God alone provides salvation for man. When we speak of God here we speak of the Godhead. The Godhead consists of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. All three are involved in salvation. The three persons of the Godhead are one. God the Father gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who came to this earth as a babe. He is the eternal Son of God. He is the Creator of all things. He took upon Himself flesh in order to go to the cross and shed His blood and die for the sins of man.
Since the fall of Adam, all people are born with a sin nature. Jesus Christ, being God, is without sin. He paid the penalty for sin to His Father. He not only died and shed His blood. He was also buried and then rose again victorious over sin and death three days later. This is important to note, considering we are quickly coming to what is marked on our calendars as “easter”. It is sad that not many preachers are willing to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. The Bible is clear that Jesus Christ would spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jesus pointed to the fact that Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a fish, due to his rebellion against God. Of course there are many who think that is just mythology. However, there are men who claim to believe the Bible and thus they would insist that they believe that the account of Jonah is accurate. Moreover, they cannot suggest that Jesus Christ lied when He referred back to that event in explaining His own sacrificial death. Yet for “expedience” sake, they refuse to teach the truth on this important Biblical truth.
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, works in the heart of every lost sinner to convince them of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment. He also indwells every true born again child of God.
God is very good to mankind in giving us His Word. We can know Him and we can know His gift of salvation. We can also know how we are to live after we are saved. God chose the apostle Paul to write the book of Romans to teach important doctrines. We have been looking at these things for the past while. In our text today we see that God gave differing gifts to those who are born again. These gifts are according to His grace.
Some have received the gift of prophecy. Prophecy has two distinct different meanings in the Bible. The one most people are familiar with is the foretelling of things to come. There were Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and many others. They were directed by God to foretell the future on certain things. They also had the second definition of the word “prophecy” which is the admonishing of the wicked and comforting the afflicted. The prophets spoke to kings and to the people. They warned the false prophets of their sins. They were directed by God to seek to help the people to follow the truth.
In the New Testament there were also prophets. Jesus Christ is Prophet, Priest and King. In the book of Acts we read of the prophet Agabus. Paul was directed to declare that the foretelling part of prophecy was going to come to an end when the perfect is come. The perfect is the Word of God. The Word of God was completed with the writing of the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no prophecy taking place in that regard since the completion of the Scriptures. There are many false prophets today. Many gullible people are willing to accept these individuals’ words as truth.
One of the facts that the Bible teaches about prophets, those who foretell the future, is that every prophecy they speak must come true. We know there is no person that fits that requirement today.
There is still the need to proclaim the truth, admonishing the wicked and comforting the afflicted. That is the duty of evangelists, pastors and teachers.
Back in our text we are also told there would be the gift of ministry. Ministry has to do with those who act in obedience to the commands of others. In the context, that would be the commands of God. Whether that be evangelists, pastors or teachers, or any other born again Christian. All saved people are called upon to be witnesses unto Jesus. We have a duty to tell others the truth.
Teaching is the ability to lay out the truth in a manner that is clear and according to the source material. A true Bible teacher helps the hearers to understand what God is saying. We do not take the place of or interfere with the work of the Holy Spirit. We show the hearer what God is saying by comparing Scripture with Scripture. We teach the truth.
In verse 8 we see the gift of exhortation. In Romans 12:1, Paul used the word “beseech”. The same Greek word is used there as with the word “exhortation”. It is a call to respond obediently to a Biblical command. We cannot force people to obey God, but we need to strongly encourage them to do so. We do not threaten them. We allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in our witnessing and teaching.
Giving is to share or to give over. This can be in many ways. Biblical giving is a gift from God. It is that willingness to share what God has blessed us with. It is not the welfare system of our time. That is used by many people who refuse to work. It is not used to support those who walk the boulevards of streets asking for funds either. They need the Gospel.
In the book of Acts there were people like the lame man in Acts 3. He could not work. He was begging at the temple gate. Peter and John did not give him money. They were apostles and they had the power to heal. They healed that man and he could then get up and go to work and provide for himself and also help others. There are still people with genuine needs today. God will direct His child to know who those people are. Our giving needs to be done with simplicity. Those who have the gift of giving are not giving to seek recognition from others. They are not looking to be noticed. They are giving as to the Lord. He sees the heart and He rewards in ways that are much greater than having a plaque with your name on it or a brick with your name on it.
There is also the gift of ruling. The person that rules does not do so as our P.M. or the other politicians. The one who rules, does so under the fear of God. We need rulers. We need rulers who know the fear of God in their hearts and who can thus give sound guidance to others. Fathers need to rule in their homes. They need to do so with love and care for their wife and children. Pastors are to rule over the flock that God gives them. They do so with love and care as well. They want to help the people to know the blessing of the Lord.
Showing mercy has to do with helping others. Christians are willing to help others without expecting something in return. The first priority in all of these is to fellow believers. When a true church functions in this manner, it will speak volumes to the world. Rather than running to the government for help, true Christians need to help each other. True Christians do not take advantage of others. Those who are helped at one point will likely have opportunity to help others at some point as well. It works well when God is in charge.
We see here that this is done with cheerfulness. If you are going to grumble and complain as you help another person in need, you will miss out on the blessing that God would want you to know. All of these gifts are for those who are saved. There are lost people who can be very helpful. We have a neighbour that often clears our driveway after a snow storm. We have never asked him to do so, but when he does his yard he often comes and does ours as well. We have offered to pay him but he does not want money so my wife bakes things for him. He is a lost man who is not interested in the Gospel at this point, but we are friendly toward them and hopefully they will see the importance of God’s salvation before it is eternally too late.
“Good works” will not save anyone. Good works are only good after a person is saved. That is the need of all people. Today is the Lord’s day. Why not obey God today and follow Him to a good church and listen to the Word of God. Some of those reading this have a good church to attend. Others do not. God wants to bless you with His Word and with His fellowship. You can find His Word preached on some internet sites. You can only find the fellowship He wants you to have in a true local church. If you are saved, your soul longs for that.
Pastor Bartel