Grace of God (Part 5)
The Christian And Works of Service - Ephesians 4:7-16

Eph. 4:7-10: "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ
apportioned it. {8} This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he
led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." {9} (What does "he
ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly
regions ? {10} He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than
all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)"
{11} It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some
to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, {12} to prepare
God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be
built up {13} until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge
of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of
the fullness of Christ.
{14} Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the
waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the
cunning and craftiness of men in their deceit-ful scheming. {15} Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is
the Head, that is, Christ. {16} From him the whole body, joined and held
together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in
love, as each part does its work."

· Paul moves from what all Christians have in common (vs. 1-6) to how
Christians differ from each other
· Every believer has at least one spiritual gift and it’s to be used to
unify and edify the body of Christ!
· Every believer’s gift has cost the greatest possible price (vs. 8-10).
The picture used is of a military conqueror leading his captives and
sharing the spoils with his followers....only in this case the ‘captives’
are not enemies but His own!
· Every believer’s gift is Christ-centered (vs. 11)
· Every believer’s gift has a three-fold purpose (12-16):
a. immediate purpose: to equip believers’s to do the work of ministry
b. eternal purpose: bring about unity among God’s people
c. personal purpose: mature and be able to defend false teachers, ‘grow
up’ in Christ (speaking the truth), and do our part to ‘build up’ the
body. There is Christlikeness, stability, truth joined with love, and
cooperation!
d. We belong to each other, we affect each other, and we need each
other!

Titus 3:1: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities,
to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,"

Titus 3:8: "This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these
things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote
themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and
profitable for everyone."

Titus 3:14: "Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is
good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live
unproductive lives."

Rom. 12:3-8: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not
think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God
has given you. {4} Just as each of us has one body with many members, and
these members do not all have the same function, {5} so in Christ we who
are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. {6} We
have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is
prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. {7} If it is
serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; {8} if it is
encour-aging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of
others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern
diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

WHY ARE WE TO DO GOOD WORKS?
1. They bring glory to God!
Matt. 5:16: "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

1 Peter 2:11-12: "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in
the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
{12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you
of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day
he visits us."

A spiritual gift is a God-given ability to serve God and other Christians
in such a way that Christ is glorified and believers are edified.

2. They can prepare unbelievers to be more receptive to the gospel
1 Peter 3:1-2: "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so
that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over
without words by the behavior of their wives, {2} when they see the
purity and reverence of your lives."

3. They demonstrate the living nature of our faith
James 2:14-17: "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have
faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? {15} Suppose a brother
or sister is without clothes and daily food. {16} If one of you says to
him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing
about his physical needs, what good is it? {17} In the same way, faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

4. They are necessary if we are to be like Jesus
Luke 6:46: ""Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I
say?"

Acts 10:38: "...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were
under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

SOME GOOD WORKS ARE "SPIRITUAL" IN NATURE
1. Telling others of God’s grace
1 Peter 2:9-10: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of
him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. {10} Once
you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had
not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

We may not all be "teachers" in a formal sense: But all of us can share
with others the wonderful grace of God available in Christ Jesus!

James 3:1-2: "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my
brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more
strictly. {2} We all stumble in many ways. If any-one is never at fault
in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in
check."

2. Encouraging other Christians
Heb. 3:12-13: "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. {13} But encourage
one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you
may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

3. Restoring weak brethren
Gal. 6:1-2: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are
spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may
be tempted. {2} Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will
fulfill the law of Christ."

James 5:19-20: "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth
and someone should bring him back, {20} remember this: Whoever turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over
a multitude of sins."

OTHER GOOD WORKS ARE MORE "PHYSICAL" IN NATURE...
1. Jesus did not limit His good works to things spiritual
Luke 7:22: "So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John
what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and
the good news is preached to the poor."

2. Nor did He expect His disciples to so limit their good works:
Matt. 10:1: "He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them
authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and
sickness."

Matt. 25:34-40: ""Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come,
you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. {35} For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, {36} I needed clothes
and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison
and you came to visit me.' {37} "Then the righteous will answer him,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
something to drink? {38} When did we see you a stranger and invite you
in, or needing clothes and clothe you? {39} When did we see you sick or
in prison and go to visit you?' {40} "The King will reply, 'I tell you
the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of
mine, you did for me.'"

CONCLUSION
1. No matter how we may serve the Lord, "good works" are a MARK OF PURE
RELIGION...James 1:27: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

2. It is also A KEY TO SPIRITUAL blessedness or happiness: ...Acts 20:35:
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must
help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is
more blessed to give than to receive.'""

James 1:25: "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that
gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has
heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does."

Last modified: April 18, 2006