The Gift Of Christ

“THE GIFT OF CHRIST”

Ephesians 4.7

Here at the Calvary Road Baptist Church, we have a job to do. And our job is the most important job given to anyone on earth. No other organization or gathering of people has been charged with a task that comes anywhere close to approaching the importance of our task.

What is our task? What is our assignment? What is our duty? What is our calling? What is it that we have been charged with doing that no organization or ministry devised by man has been authorized to do? Ephesians 3.20-21:

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

We are to glorify God in this Church, both now and forever.

How are we to get this monumental and significant task done? God’s power works in us, Ephesians 3.20. But how will this glorifying of God be worked out in our daily lives? Ephesians 4.1-3:

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

By walking worthy of our vocation, which is bringing men and women to Christ. But to walk worthy of our vocation, as a congregation, we need to be lowly, meek, and long-suffering so that we will forbear one another in love. In other words, we need to be really sweet and spiritual so that we can get along with each other. And the result of our getting along together and loving each other like we ought to will be a unity of the Spirit.

Unity is critical to accomplishing our task. Without unity, we can reach but few people for Christ. Without unity, we can achieve but little for the cause of Christ. And what is unity? It’s a congregation of people who are all pulling in the same direction and who are of the same mind. It’s a group of people who are led by the Spirit of God to perform a difficult task in harmony with each other, realizing that together we can accomplish far more than we could ever hope to accomplish individually.[1]

But for unity to exist, there must be agreement. And in addition to the obvious need to agree about the importance of glorifying God, and the importance of having unity, there are those vital things that we must agree on to form the basis for unity. Ephesians 4.4-6:

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

For us to glorify God, we must have unity. For unity to exist, we must subordinate ourselves to a degree. We must be lowly, meek, and long-suffering so that we might forbear each other so that we might give in to each other, not throw elbows in each other’s ribs, strive not to step on each other’s toes so that we can have peaceful unity. Such unity can only be achieved as the Holy Spirit works in people’s lives.

One of the ways He works in Christian’s lives is by bringing us to agreement on basic and critical issues. These seven crucial issues, or subjects, or concerns, are the body of Christ, this Church, the Spirit of God, the hope of your calling, the Lord Jesus Christ, the faith once delivered to the saints, believer baptism, and our God and Father.

Lest at any time you think God has decreed that He can only be glorified utilizing mind-numbed robotic behavior, lest at any time you think God wants His people to give up their individuality and stop being thinking and rational human beings, lest at any time you think God has a cookie-cutter mentality when it comes to Christian service, read Ephesians 4.7:

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

Make no mistake about it, people. In order to serve God, you must die to yourself. In order to amount to something for Jesus Christ after you’ve been saved, you must present yourself to God as a living sacrifice. But if you think that the result of that dying to self and that presenting of yourself will mean that you become exactly like others, you become a carbon copy of some other person; you are mistaken.

Notice the first word of verse 7. “But.” By using this word Paul is, in effect, saying, there are certain things that must happen and certain things you must do in order to achieve the much-needed unity, but the surrender of your individual diversity is not one of the things you must do. And how do we know that at Calvary Road Baptist Church, we are to achieve unity, and we can achieve unity, without being totally uniform? Two clues are given in verse 7, which are supported in other portions of God’s Word. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to....” By “every one of us,” Paul is referring, specifically, to saved people. Not all people, but all saved people. Well, what about all saved people?

All saved people are “given grace.” Look back to Ephesians 3.7:

“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”

“Grace” refers to several slightly different things in the New Testament. In Ephesians 2.8-9, “grace” is referring to the favor of God in saving sinful souls. But in Ephesians 3.7 and in Ephesians 4.7, “grace” refers to the favor of God in putting a believer in a place or role of service.

For Paul, it was his apostolic ministry. But for you, it will be something else. And no two believers are given exactly the same grace for ministry. Take twins who have had identical experiences all through life and were saved at the same time. Still, they will serve God in unique and individual ways because they will not be given by God the same measures of grace.

Next, “according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” Here Paul says precisely what he uses many words to explain in other passages. The “gift of Christ” is the Holy Spirit. Remember, of course, that the “gift of God is eternal life” in Romans 6.23. As well, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are spiritual gifts.[2] But the “gift of Christ” is the Holy Spirit, Himself, Who is given to each saved person at the instant of his or her conversion.

Paul writes “the measure of the gift of Christ.” This is a different way of referring to the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit gives. To paraphrase, “according to the measure of the Holy Spirit, Who is the gift of Christ.” The reason Paul is so concise here is that his goal is not to thoroughly teach his readers about the gifts of the Spirit at this point but to establish understanding about unity and diversity.

Unity can be achieved without sacrificing your individuality. How can this be? Two ways. First, no two Christians have the same serving of God’s grace for living and ministry. And second, on top of our greatly varied and diverse life experiences, we have been given different combinations of spiritual gifts. All of this makes possible both unity and diversity.

Think about this for a moment. Dwell upon it. Contemplate it. Meditate on it. What would happen in this Church should God actually grant to us both the heart (lowliness, meekness, long-suffering) and the head (one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father) to come together as diverse individuals, ready to be unified in mind, in heart, and in spirit?

Church member, what are you willing to do to achieve unity in this body? What are you willing to be? Since I am sure we don’t disagree on the seven items mentioned in verses 4-6, perhaps the problem lies back in verse 2 or verse 3. Will you be lowly, meek, or long-suffering, so that God might be glorified? And, more to the practical point, what specific area of service and ministry has God given you the grace to serve Him in?

Do you teach a Sunday School class or Wednesday night kid’s catechism class? Do you disciple new believers? Are you an usher or a greeter? Are you a worker in the convalescent hospital ministry? If you know Christ, God has given you a gift and the grace to use your gift somewhere in the Church’s ministry. What area do you serve in? If you want but do not yet have an area of service in which to serve God, let’s talk and get you one.

How many of you heard the news years ago about a young mother who was robbed of $28,000 in cash? It seems she had gone to the store with her kids when a 13-year-old boy broke through a security window and took the $28,000 cash that she had in the pocket of a leather jacket in her apartment. And why did she have $28,000 in her apartment? It was to be her down payment for the house next door that she wanted to buy and live in.

The 13-year-old boy took the $28,000 and passed the money around to all his friends in the neighborhood, at times giving 10 and 11-year-old kids $2,000 to $3,000. When one of the local television stations found out about it they ran the story on the evening news. Guess what a bunch of businessmen decided to do. They arranged with a bank to open a trust account so people could give this woman back the money that was stolen. Thousands of dollars were contributed to this young mother.

If you are like me, you are reeling from all of this. I listened with rapt attention throughout the entire segment of the newscast back in the day and did not hear one, single, person call into question the unadulterated foolishness of this woman having $28,000 in cash in her apartment.

Understand, it was wrong for the boy to break into her home. It was terrible for him to steal her money. But what in the world was this lady doing with $28,000 in cold, hard, cash? That was one of the most foolish things she could have done. Why not checks?

But there is something even more strange about this whole thing. Not one of the men involved in helping her, the banker, a restaurant owner, the news reporter, no one, made any comment about the lack of wisdom employed by this woman. What would have happened to one of their employees who had made the same kind of a mistake with their money?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad she got a break. But what would have happened had she had just a little bit of wisdom? Do you want to know why no one has made a critical comment of any kind about her actions? Because, in many parts of the country, she would have been ripped for being so foolish. But not here in Southern California. Why no criticism from anyone? “Pastor, we’re so much more kindhearted here in L. A.”

Yea, right. The real reason she was not criticized is the same reason no one is criticized for what they do here. It’s because people don’t want to be criticized back for what they might do. I won’t criticize you because I don’t want you to criticize me. That attitude pervades not only our entire Southern California society, but all of California. That attitude prevails even when it comes to spiritual things. Everyone in California has his own views, her own approach, my own beliefs, about religion ... no matter how weird or unorthodox.

Those of us who witness to people will occasionally hear this comment. “Well, I have my own religion.” And what religion is that, ma’am? “Well, I’d rather not say. I think a person’s religion is a personal matter.” Or you’ll hear someone retort, “Now, the Bible says ‘Judge not lest ye be judged.’” Yes, God’s Word does say that. But what are we not to judge? Everything? How can that be, when the Bible commands us to judge certain things?[3]

We live in a spiritual climate where everything goes. You can believe anything, do anything, and have no justification for it whatsoever. And the accept-anything-without-criticism attitude that accepts drug use, that accepts drunkenness, that accepts sexual perversion, that accepts weird body piercings, and that accepts moronic and foolish behavior, is all part of the same approach to life.

It’s a society that has come to an unwritten agreement whereby I will allow you to commit any sin, do any foolish thing, without criticism, if you will allow me to commit any sin and do any foolish thing I want to do, without criticism.

And if it wasn’t bad enough watching some kids walking around looking alike, walking alike, talking alike, having their pants about to fall off in similar fashion, while always saying, “I’m just doing my own thing,” it has now gotten to the point where people actually think they can be saved from their sins and get to heaven any way they want. But that just is not so.

Being able to achieve unity among Christians in a Church, all the while being diverse and unique individuals, is a wonderful thing. But understand this single, very important, truth: There is only one way to be saved from sin. And everyone who ends up in heaven will be there because each one there has been saved from sin precisely the same way.

Let me spend a few minutes showing you some things about this only way of being saved from sin.

First, THERE IS ONLY ONE MOTIVE FOR BEING SAVED FROM SIN

God has only one motive and people who are saved from sin have only one motive:

And what is God’s motive? John 3.16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Let there be no doubt that God loves you. He hates sin. He hates rebellion. He hates wickedness. He hates perversion. He hates lying. He hates fornication. He hates drunkenness. He hates fake religion. He hates hypocrisy. He hates sin so badly that He will not, He cannot, allow sinners into His heaven. Do not be mistaken. God loves sinners. But God hates sin. And, because God is holy and righteous, He cannot look upon sin. Therefore, sin will not be allowed into His presence in heaven. But because God loves you, because God loves the sinner, while hating the sin, He has made provision to save sinners. He has made only one provision for saving sinners, mind you. But He has made that one provision for saving your sinful soul. And why did God make such provision? Because He loves you. And because He loves me.

Let us now focus on a sinful person’s motivation for being saved from sin. I will need you to pay particular attention now because I will tell you something many people are confused about. Imagine a little boy about to face his father for committing a sin and disobeying his daddy. Do you recognize that there are two different kinds of reactions the little boy could have, both reactions producing tears and cries of remorse? On one hand, the little boy could be very tearful and apologetic because he anticipates a painful spanking from his daddy, as rightly he should. But, on the other hand, the little boy could be very tearful and apologetic because he has come to realize how he has hurt and disappointed his daddy by being so sneaky and disobedient to him, thereby breaking dad’s heart.

In anticipating the spanking he is going to get from his daddy, the little boy could very well cry out for deliverance. But what does he want deliverance from? Does he want to be delivered from the consequences of his sin? Does he want to be delivered from the spanking? Or does he want to be delivered from the kind of rebellion that so disappoints his daddy?

In like manner, there are two reasons, primarily, why people want to be saved. Some people want to be saved so they won’t go to Hell when they die. They want salvation from the consequence of the problem. But others want to be saved from the sin that ravages their lives and estranges them from God. They want to be saved from the cause of the problem. I submit that the first reason for wanting to be saved is not a valid reason, is not a proper motive. But the second reason is proper.

Do you want to be saved just so you can escape the consequences of your sinfulness and your wickedness? Or do you want to be saved from your sin because it’s evil, and wicked, and disgusting, and contrary to the righteousness and holiness and goodness of God? People who are genuinely saved are motivated by the second motivation. People who make professions of faith and then fall away later are motivated by the first motivation.

There is only one way to be saved. Correspondingly, God has only one motivation to save, and the person who actually is saved has only one motivation to be saved. Why is this? Because sin is what estranges sinful individuals from God, not Hell. Hell is just the ultimate consequence of sin.

Next, THERE IS ONLY ONE MEANS OF BEING SAVED FROM SIN

God’s plan for dealing with sinful people has always been on the basis of only one thing, relying upon only one instrumental means; faith.

Let me show you the Biblical record of it. Turn to Genesis 15.3-6. Abraham, whose name originally was Abram, was not the first saved man found in the Bible. But the record of how he was saved is the first recorded in the Bible. Let’s read how Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, the friend of God, the man to whom God made the promise, was saved:

3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Now turn to Romans 4. The Bible teaches many things. But about salvation and how a man is saved, the Bible teaches only one thing. Listen to the Apostle Paul, explaining to the Romans what he believed about salvation for the purpose of persuading them to support his mission to Spain. In verses 1-5, Paul used the example of father Abraham as the prototype to explain to those Romans how Abraham was saved, how everyone who is saved is saved. Let’s read that passage together:

1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

There is only one means of salvation, and that is by faith. Some people believe that it is faith plus a little of this, or faith plus a little of that, doing something or other in addition to faith to be saved. But look at the impossibility of that in light of Romans 11.6:

“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Paul declares that there are only two hypothetical means of salvation. Either salvation is by faith, which is grace, or salvation is by works, which means you earn your salvation. It can only be one or the other, and it cannot be a mixture of the two.

What is the reason for salvation always and only coming by means of faith? Romans 3.10-11:

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Notice the passage again. There, according to God’s holy and infallible Word, no one seeks after God. Thus, you do not seek after God. And this is consistent with what the Lord Jesus said when He indicated that He had come to seek and to save that which was lost.[4] He would not have needed to go after sinners if sinners sought after Him, would He?

From this passage, we can surmise only one thing: If you could seek after God to be saved, you would not. If you could seek after God to be saved, you would not. Because there is none that seeketh after God.

Turn now to Romans 5.6:

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

What kind of people did Christ die for? Ungodly people. That’s good cause that’s the only kind there are. Amen? But I want you to take note of “without strength.” Do you see that? It translates a single Greek word meaning “impotent, helpless, powerless.”

From this passage, we can surmise only one thing. If you would seek after God to be saved, you could not. And why not? You do not have the spiritual capability. So, even if you were so disposed, even if you desperately wanted to, you could not come to God for salvation no matter how hard you tried. The reasons for salvation by faith being the only means of salvation are two: First, you will not come to God for salvation. Second, you cannot come to God for salvation. So, because you both will not and cannot come to God for salvation, you must depend upon someone to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. That is where faith comes in. By faith, you trust someone to do for you what must be done, what needs to be done, but what you cannot do for yourself. That is why faith is the only means of being saved. Faith, plus nothing. Faith, minus nothing. And anything other than salvation by faith is not Biblical Christianity and is not salvation because there is only one way to be saved.

Third, THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR FOR BEING SAVED FROM SIN

If you are to be saved by faith, then you must have an object for your faith. You must have something or someone in whom to place your faith, in whom to trust. Who you trust is the thing or the person who serves as a go-between between you and God to save you from sin. A go-between is a Mediator.

The Mediator that you need is not prayer. So many people in good, independent Baptist Churches think they are going to heaven because they have prayed the sinner’s prayer or because they have prayed a prayer. But, even though praying is a good thing, isn’t prayer a work of righteousness? Sure it is. And Titus 3.5 informs us that no sinner is saved by any kind of work of righteousness, not even prayer:

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

So, those who are relying upon a testimony that sounds like this, “I know I’m saved because I prayed at an old-fashioned altar” are likely not saved at all. Why? Prayer is not a mediator that saves.

Next, the Mediator you need is not baptism. Baptism does not wash away sins. But you need your sins washed away. So, what are you to do? First John 1.7 tells us that the blood of Christ washes away sins. Besides, baptism, too, is a work of righteousness, which we already have seen cannot save you. I fear that many people who think they are saved are relying upon baptism to get them into heaven. And if they are, they are wrong because baptism is not a mediator capable of saving anyone.

Third, the Mediator you need is not doctrinal truth. Some people think that coming to the realization that Jesus saves sinners means that they are now saved. Or, acknowledging that Jesus died on the cross for them somehow means that person is now saved from sin. But how many people in this world believe those things and are still not saved? And didn’t you believe those things, many of you, before you were saved? And you were still lost while believing those things. Right? No, friends. Acknowledging that true things are true does not save you. Believing the right doctrines does not save you. And why not? Because the Christian faith does not save anyone and the Bible does not save anyone. The Bible tells us Who the Savior is, but the Bible does not save us. The Bible shows us Who the Mediator is, but the Bible is not that Mediator, and doctrinal truth is not that Mediator that every sinner needs.

That Mediator is not self-effort or a cleaned-up lifestyle. Self-reformation does not save. Why not? Because the Bible says that all your righteousnesses, meaning all your attempts at self-reformation, are as filthy rags.[5] How can a dirty guy use dirty rags to clean himself off and become pure? He cannot. It takes that which is clean to clean that which is dirty. So, you cannot clean yourself. But what if the Holy Spirit convicts you over some time and you become so convinced of the wickedness of certain things you were doing that you stopped doing those things? That’s great. That’s wonderful. But that is not salvation. To stop sinning is not the same thing as being saved from sin. And what you need is to be saved.

The Mediator you need to stand between you and the God you’ve sinned against, to reconcile you once and for all to God, that Mediator is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Acts 4.12:

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Second Corinthians 5.17-21:

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

First Timothy 2.5-6:

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Acts 16.30-31:

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

There is only one motive that would move God to provide for your salvation; love. There is only one motive that would move you to turn your back on sin and be saved from your sin; sorrow for sin. There is only one means for being saved, whether it be Abraham or Paul or you or me; faith. But faith must have an object. If trust is needed, who will you trust? God sent Him so that you will. He came so that you will. The Holy Spirit draws so that you will, and I preach so that you will trust Jesus now.

There is only one way to be saved, the Bible way.

If you need to be saved, come to Christ now.

If you want to discuss this crucial matter, please reach out to me.

__________

[1] Ecclesiastes 4.12

[2] 1 Corinthians 12.4, 7-11

[3] 1 Corinthians 5.12; 6.2-5; 10.15; 11.13, 31

[4] Luke 19.10

[5] Isaiah 64.6

Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.

Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church