Grace was Given

Good morning, welcome to New Horizon Christian Church. Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 4.

Read Ephesians 4:7–10- “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)”

Pray.

Highlighting unity, being one with others in the church.

Does such an understanding necessarily promote a uniformity of personality and behavior? Or is there meant to be some sense of variety in the life of the Church?

Who am I as an individual member of Christ’s body, the church?

What is Paul communicating in these verses?

Spend a lot of time on this first point- Understand and apply.

1. Paul describes the work of Jesus by referencing the Old Testament.

The foundation of everything Paul states in our text is found in Paul’s loose quoting and commentary on Psalm 68.

Psalm 68:18- “You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.”

Ephesians 4:8- “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’”

Differences between the texts.

Second person in the psalm, third person in Paul.

Receiving gifts among men in the psalm, gave gifts to men in Paul.

Why the changes? Let’s notice what Paul is doing.

Paul likely has three main motivations in loosely quoting Psalm 68.

First, Jesus has accomplished that which God was accomplishing in David’s psalm.

This is the reason for the change in tense. David is offering praise to God. Paul is offering an explanation of the work that Jesus has done.

Throughout Psalm 68, the psalmist writes of the overwhelming victories of God on behalf of His people.

He has overcome all of His enemies and is spoken in v. 18 as ascending Mount Zion followed by His spoils of war.

Paul desires that Jesus would be seen in a similar light.

He has fought on behalf of His people and has won every victory.

In fact, the greatest victory won by God, that which has overcome His enemies, is the descent, or incarnation, of Christ followed by His ascension to the Father.

John Calvin- “But no ascension of God more triumphant or memorable will ever occur, than that which took place when Christ was carried up to the right hand of the Father, that he might rule over all authorities and powers, and might become the everlasting guardian and protector of his people.”

So Paul wants Jesus to be seen as the ultimate fulfillment of what God was accomplishing throughout the OT.

Second, Paul wants his readers to see the nature of the victory that Christ has accomplished.

In the psalm, God is victorious and is pictured as having taken His enemies captive, with them trailing behind Him on the way ascending Mount Zion.

Paul takes this imagery and again applies it to Jesus.

Here he pictures Jesus as first descending (which is likely the incarnation) in order to do battle with the dark cosmic forces at work in our world, namely sin and Satan.

The following ascension is pictured as Jesus leading a host of captives with Him.

Imagine the picture that Paul is painting.

Jesus descends to earth, living a perfect life and dying in the place of forgiven sinners.

In the entirety of His incarnation, but particularly in His death and resurrection, Christ overcomes the powers of sin, Satan and death.

But Jesus overcomes even more. He rescues His enemies from captivity to sin and brings them under captivity to Himself.

Romans 6:17–18- “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Not set free for the purpose of complete freedom to do what you want in this life, but instead set free to live a right and godly life.

This is the work of Jesus- setting people free from slavery to sin and bringing them to be slaves of righteousness and obedience.

These are the captives following Jesus in His ascent.

Finally, it is from this ascended position, when Christ has shown His authority over all things, that Jesus gives gifts to man, namely, gifts intended to build up and grow His Church.

Paul changes the language in order to show how Christ’s physical work is finished, but His work through the Church is ongoing.

Christ doesn’t ascend in victory merely to enjoy the spoils of war, but instead now assumes a posture of generous benevolence.

From this ascended reality, far above all the heavens, Christ begins to equip His Church, those very spoils of victory, those whom He has taken captive, with the gifts necessary to continue His ends in this world.

A bit of a change in perspective- We don’t often speak of Jesus in His ascended glory. We think instead of His earthly life.

Perhaps we believe Jesus to be dormant or uninterested, but Paul puts forward a different reality.

Aside from working as our intercessor, Jesus, in all of His wisdom and glory, is equipping the Church.

So why the differences? The best reason I can find is that Paul is connecting the person and work of Jesus back to the praise found in Psalm 68, while also making his own points about the continuing work of Jesus, causing him to tweak the wording a bit.

He takes personal liberty and freedom to take the Psalm a bit further from what it was originally stating.

And his purpose in doing so is for the encouragement of the Church.

2. Paul stresses Jesus as the source of and wisdom behind the gifts.

Grace was given.

The source of our gifts and accomplishments in the body of Christ is Jesus, given through God’s Spirit.

In fact, what is ultimately shared by Jesus is Jesus Himself- who He is, how He lived, given in part to each person who has come to know, love and trust Him.

No room to boast. What we have and what we do is given by Jesus and fueled by His Spirit.

Richard Coekin- “These are given not for our personal satisfaction or reputation, but to enrich the life and service of others in our church. These gifts of grace are not just abilities but ministries- ways for us to serve his church family.”

Coekin gets to the heart of why we receive these gifts and abilities- not to think more highly of ourselves, but instead to think more highly of those around us, and ultimately to think the highest of the Giver of our gifts.

Once we realize this, it changes the way we think about serving in the Church.

We look for opportunities to share what we have.

Kids receiving gifts versus adults receiving gifts.

Richard Coekin- “So my church is not just there in order to bless me, as though I am a shopper filling my basket in the supermarket. The opposite is true: we’re all saved and given to our churches as gifts to bless others by serving them. We are not meant to be consumers but contributors.”

According to the measure of Christ’s gifts.

What we receive is not according to our own human wisdom.

It does not have to make sense to us.

Arguing with children.

We are not to doubt what Christ has given, or where He has given it, or in what measure, because to do so would be to question Jesus’ own knowledge and wisdom.

3. Paul highlights the necessary diversity of gifts in the church body.

When we consider what Paul is saying here, it has drastic implications for our relationships within the local church.

All believers are given gifts and new capabilities for the purpose of serving and building up the body of Christ.

“Grace was given to each one of us.”

You are necessary for God’s work through the church to be accomplished.

This means that the Church was created in order that no one would feel the need to go at this life alone.

No one is gifted with everything needed to fulfill all of what Christ instructs for His Church.

John Calvin- “No member of the body of Christ is endowed with such perfection as to be able, without the assistance of others, to supply his own necessities. A certain proportion is allotted to each; and it is only by communicating with each other, that all enjoy what is sufficient for maintaining their respective places in the body.”

No pastor or elder, no ministry leader, no charismatic personality in the church family has all that is needed for us to function as Christ has called us.

The purposes of Jesus require everyone.

So here is the question- How has God specifically and specially equipped you to serve your church family?

Please know that if those gifts are withheld, the church body will be incomplete.

We depend on you!