Christ's Gifts

November is when Samaritan’s Purse collects all the Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Throughout our country and many other countries, people joyfully select multiple gifts that will fit into a Shoebox. They write notes of love to the child who will receive their Shoebox, and they pray for the child to know the True Gift.

Individuals buy and pack the gifts that go into the Shoeboxes. Designated people at local churches collect the Shoeboxes and then deliver them to collection centers. In larger facilities, additional people sort the boxes and prepare them for shipping to different countries. Finally, local churches in the receiving countries, working with Samaritan’s Purse volunteers at Gospel outreach events, give them to children in need.

Operation Christmas Child is one big project. All those participating are united by the goal of sharing the Gospel with children in need through the giving of Shoeboxes. Although there may be several things that unite all those participating in Operation Christmas Child, each participant from beginning to end has a unique role. If participants in any of the different steps of the process were removed, Operation Christmas Child would struggle or be unable to reach their goal of sharing the Gospel through the giving of Shoeboxes.

So far in Ephesians 4, Paul, by the Spirit’s inspiration, has illustrated the unity in the body of Christ which results from believer’s walking in a manner worthy of their calling (vs 1-6). Last week, we considered all the ones, the seven-fold doctrine, rooted in the Trinity and the Gospel, the worthy walk’s cause. We touched on the next truth a little last week, but this week we will begin seeing how not only are we one with other believers, but we each one of us is uniquely gifted by Christ for the edification of the body.

⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.^[1]

Ephesians 4:7-16 (emphasis added)

Paul transitions from unity to diversity with the word but. This but points to the previous thought of unity running parallel with diversity. Another way to read it would be: “Along with” [your unity in the body of Christ].

“grace was given” – Grace has been woven throughout Ephesians already (vs 1:2, 6, 7; 2:5, 7-8; 3:2, 7-8). Grace is God’s merciful kindness that we cannot merit or earn, and do not deserve. God gives grace because He is gracious. It is His nature. Grace is “self-giving” as one commentator expressed it. In grace, God gives us Himself, His presence. The Father graciously gave the Son, and Jesus willingly gave Himself to be our substitutionary atonement. Because God is gracious, He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (vs 1:3). God’s graciousness is infinite, so His grace gifts are innumerable. Here, in verse 7, God gives us enabling grace, the grace we need to exercise the gifts He gives us for edifying the church body and glorifying Him (Philippians 4:13; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:17).

Enabling grace was given to each one of us – In verses 4-6, one was used to show the unity of believers. Now, Paul combines one with each to highlight God’s design of every member of the body contributing their Christ-given gifts. My freshman year of high school as I was still recovering from three months of having mononucleosis, I had a note from my doctor excusing me from P.E. class. Unlike my excusal from P.E. class, no believer is excused or exempt from receiving and using God’s enabling grace to use our Christ-given gifts. Sinclair Ferguson stated it simply: “Each one has one.” Use it!

Enabling grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Jesus perfectly knows, and freely, graciously, sovereignly gives both the form and the amount of the gift to each believer. This is significant for several reasons. First, this squashes complaints and jealousy. Do we really want to question Jesus’ wisdom, grace, generosity, and sovereignty in how He distributed His gifts? We are not entitled to nor do we have authority to tell Jesus what, how much, or to whom He gives. We are the creation. He is Creator God. We deserved hell not salvation and other gifts of grace.

Second, on a horizontal level, when we give a gift, it typically isn’t proper to tell the person how that gift should be used, but Jesus is God. He has all authority to determine how the gift He gives each one of us is to be used. His gift is not to be used for self but rather for edifying the body of Christ (usually within our local church). They are grace gifts, so we should graciously use them for building up the body of Christ (vs 12).

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:10, 11b).

To underscore his point in verse 7, Paul quotes Psalm 68:18. “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’” If you turn in your Bible to Psalm 68:18, you may notice Paul did not exactly quote the psalm. His quote is different from the Masoretic Text and Greek Septuagint, but he rightly understands the original meaning as prefiguring the ascension of Christ (and He was inspired!).

Psalm 68 portrays a triumphal procession celebrating God’s victory over Israel’s enemy and the triumphant ascent of the Ark of the Covenant up Mount Zion, picturing God’s ascension. It was common after a battle victory for the king to parade before his people the spoils and enemy captives as well as his own soldiers who had been freed from the enemy.

In Paul’s usage, he doesn’t prefigure Jesus’ ascension. He clearly places Jesus as the conquering victor ascending to the right hand of God after His death, resurrection, and defeat of sin, Satan, and death (Colossians 2:15). There is a key difference between Jesus and a human, conquering king. Human kings received gifts or spoil from their victory. Instead, Paul stated: “he gave gifts to men.” Jesus is gracious.  He is giving. He gives grace-enabled gifts.

We talk about Jesus’ death and resurrection, but we often leave out His ascension as if the first two were the main events. However, the ascension should not and cannot be separated from the crucifixion, resurrection, and Pentecost. Jesus’ ascension declares His victory. Our High Priest sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father. He conquered sin, Satan, and death. He reigns far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named. All things are under His feet (vs 1:20-22).

Jesus Himself said that His ascension was necessary: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). Jesus’ ascension cannot be separated from Pentecost, the beginning of all believers receiving the Holy Spirit at the moment of justification. The importance of Jesus’ ascension should never be neglected. We will delve more into Jesus’ ascension next time (vs 9-10).

Reflection

1.    Each one has a gift(s). How are you using your gift(s) to build up your local church body? If you don’t know what your gift(s) is/are or don’t know where to use them in your local church, talk to your pastor, elders, and those who know you well. Not using your gift(s) is an affront to God. On a lesser scale, think how you would feel if you gave someone a gift and they threw it away or put it in a closet, never to be used?

2.    How does it encourage you in using your gift(s) to know that God has given you the enabling grace you need specifically for the gift(s) He has given you?

3.    We should praise God for the gifts He gives us and others. How can you encourage another believer in using their gift(s) and/or show appreciation, to God’s glory, for the way using their gift(s) is building up the church body?

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 4:7–16.