Ephesians 4:7-10
What If God Gave You A Gift?
Introduction
1. What if God gave you a gift?
2. Ephesians 4:7-10 God has given a gift to every believer. What are you doing with the gift God has given to you? It is called grace (unmerited favor). He does it all. It is not based on human energy.
What if God gave you a gift?
I. THE TRUSTEE OF HIS GRACE 4:7
A. The Encompassment But everyone of us or but to each of us (NASV)
1. But…there is a unity, a oneness, but there is diversity. We aren’t a bunch of cookie
cutter patterns. It is not a simple conjunction. It could be translated in spite of that or
on the other hand, contrasting what has just been said.
Paul moves from the unity of believers to the uniqueness of believers.
2. everyone of us or each of us…
*Each believer is given a gift or he or she may function in the Body of believers.
*(I Cor 12:7) But each one is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
*This is something the Spirit of God is doing through the believer for the purpose of
building up the Body of believers. Gifts are not and never were for private use or
to develop the individual (personal benefit).
B. The Enablement The grace is given
1. Grace is a key in Ephesians (1:6,7; 2:5,7,8; 3:2,7,8)
2. Grace is unmerited, undeserved and unearned. God is a God of grace, because He is
a God who freely gives. It has nothing to do with anything we have done or failed to
do. It can only be received. This grace enables us. That is the sense here!
3. Grace has a definite article before it in the original. This grace (the grace) is unique to
Christ. It is subjective grace that works in and through the life of a believer. This is
the enabling power that makes special gifts function to the glory of God.
C. The Enrichment according to the measure of the gift of Christ
1. Enabling grace is measured out to be consistent with what is necessary for the operation
of Christ’s gift.
2. Each believers gift is unique. The measure is a specific portion given and is sovereign
in design from Jesus Christ. We are not in control of our gift.
*How different are we? We are as different as a finger print, a snowflake or our DNA.
*The Lord has measured out the exact proportion of each believer’s gift. We each
have a gift that is measured out to us!
*God is the source of the Enablement and the Enrichment. Grace and Faith are given
to energize whatever gift is given. By definition gifts are something we receive. They
are different capabilities, different portions, for different purposes.
3. I believe Rom. 12:4ff gives general categories. There is no exhaustive list. It becomes
obvious, each believer is unique for His purpose. He does it! IT IS ALL FOR
HIS GLORY!
What if God gave you a gift?
II. THE TROPHIES OF HIS GRACE 4:8
- The Reinforcement Wherefore…Paul is moving from gifts to gifted men.
- Paul loosely quotes Ps. 68:18 and summarizes the 68th Psalm.
- Wherefore is an explanation of v. 7 and how and on what basis Jesus our Lord can give gifts. The picture is that of a victorious conqueror.
- The Resurrection when He ascended on high
- David had conquered a Jebusite city. After a King won such a victory, he would have a parade of the conquered enemy and the spoils of war on display to be given out.
- Another feature of the victory parade was for the sake of formerly captured prisoners of war. These were soldiers who had been freed after being held captive. They were
referred to as “Recaptured Captives”. They were taken prisoner, so to speak, by their
own king and then given freedom.
- When Jesus ascended, he led a victory lap from a battle with Sin, Satan and Death as trophies of His great victory.
- The ResultsHe led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men
- He led captivity captive this is all that Satan had previously held. These are Recaptured Captives. It’s you and me who are on display. We were once bound, now we are free. Sinners once held are taken captive. He led sin captive…I don’t have to serve sin any longer. He led death captive…O death where is your sting. Possibly Old Testament saints that were in Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16) Today, you will be with Me in paradise. Today, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
- He gave gifts to men…gifts (domata) is the comprehensiveness of His provision.It wasn’t until His ascension that the Holy Spirit was given. As a victorious general gave gifts as he pleased, so Jesus gives as He pleases. Christ takes the trophies He has won and distributes them. He leaves no one out! In v. 11 He gave gifted men to the Church. Your gift is a present of His triumph!
What if God gave you a gift?
III. THE TRIUMPH OF HIS GRACE 4:9, 10
Death comes before life. Defeat comes before Victory. There is a parenthesis. Paul
comments on the words He ascended.
- The Point Paul explains ascended and descended.
- He ascended what does this mean except he also descended.
- Romans 10:6, 7 uses the same words: Who shall ascended into heaven to bring Christ down…another Incarnation. Descend into the deepthat is to bring Christ again from the dead.
- First into the lower part of the earth…There are three possibilities:
*Descended to earth…the Incarnation.
*Descended to hades between His death and resurrection.
*Christ’s death and burial…which seems to be best in the context. There must be a death and burial before there can be an ascension. A victory was won. This was proof that He was God. The payment has been made. The resurrection was the receipt that the payment was accepted. Jesus is worthy to set the captive free, and it is appropriate that He gives gifts.
B. The Person He is emphatic. v. 10 is the same…the very same One.
1. It can be none other than Jesus. He descended from heaven to earth and from the
earthto the sky. “Lord, I lift your name on high.”
2. From heaven to earth, from the earth to the Cross, from the Cross to the grave, from
the grave to the sky. “Lord, I lift your name on high” Far above all heavens…this is
the extreme range, not location.
C. The Purpose that He might fill all things…that He might fill all things with Himself.
1. Fill is too supply fully. That is to fill the universe with His influence, presence and
power (1:23-3:19).
2. The context: Hebrews 4:14 Seeing, then, that we have a great high priest, that is
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
*As the exalted mediator He fills the universe with gifts that He has earned.
*The whole earth is filled with His glory…His influence, presence and power is seen
in and through us (11-16). We are an equipped group of people shining forth Jesus
Christ.
What if God gave you a gift?
He has! He did! What are you going to do with what He has given to you?
His Son: Have you received Him?
His Gift: Are you surrendered to use it?