TEXT: Romans 12:3-16

SUBJECT: Body Life #1

The subject of these paragraphs is "Life in the Body of Christ". By the "Body of Christ", Paul means the people of God in general and one's church in particular. Some believers quibble about the wider use of the word, but are hard pressed to explain the passage more narrowly. In v.5, Paul speaks in the first person plural: "We, being many, are one body in Christ". And it's clear whatever he was, he was not a member of the Church in Rome, as 1:10 makes clear. These verses, therefore, show us how to live in the community of faith.

The Apostle's teaching can be divided into two parts: Gifts in the Body of Christ (vv.3-8) and Attitudes in the Body of Christ (vv.9-16). The churches in Rome needed reformation in these areas; so do we. May the LORD grant it, for Christ's sake. Amen. Today, we'll try to find the Lord's mind on the use of Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ.

Paul begins with a call for personal evaluation, v.3: "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".

Paul had been given a "grace" or favor from God. What was it? It was his Apostolic calling. He refers to it in the first verse of Romans and many other places. What will he do with this "grace"? He'll put it to use. How? By teaching.

What he goes on to teach is this: Every believer must discover the gifts he has been given. He mustn't multiply their number or inflate their importance. He mustn't deny their existence or underestimate their value. But everyone must "think soberly" about his gifts. This means to make a proper evaluation of them. This is a personal duty. He does not command pastors to evaluate the gifts of their people and to assign them their ministries. But rather, he wants "everyone who is among you" to do just that. We can help each other discover our gifts, of course. But in the end, each one of us is responsible to God to identify and to exploit his gifts to the full.

Implicit in Paul's writing is this big idea: Every believer (young or old, male or female, rich or poor, educated or illiterate) is gifted. Is he right? He is. The Church was first gifted at Pentecost. On whom did the Spirit fall that fateful day? Peter, quoting Joel, makes it plain:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days,

Says God, that I will pour out My Spirit

On all flesh; your sons and your daughters

Shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

And on my menservants and on my maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days".

This pretty well covers the field, doesn't it? "All flesh" (which may refer to the various races); "Young men/old men" (speaks of all ages); "menservants/maidservants" (refer to the sexes). In short, every member of Christ's body would receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost, of course, was a unique event. We must be careful in applying its special blessings to the whole Christian era. But I Peter 3:10 is quite unremarkable: "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God".

In summary: Paul wants each believer to soberly evaluate his spiritual gifts. What are they? How can I use them? are the key questions each believer must ask himself.

The reason each believer is to assess his gifts is because they differ from each other, vv.4-5: "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another".

Every believer is spiritually gifted, but the gifts differ from believer to believer. The "members do not have the same function". A man is not 150 pounds of teeth; if he were, he'd eat well, but how well would he run? Similarly, the people of God differ from one another. The differences, however, are not contrary, but complementary. We must, therefore, resist every attempt at uniformity--at making the Lord's people into clones of each another. We ought to recognize the distinct gifts in the church and "esteem [each of] them very highly in love". What the French say of the sexes we should say of the various gifts in the church:

"Vive la Difference!"

Uniformity is unnatural and ugly. In creation, God "separated" one thing from another--light from darkness, water from land, mammals from fish, and so on. What if He hadn't? How impoverished our lives would be. Everyone would look the same, every flower would smell the same, every meal would taste the same, every texture would feel the same. How ghastly the world would become if everything were uniform. Yet many would have just that in the church. The Lord Jesus is not one of them.

In v.6a, Paul reveals the source of Spiritual gifts: "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us..." No two gifts are identical, but every gift springs from the grace of God. Therefore, every gift is precious! No gift is more valuable than any other; every gift is indispensable!

In the latter part of v.6, Paul tells us what to do with our gifts: "Let us use them". These words are not in the original, but perfectly convey the Apostle's thought. Gifts are for using. This means: You must use your gifts. You must use your gifts to the full. We must help each other use his gifts. We mustn't discourage others from using their gifts. We must exhort others to use their gifts. We must thank others for the help their gifts provide. We must pray for each other, that we might all make the maximum use of our gifts. Spiritual gifts--like silver talents--aren't given to wrap up in a napkin and bury in the ground.

In vv.6c-8, a list of spiritual gifts is provided. "If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness".

The list is not exhaustive. Other gifts are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. It is, however, representative. It can be divided into two, somewhat overlapping, parts.

There are verbal gifts: prophecy, teaching, and exhortation. The prophet speaks for God; the teacher opens the Scripture; the exhorter brings encouragement with his words.

There are the non-verbal gifts: serving, giving, leading, and showing mercy. Some believers have a special "mind to work"; they're just naturally helpful. They "minister". Others are remarkably generous; perhaps they have a large income, maybe they don't fear for retirement. They "give". Others inspire confidence and imitation; people naturally follow them. They "lead". Others have very tender hearts; they can spot needs a mile away. They "show mercy".

Note how Paul mixes the two categories. He doesn't put "the speaking gifts" on top and the others, down below. Why not? Because the quiet gifts are as necessary and God-given as the speaking gifts. "God is no respecter of persons"--or gifts. We shouldn't be, either. Therefore, we mustn't exalt learned or well-spoken saints above their bumbling and mumbling brethren. There is an equality in the church. Not everyone has the same function, but every function is equally vital for "Life in the Body of Christ".

Let me sum it up:

Well, what are we waiting for? "Having then gifts according to the grace that is given to us let us use them!"