘equipping’ is kataritismos, meaning: training, perfecting and making fully qualified for service.

Notice, these gifts that Jesus gave to the church were not manifestations but actual people who are given to build up the church.

Verse 7 reveals that He has given each one of us a special gift of grace through His generosity. You have been given this gift.

It is really important that we understand what verse 12 reveals. The responsibility of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is to equip the believers, you and me, to do His work.

Once we are taught and equipped, our responsibility then, is to do His work!

Jesus spoke some amazing words in John 14:12, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” How is it possible that we would do the works He did and even greater works?

When Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure, (His going back to sit at the right hand of the Father after His death and resurrection.) He informed them that it was “better for them that He go because if He didn’t, the Helper (the Holy Spirit) would not come to them.” (John 16:7).

When Jesus returned to heaven, the Father sent the Holy Spirit. Then, we receive this wonderful revelation in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, “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.”

“Paul identifies a spiritual gift as a supernatural ability bestowed on an individual by the Holy Spirit, not as a heightened natural ability.” (Textual notes in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible). Each gift mentioned in these verses is a manifestation of the Spirit. Each gift given has a purpose!

These gifts are given so that we can be effective in every aspect of life as we minister and serve in the church and minister in the world around us to those who are in need of coming to the saving knowledge of Christ. They are given for the common good, so that the Holy Spirit can work through us for the profit of all.

Hebrews 2:3 and 4 reads, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”

God bore witness to the awesome salvation He planned for mankind with signs, wonders, various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit which were given according to His own will!

All the gifts of God are given to the body of Christ (the church) to serve others. Jesus told His disciples that to be great in the kingdom, they need to be a servant and if they desire to be first among them, they need to be their slave. Jesus came to serve and we should do the same. (Matthew 20:26-28).

Should the Holy Spirit desire that you move in the gifts, do so as a good steward of the grace of God! God supplies the ability for you and I to minister so that He may be glorified! (1 Peter 4:10 and 11).

We are informed in 1 Corinthians 12:31 that we eagerly desire the best gifts. However, we are then told that He will show us a more excellent way! That ‘more excellent way’ is revealed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, “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. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

All manifestations of the Spirit must at the same time manifest the way of love, for love is the ultimate issue behind all things. Without love, all that we do means nothing and gains us nothing! “Without love, the most magnificent manifestations of gifts and the most heroic self-sacrifice means nothing.'“ (Textual notes, New Spirit Filled Life Bible). “Let God’s unconditional love permeate your attitudes, motives, thoughts, words and actions. Understand that love authenticates spiritual gifts.” (Truth in Action, New Spirit Filled Life Bible).

I want to encourage you to read Romans 12:1-21, Ephesian 4:1-32 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 on your own if you are able.

We shared more detail concerning the gifts of the Spirit in some of our previous posts. If you missed them, they were posted on 10/18/20 (“Spiritual Gifts/Tongues”); 10/26/20 (“More on Tongues”); 11/4/20 (“More Concerning the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Prophecy, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom”); and 11/11/20 (“Action and Ministry Gifts in the Body of Christ”)

May you be encouraged to walk in the fullness of what the Lord’s desire for your life is. Remember, He equips those He calls.

Till next time - Keep on keeping on! Keep reading His Word! Keep on praying! Keep serving! You are gifted by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit to do His work. The Lord working through you will change people’s lives!

To God be the Glory!

All Scripture used was taken from the New King James Bible