All believers have been given spiritual gifts. Paul describes them and urges us to put them to use to serve His church.
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Exercising Your Spiritual Gifts In The Body
Romans 12:6-8
Paul began Romans 12 by telling us how we are to live out the gospel in relation to God. We are to do so by presenting our body as a living and holy sacrifice to God. Further, we are to refuse to be conformed to the thinking of the world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
Well, in the rest of Romans 12, Paul goes on to teach us how we are to live out the gospel in relation to one another. He begins on the vertical level, and then quickly switches to the horizontal level.
In Romans 12, Paul tells us what the church is supposed to look like. The church was never intended to be what it has unfortunately become for many people. For many, “church” is what they do for a couple hours once a week. During the rest of the week, they do not think of or communicate with the people they saw at “church.” Going to church is a duty to be performed. But this duty can be performed without a commitment to and a relationship with the people in the church. However, that is not Biblical church life. In Scripture, we see that the church is radically committed to one another in love. Church life is not just something that happens a couple of hours on Sunday, but is happening all week long. Without this, you have an outer shell, but no inward substance.
I find it interesting that during the current coronavirus pandemic, we have grown much closer to one another, in spite of the fact that we can’t meet together. The prayer meetings via video chat have been wonderful, and have allowed us to connect with each other almost daily. I have also loved the additional interactions via our texting group. So, I can see one way the Lord is working all things together for good. He is binding us together tighter as a local body of believers!
The first thing Paul teaches us in verses 3-8 about church life, is that every member of the body is to minister to the rest by exercising their spiritual gifts. In verse 3 we are told we are to use our spiritual gifts in humility and through faith. In verses 4 and 5 we are told that we are to use our spiritual gifts in light of our diversity and our unity. We are all very different from one another, but we are also united to one another in the bonds of Christ. We are members of one another.
Then, beginning in verse 6, Paul begins speaking of seven different spiritual gifts that the Lord distributes in the body of Christ. The very first gift mentioned is prophecy. We took an entire sermon to unpack what prophecy is, whether it still exists today, and how it should be exercised. Prophecy is to report in human words something that the Spirit spontaneously brings to mind. It is given widely to both men and women. It brings edification, exhortation and consolation. It is supernatural, and it is to be judged by the church, and is under the person’s control.
It appears from 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 that prophecy will continue in the church until Christ returns and we see Him face to face, when we will no longer need the gifts of tongues, knowledge or prophecy.
We should exercise this gift in faith, humility, and love.
Now, that brings us to the rest of the gifts mentioned in Romans 12: service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and showing mercy.
Paul gives a list of different gifts here, and in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. It is interesting that the list of gifts in Romans 12 is quite different from the list of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Sometimes, bible teachers refer to the gifts in Romans 12 as motivational gifts, and the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 as manifestational gifts. In other words, the gifts in Romans 12 seem to be gifts related to a person’s motivation, or desire. One person may be motivated to teach, while another is motivated to give, or to lead. However, the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 are more about how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in different ways in the body. He does so through words of knowledge and wisdom, prophecy, healings, miracles, faith and so forth.
This morning, let’s first look at some mistakes to avoid when considering spiritual gifts, then look at each spiritual gift mentioned here in Romans 12.
1. Mistakes To Avoid When Thinking About Spiritual Gifts
Paul is not giving an exhaustive list of all spiritual gifts. We should not make the mistake of thinking that Paul is giving an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts in either place. If he intended to do that, surely he would have included all the gifts in both places. He seems to be merely giving a representative list of spiritual gifts. That means that there may be other Spirit-enabled abilities that Christians have today, that are not mentioned in either of these two lists. I will define spiritual gifts like this: “A spiritual gift is simply a special ability that God has given you which is empowered by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the body.” Some of those special abilities are listed in Scripture, but it is quite possible that Paul was not trying to be exhaustive when listing them. Therefore, you may have a special ability empowered by the Spirit, which is not specifically identified in the Bible.
Paul is not rigidly defining spiritual gifts. In fact, he almost never defines any of the gifts. We need to avoid the mistake of making each spiritual gift mutually exclusive of all the other gifts. In other words, spiritual gifts overlap with other spiritual gifts. Let me give you a few examples.
1 Corinthians 14:3, “but one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.” Here the gift of prophecy includes exhortation, which is a spiritual gift mentioned in Romans 12.
Titus 1:9, “elders must be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict.” The word “doctrine” means teaching. So here, the gifts of exhortation and teaching overlap.
In Romans 12, we find the gift of giving and the gift of showing mercy. But, wouldn’t there be an element of giving often in the person who shows mercy? Or wouldn’t there be an element of serving in the one who shows mercy?
So, we shouldn’t think of the gifts as rigidly defined, and exclusive of other gifts, or that there is a set number, or that they come to a person separately so that if you have one of these gifts you won’t have the other. No, we should think of these gifts as coming in different proportions and mixes. It might be helpful to talk about our “gift-mix”. God gives each believer different spiritual gifts in different strengths and in different combinations from each other. Probably none of us has the same spiritual gifts in the same degree as another. God has made us all unique in His body. That is one of the beautiful things about the church!
Paul is not telling us that if something is a spiritual gift, the rest are not responsible to manifest that virtue. Let me try to explain. Paul says that teaching is a spiritual gift. Well, does that mean that only a select few are responsible to teach, and the rest of us are off the hook? No, because Ephesians 6:4 tells us that Fathers are to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In Hebrews 5:12, the writer says, “for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God.” In some sense, all Christians are expected to be able to teach. Colossians 3:16 says, “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” There is a sense in which all believers should exhort and teach one another.
Let’s take the gift of exhortation. Is there only a select few people who are to do all the exhorting, and the rest of us are not responsible to exhort? Hebrews 3:13 says, “but encourage (exhort) one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Are only certain believers who have the gift of mercy supposed to show mercy? Of course not! Jesus said, “blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Are only certain believers who have the gift of giving supposed to give? We know from the rest of Scripture that every believer is to be a faithful steward of all of his money and possessions, not just those with the gift of giving.
Are only those with the gift of service supposed to serve? No, every child of God has been called to serve. Romans 12:11 says we are to be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
Well then, if every Christian is called to serve and give and show mercy, and exhort and teach, how would a person know if he is gifted in any of these areas? I believe these ordinary Christian virtues become spiritual gifts when God gives us a strong motivation and desire to give ourselves to one or more of these areas, and when God makes us effective when we do so. That means you should ask two questions when determining your spiritual gifts. 1) Has God given me a desire to minister in this particular area? 2) Is God really using me in this area? To determine if you have a gift ask yourself if there is a desire and a power in an area of your life. If so, it is likely that you have just discovered one of your spiritual gifts.
2. A Description of 6 Spiritual Gifts in Romans 12
We have already spent quite a bit of time examining prophecy. Let’s look at the other six gifts mentioned here. When Peter discusses spiritual gifts in 1 Peter 4:10-11, he divides them into two categories – serving gifts and speaking gifts. So a serving gift would be a special ability God gives that is related to something we do. A speaking gift would be a special ability God gives that is related to something we say. Let’s use those categories in Romans 12.
Serving Gifts:
Serving. The person with the gift of service enjoys doing tasks to help others. He often is the kind of person that doesn’t want to be out front in the limelight, but prefers to do kind and practical deeds behind the scenes, out of sight. This person might do things like setting up chairs, running the audio-visual equipment, uploading sermons, making meals, serving meals, fixing computers, and on and on the list goes. You get the picture. Martha was always busy serving. She just seems to be motivated in that way. Dorcas is another example, who was continually abounding in deeds of kindness and charity. Actually the Greek word for “service” is the same word in the Bible for Deacon. A Deacon seems to be a person that the rest of the church can look up to as a model servant. The person with the gift of service illustrates truth.
In light of the current lockdown situation, how can we function in the gift of service. We’ve already seen it going on. Some have been shopping and taking groceries to others. Others are making burritos and distributing them to the homeless. You might be able to mow your elderly neighbor’s lawn for them, or help them with some tasks.
Giving. The one who has the gift of giving is to do it with “liberality.” This word can either mean “generosity” or “simplicity” and both meanings fit very well. If God gives you a desire to give and you are seeing fruitfulness as a result of your giving, then do it generously, and do it simply. In other words, don’t blow a trumpet when you give. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give in secret, and your heavenly Father will reward you openly. Some Christians are able to make money and enjoy giving it to spread the gospel and see the kingdom of God advance around the globe. God may bless them with business skills, and they become very successful in business. Well, He is probably doing that so that they can give large amounts of money to accomplish God’s will in the world. The person with this gift may live a very simple life, but delights in being a conduit to pass along wealth into the work of the kingdom. The person with the gift of giving propagates truth.
Those with the gift of giving may have an abundance of opportunities at this time, as everyone is going to be hurting financially. Recently we had an opportunity to give to poor saints in Vietnam. We need to be open to giving to hurting brothers and sisters in our own church as we all try to get through this pandemic where so many are not able to work.
Leading. The person with the gift of leading has an ability to take people where they need to go. It might be leading a church into spiritual maturity. It might be leading the church into a new ministry like adopting villages in Vietnam, or reaching out to a local neighborhood. If you are trying to lead people, but no one is following probably means you don’t have this gift. This person is motivated to get God’s work done. They like to organize. Their motto is “Plan your work and work your plan.” Others follow them because they see the reality of Christ in their lives and they have come to trust them. This gift may be the same gift Paul was thinking of in 1 Corinthians 12:28 by the gift of administrations. The person with the gift of leading models truth.
During the current crisis, all local churches need people with the gift of leading. These people need to sound a clear note on the trumpet, and call the church to follow in order to do God’s will. Elders need the gift of leading in order to be effective in their calling. I have seen this gift active in Jerome lately. I think he has done a great job at leading the church in prayer during video chat sessions several times a week.
Showing Mercy. Who needs mercy? Either the guilty or those in misery. I don’t think this gift is the ability to forgive the guilty, because every Christian must forgive others. I think it must be a special calling and ability to show compassion to the suffering and miserable. The person with the gift of mercy has a heart for those who are suffering and is motivated to help them get through their pain. This person usually has an abundance of compassion for others. They naturally weep with those who weep. They gravitate to the needy, the disenfranchised, the poor, the underdogs of this world. They may be drawn to rest homes, hospitals, or poor, run down inner city neighborhoods. They identify with the hurting, and their heart goes out to them. There was a woman in my church in Milpitas that I believe had this gift. She was always reaching out to people who were hurting – the lonely, the unpopular, the ones with special problems. She just gravitated towards them. It was the work of God in her that made her that way. The person with the gift of mercy demonstrates truth.
How is this person to show mercy? With cheerfulness! If they serve a hurting person with a bad attitude or a sour face or a grudging spirit, that will cause more harm than good. They should be cheerful, and uplifting and positive as they reach out to those that are suffering.
Right now those of you with this gift have all kinds of opportunities to exercise your gift. There are people all over who are filled with anxiety and fear. There are people who are shut up in their homes all by themselves, who are lonely and miserable. We can call them, or text, or email, or do a video chat with them. We can read Scripture to them, and pray for them. There may be people right in our own church with those special needs that you can minister to.
Speaking Gifts:
Teaching. The person with the gift of teaching is one who loves to study, and research, and learn, so that they can understand the Scriptures and teach others what they have learned. This gift differs from prophecy, in that the person with the gift of Scripture explains the meaning of Scripture. The person with the gift of prophecy gives a report of something God spontaneously brings to mind. The person with the gift of teaching clarifies truth.
Even though we are not able to meet together right now, there is a wide open door for anyone who has the gift of teaching. If you think the Lord may have given you this gift, use it! Use it in our daily texting group. Share with us the fruits of your bible study. Help us to understand difficult texts. Don’t be shy. Of course you need to share humbly, so that if your interpretation turns out to be incorrect, you don’t get hurt or offended. And, if you are new to teaching, be willing to be corrected and learn from others. You may also find avenues to use this gift in online bible chat groups. When the current crisis has passed, you can use your gift in small group bible study or missional community gatherings.
Exhorting. The person with the gift of exhorting stirs us up to action. Just as we use a poker to stir up smoldering embers in a fireplace so that it bursts back into flame, so the exhorter stirs our consciences so that truth is not just abstract theology, but worked out in our daily lives. In other words, the exhorter gives us a kick in the rear to get us going. We all have a tendency to cruise and kick back and get lazy. The exhorter urges us to do what we have learned. There is a sense in which all of us should exhort others. Hebrews 10:24 says, “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds…” Hebrews 3:13 tells us to “exhort one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” The person with the gift of exhorting applies truth.
Again, if this is your gift, exercise it in our group texting, and in our video chat meetings. When the Word is preached in our Sunday gatherings, exhort us so that we apply the truth we have learned.
Conclusion
Folks, we have seen six different gifts God has given for us to minister to others. You may not fit into any of these six gifting, but that’s okay. The Lord has given you a special and unique gift-mix. He has given you special abilities to serve the church. The important point is that it is God’s will for every Christian to be involved in ministering to others. One of the great truths that was recovered during the Protestant Reformation was the priesthood of all believers. This is the idea that every believer has direct access to God and can minister to others on His behalf. Every member ministry. No one is supposed to be sitting on the sidelines, watching the game. Every one of us has a vital role to play in serving God and others. So, I am urging you today, to get involved. If you exempt yourself, the whole body suffers. We need every member of the body to function in the way God has gifted them. The whole church suffers if you don’t show up and do what God has called you to do. So, determine this morning, by the grace of God, that you will exercise your gifts for the glory of God!
Discussion Questions:
- Maybe it would be good if we told one another what gifts we see in their lives, so they can be diligent in exercising them.
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