Lesson 51b
Romans 12:3-8 · Courtney Hemenway · Apr 12, 2020
Romans (2018-21), No. 107
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49261918241494

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

we are the Romans class we are on lesson 51 we were going through the finished question too but after class Donna had a had a question and I kind of followed up with what Jim had had mentioned and we addressed it a little bit but I think it's important to maybe go back on we were talking about in verse 3, for though the grace given to me I say to everyone among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. So Jim brought it up a little bit, and I touched on it, but then Donna brought it up afterwards. What does it mean, number one, that God has allotted, and number two, a measure of faith? So look at the second topic first, the measure of faith.

So what does that mean? Does that mean faith is variable? I don't think so. Faith is not variable? Our faith, maybe. Okay. Anyone else? Is our faith variable? Anyone? I think we grow in our faith. Good. I didn't have a clue about our position in Christ and all that and it grew. I have a comment about faith being variable. I believe that the Holy Spirit maintains it completely and adequately at all times but whether we notice it and use it in a given situation is the variable. God's not variable on that. Okay. Doesn't our faith grow over as we are sanctified? Yeah, that's what Russ was saying. And we'll discuss that a little bit too. Yeah.

So, you know, Carol, I think, I think from the basis, if you remember from our faith class, you know, the basis of faith is Hebrews 11 one, which is that, you know, that's all based on God. We aren't even in that faith. The essence of it is from God. However, uh, as we broke it down into four different parts, one of that was, was, uh, uh, our personal faith. And the personal faith varies.

We grow in it, just as we say. He measures it out, as we'll see it measured out according to the gifts. So, each person has a different measure of faith. As we grow in the Lord, our faith will grow. In this passage, the measure of faith will be associated with the gift given. That part of it is the measure of faith that's variable. It's our personal faith, talking about the personal faith. Yes, the essence of faith is based on God and the veracity of His Word and His position. So when we talk about here, it's a measure of our faith, so He's allotting a measure of faith.

If we look at 2 Thessalonians 1.3, it says, We ought to always give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged. So, that's giving the indication that our faith grows, it's enlarged, it's variable. Our faith. So, The other question which kind of gets rolled into, and I think maybe what Donna was maybe hitting at a little bit was, are grace and faith the same? Does God allot His grace? Is His grace variable? No. No, so are grace and faith the same?

No. No, why? Because grace is from God and faith, it's our faith. Yeah, it's two different things. Very, very different. So, you know, many times we hear Mike, you know, say, do you, you know, pull up to the gas station of grace and get 50 gallons of grace and go on. Grace is the reigning principle that we're in right now. So, it's what we live in. It's the system. It's the operating system.

There is no limit to God's grace. Remember our terminology. Grace is the unlimited blessings. So, it's unlimited. There isn't a portion of it. It's full on. Totally, we're like floating in the ocean of grace. It's all around us. You know, one of the verses I've picked up many times, and when you think about it, it's not, you may think, ooh, grace grows.

In 2 Peter 3.18, we're to grow in the grace and the knowledge. Is that saying grace grows? No, but we grow in the grace. That's the point. Yeah. So it's not grace is is variable and grows as we just saw that your faith is greatly enlarged or your faith grows. Grace does it. We grow into grace because it's all around us. But we grow into it. Grace is full on all the time, unlimited. So, again, when we get into these discussions about who allots the measure of faith, so who does that? Who allots that to us?

Well, God does. God does, from the verse. Remember, for those of you who are in the faith class, the 11-1, that's the basis of it. But we have that personal faith, which is variable. God is the ultimate one who allots, measures, and grows us in the faith. So he's the one who allots us out. And there's some verses in 1 Corinthians 10-13. No temptation has overtaken you, but as such is common to man. And God is faithful.

Will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able but with the temptation will provide the way of escape So you'll be able to endure it He gives us that measure of faith to be able to handle any situation in this in this one He's giving us the faith to exercise our gift in this portion of the scripture So he's allotting or giving us that measure of faith to use our gifts So he's the one who allots it, and he's the one who will grow us in that faith to use the gift that he has given to us. So, again, one of the ones about growing the faith. kind of the difference is between grace which is all-encompassing, reigning principle, and James, one of the ones I memorized. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So again, it's that growth in faith. The testing of our faith produces endurance, and it will become perfect when we do that, when we're tested.

So, again, that's kind of the variability of faith. So, again, I think it was a good question afterwards. You know, Jim, you touched a little bit when I listened to the recording last week. You touched on it a little bit, but then Donna brought it up. Grace and faith are two different things. Grace is all-encompassing, doesn't change, it's all like the ocean.

Or Mike has said, you know, it's kind of like being under the launch pad at a shuttle launch. It's full on, full... every all unlimited, but we have the Faith that is variable we grow in it. We are enlarged. He's the one who tests it tests us to produce The faith in us and to grow our faith.

So is that okay with everybody? Yeah, Courtney Newell says that He defines the measure of faith as the ability to lay hold of the mighty operations of the spirit of grace and So, and we gain that ability by growing. Yeah, that's kind of in the, you know, in the James verse, you know, we're testing our faith, what produces endurance, endurance become perfect. So it's that process.

And as we said in the Thessalonians, he's to enlarge our faith. So all of that's about growth and the faith. We grow in our faith. Um, so our faith is variable. As we noted, it's the second Peter three 18, we grow into grace, which is full on. doesn't change.

So again, just that distinction, I think it was important because I thought about that when I was first studying this verse about God allotting and measuring faith. Seems kind of like it seems like we always want to get involved, but he's the one allotting it and measuring it out. So. All right. Question three.

From verses 4 and 5, what is the main and most important concept being brought forth? So, verse 4, for just as we have many members in one body and all members do not have the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ and individual members one of another. So what is the main topic or concept? Being members of Christ in one body.

Okay. One thing. Unity. And we have different functions. Different functions in that body. Yeah, Unity. Any others? Basically, right here, whether Unity or it's really talking about the body concept. This is our unity. Yes, JD, but it's really the body concept. He's giving something as analogy that everybody can understand that we are the one body. So now we are one body in Christ. So he's trying to talk about Christ and who we are as believers compared to what a human body. So our, our, uh, were many, many members of one body. So it's basically saying we're like the human body, something what he's giving that everybody understands.

So there's hands, there's feet, arms, necks, head, all the different components. Feets. Did you say necks? Probably. We have lots, you know, there's two-headed people that are around. There are a few, no. Hands, feet, arms, neck, head, other bodies, yes. Not multiple feet and not multiple necks. Sorry, I just had to laugh at your expense for a minute. No, that's fine. I'm trying to look as much as I can, but my notes are over here, so don't worry.

So, is the body of Christ fitted together in a similar fashion? Yeah, we're fitted together, so we're not all the same. We'll see each has a different gift and function in the body of Christ, which is kind of cool. A lot of times you get at a meeting with elders.

You don't want to all be Charlie Browns. You don't all want to be the same. You want to be different. You want to be different parts. You want to have different aspects. Being an elder, or like on the board, I'm on the board at the camp. It would be horrible if we're all the same. There are some of us who are very logical, analytical, engineering types. There's others that are HR types that are doing things that I would never think of, about little meetings and stuff and whatever. But we all are different to form a very strong board, as we see. One strengthens the other.

And the body concept is very much the same. We all have different gifts, as we'll see in the following part of the passage. But if we're all feet, not feet, if we're all feet, how does the body function? It doesn't. If we're all arms, we're all hands, it doesn't function. So I think Paul is bringing out a very important concept here. about the body.

So we're all different. We're all different parts. We have all different aspects of gifts and service within the body. We're all different. We all provide different aspects to the body. But we're all part of the body of Christ. So that's the key concept is we're one body in Christ. We're all different. We're all different parts.

So the question I had, and I think Newell brought this out, which is kind of an interesting thought. Does any other apostle or gospel or anything bring out this concept? Does any other apostle bring this up? Or any other gospel? I don't know of any. Yeah, again, this is a new concept. And remember, Romans is the foundational book of Christianity. So no, nobody else does it. This is a new concept, a new design.

Again, compare worship. What was worship at this time, at Paul's time? What did worship involve at Paul's time? Well, they met in home churches, they didn't, you know. But the same worship, it's the same, isn't it? That we have today. Well, I'm talking, before Paul brings this up, what was the normal worship? In the temple. Yeah, the temple. You'd go to the synagogue, the temple, you'd worship at a location.

So, remember what Paul has just laid out in verse 2. To present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable of God which is your spiritual service of worship. So again, he's laid out this concept where I was in the last lesson about our spiritual service and our bodies are the living and holy sacrifice. So now he's stating that not only are you living in holy sacrifice, but you have now been placed into Christ and we believers are all part of one body. So think about what that does to the normal Jew who is now a believer. He's now saying you are part of Christ's body. You think that was just kind of a blasé topic for these guys? They just said, oh yeah, that makes sense. It was all new. Completely new. Now, remember they couldn't even say God, it was Yahweh and they couldn't even, I mean they were so reverent of God.

Now Paul is saying not only You know, Christ is part of the triune God, but you're part of that body. I'd always put it in perspective of where these people were at, the message that Paul is giving to these people, and how they must have responded. This was completely different. And now he's saying, you are part of the body of Christ. You are now associated, and J.D. is what she said, the union with God. you are in union you are placed in his body positionally you're in his body wow this must have been revolutionary to him and you know you know I kind of think when Nicodemus when he meets with Nicodemus and said he said you have to be born again and Nicodemus is going how do we do that well I think a lot of people listening to this message right now from Paul is what do you mean we're in one body I'm sure a lot of them were just blown away that we're to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and that we're to be placed into Christ in one body. So again, this is very, I think, instrumental or very mind-boggling a message that suddenly from going to the worship and you worship at the temple or your synagogue or in the houses whatever well at that time for the Jews it was you know the temple or synagogue they would go to and worship now he's saying your spiritual service of worship is through you and now we've placed you into Christ So again, it's amazing, I think, what he just laid out for him.

That we are part of the body. We have that unity with the God of the universe. We've been placed into him. So again, I don't want to underestimate this message that he just dropped on him. Some of the others where we get this body concept.

Anybody have another verse before I give some? kind of lays out the same topic. Remember where we started this whole thing? Romans was, if you look at Paul's epistles chronologically, it doesn't fit the way the Bible is laid out. Chronologically it would be a lot different, but Paul's epistles are laid out with this being the foundational, and then we get more concepts and revelations as he goes through his epistles.

You get more and more built upon this concept. So, are there other verses that have the body concept that you can think of? I'll give you one. Prime the pump. First Corinthians 12, 12. For even as the body is one, and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. Anybody else? I was going to say a verse that's just been amazing to me is Ephesians 1, 13 and 14.

It says, In him, which is important that we're in Christ, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him by the Holy Spirit of promise. who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view of the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of His glory. Yeah. I mean, think of that. You're sealed in Him. You're sealed in the God of the universe.

You know, as we get in, as again, as we chronologically or not chronologically go, but through the epistles, you know, just thinking Colossians, what three, three that we have been placed in, in Christ, in God, you know, these are all just amazing things that he is laying out to the believers now. And so there's, uh, first Corinthians 1227. Now you are Christ's body and individually members of it. We're going through Corinthians, the very pure and holy city of Corinth at this point.

And he's now telling him, now you are in Christ's body and individually members of it. Facetiously saying, Corinth, as we're going through Corinthians, how it was kind of what, Mike, it was, kind of the slam was you're a Corinthian, which meant you were a sinner or something, the terminology Corinthian. You're a sexual sinner. They were sexual sinners. So in Corinth now, he's telling them to them, now you are Christ's body and individually members of it. So again, they'll get into it as they go through the message there.

But also in Ephesians 5, 29 and 30, where no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of his body. Again, Just think of what this does to those people who are listening to this message and what it means, what an uplifting one. You know, when you get into John 17 about the union that we have with Christ, union with God and Christ. You know, it's one of my favorite passages, John 17, where it just lays out the intimacy that we have with Christ. Now, the other ones that we, you know, just we have such a unity.

We are part of his body. We have been placed into it. And Russ, going back to what you said and all the Ephesians ones, when you read in Ephesians one and two, all of those blessings or facts or truth are always linked to being in him. All those all those sections always end with or start with in him. And so, again, this is, you know, the foundational book We have been placed into his body.

We are one. Incredible. Yeah. Well, it's incredible for them. It's incredible for us, too. So, hey, Courtney, you know, the other the other scripture that. First time I ever heard it was hearing it from you guys, they said, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless in love, who's also Jesus.

Yeah. You know, I can't remember what it is. I think between Ephesians 1 and 2, I think the in him's are like 20 times or 20 plus times. It's referenced to be in him. So yeah, in Him we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings, not a limited thing. It's just like grace. It's all on, full on. And chosen before the foundation of the world, before God said, let there be light. Man.

That's, you know, again, the concept of once we're placed into Christ, we have His history. So how long has Christ been around? From eternity past. So, again, just that thought that we've been placed into Him. Now our history is His history. We have Him as our life. We've been placed into Him. It's just amazing when you really think of what is being said here and how it applies to us. You know, I keep going back to what it was for Paul in his time and what the message was. But it's every bit the same for us, that we've been placed into the God of the universe.

Try and figure that one out. Anything else on that? Yeah, I got one comment that you mentioned John chapter 17 and when the Lord is praying to the Father and He specifically mentions and asks for this oneness between us and Him, Him and the Father. And so here's the request that this become a reality. And fast forward now to Paul's epistles and Paul is spending time in almost every one of his epistles trying to explain this.

And it's such a special truth, but for our minds to comprehend what oneness with the God of the universe is, I don't think you can do it. It has to be revealed to you through the study of the Word and the work of the Holy Spirit. You have to understand and rest by faith in the fact that you are one with Christ. And you always will be from now on. Yeah, no, it's, you know, trying to get your hand on this, it has to be the Holy Spirit that just reveals this to you and convinces you of it. I don't think we'll ever, until we step into eternity, get the full understanding of that. The interesting part, I think, Mike, is it's almost backward from what you said.

All of Paul's epistles came, and then John is written after Paul's epistles. Yeah. So, Paul lays out all this stuff. John, basically, the Gospel of John That's why it's so different than the other Gospels. All of John's Gospel is really pointing to Christ's deity. I think he's putting an exclamation point on all of what Paul did in John 17. He now says, Paul's laid out all this stuff, and now I'm going to tell you, here's the real Lord's Prayer. where he was talking and laying out everything about us and our unity and all that, that what Paul has laid out in the epistles is true because Christ is the Son of God. Right. And so, yeah, I mean, I think he put the exclamation point on all of what Paul just laid out. OK. Yeah, I agree with that.

My thought was that from on the timeline of the first time it's mentioned even though it's not written about for a while it's it's a request that the Lord Jesus made to the Father yeah yeah the actual the actual prayer was before this so yeah I mean it is before even Paul's on the scene yeah so you know so yeah it was it was there chronologically it was before but written of afterwards which I think that's why John documents it is to like said that the reason John writes that his whole gospel is to point to Christ as the Son of God. Like I said, to back up all the things that Paul said. Question four. blew a word there.

One of another, meaning verse five. So it says in verse five, so we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. So again, this is similar to the first Corinthians 12, 27 that I just read. Now you're Christ's body and individually members of it. So does this mean church membership? Come on now. Now this doesn't mean that we're members of Holly Hills, because we believe. Yeah, we're members one of another. So it doesn't mean church members.

So what is individually members one of another? First of all, are we all the same? Answer? No. No. No. Because it says individually, So that means we're not all the same, we're individually, we're different, we're all different parts. So, we're not, we're not, we're all unique. So, then we're members or parts of the whole, or members one of another.

So, if we're all parts of one body, how does it affect our thoughts and relationship with other believers? We're responsible to other believers. responsible? Well, we're responsible to live a righteous life, have Christ live through us, instead of enjoying our sin nature. But how does it specifically relate to the relationship between believers? Because it says we're individually members one of another. So what does that do? What does that affect our thoughts and relationship with believers, specifically with believers?

That's kind of on an individual basis. We're to manifest Christ, we'll be conformed to his image, what we've gone through, the renewing, the transforming, all those different things. But now this is talking about the body. How does that affect our relationship or our thoughts with relationship to the body?

To love one another. Again, share a little louder. Love one another. Yep. Others? I was going to say, when one member has an issue, it can affect all the members. Yeah. When somebody steps on your toe, does that affect the rest of your body? Yep. You're not walking around right then. You know, when you break an arm, that has an impact on the whole body. This is hard to understand. So yeah. History. Again, JD? What? JD, you were saying something? You muted yourself. No, I wasn't saying anything. Okay.

So again, I think this affects on how we relate to each other as believers. It's kind of what we're going through right now. Even though we're going through Zoom right now, isn't it nice to at least be together? Absolutely, absolutely. We love each other. Yeah, I mean, I really miss being together. And, you know, this is at least a lot better than not seeing you guys or hearing your voices or anything like that.

So, you know, I think what we're going through really stresses the body concept that we all miss each other. You know, if one's hurting, we want to help. Fellowship with believers, other believers, I say is natural within the body of Christ because we're all part of one body. And so I think that body concept is very important, especially right now that we're praying for each other, we're in the strength.

I go back to, I hope everybody's feeling peace. We know that God's in control of all this and he's using it for his purposes. He will provide. He is doing it for his reasons. We have that peace that surpasses all understanding. It says, come with your supplications, your prayers, and it will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding. The last part of it is it guards your hearts. Right now, I think he's guarding our hearts through this. and really becoming what gives us the peace around all this craziness that we're going through right now. The other is the body concept.

Don't you feel a special relationship when you meet other believers? Not just the group that we meet with, but when you're out, you're traveling, or at work, and you meet somebody who's a believer? I've been, years ago in my work career, I went to I was on the plane all the time, and I'd end up in different cities, and I'd be there for the weekend. I'd go to a church, and I'd be with true believers I hadn't, didn't know from a hole in the ground.

The minute I was in that, with that piece of the body, I just loved them, and they acted like they just loved me. Glad I was there, you know? You're part of the same body. It's awesome. You know, I meet people all the time at work, you know, and it's really kind of funny how you can tell they're different. I don't know, has anybody experienced that? You know, not right at the first time you meet them, but you just know something's different about them. Anybody have that experience? Yes. And you just sit there and it's like, something's different about them. And then you kind of, usually it's kind of like, let little gems out there and finally go, yeah, you're a believer, right?

One of the guys I remember, he works in one of the districts I deal with and I met him. He's a real nice guy, just really nice guy. I remember we got out of a meeting one time and we were walking out, just the two of us, and he goes, you know, I really liked your message on Sunday. I'm like, what? And he Googled my name for some reason, and it came up on the Holly Hills website. So he was listening to the messages. And so yeah, he's been a great brother that I've worked with, still works in the district. But you know, he kind of found out.

And so it's just a different relationship now that we have known that he's a believer. So I think it's just, I think it's really kind of that body concept is evident in our lives when we see other believers. You just know something's different and then you get talking to them. And then it's just a bond that you have that doesn't exist with people who do not believe.

And so I think this is a real important concept that we realize and what it means. So I think, Courtney, that I think that the unifying factor is the life that we share. We all share the resurrected life of Christ and that's the unifying factor and then within that is we're all members of the body of Christ and we're not anymore, put it on the other side, we're not anymore members of the first creation, old sin nature, members of the body of the world, although we have both lives going on at the same time in us. The resurrected life of Christ is the unifying factor, and that's when you start talking about oneness.

What really happens, I think, is that you run into another believer and it's an instant oneness. You know the life is the same with him and you. It doesn't matter what his opinions are. The life is the same. And that's what's comforting. He lives under this umbrella of grace just like you do. And he recognizes that to whatever degree he walks by faith. And he trusts. He's one of those odd people that live under grace. You know, it's kind of a different aspect too.

Our citizenship's in heaven. We're all citizens of heaven. So it's kind of like when you go walk somewhere and you know that there's an American next to you, you know. We have the same kind of thing. He's a citizen of the same place. We notice that he or she is a citizen of the same place and that unity. So I think it's a special thing that we have. There's some verses about the same body in Ephesians 4, 15 and 16.

We are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." So again, putting it together builds us up in love. So again, that relationship.

And then Ephesians 4.25, Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth to each one of you with his neighbors, for we are members of one another." Again, we're all members of the same body. and what that means. So again, I just, you know, the thought of the fellowship with everyone is awesome. I hope this gets over soon, that we can actually all sit in the same room.

It may be now another two weeks, I guess, from the emergency warning that shot out to everybody yesterday. It looks like we're in it for at least another two weeks. Hopefully that'll be the end, but again, I rest in the fact that God's in control of all this stuff, so. All right, anything else on that one? Otherwise, we'll move on to question 5.

We have question 5, from verse 6, what are the gifts and how are they given? So, verse 6, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly. So, you know, I went to Zodiaty's and The Greek word is charisma, charizomai, which means to show favor, a gift of grace, an undeserved benefit. In the New Testament, it is used only of gifts and graces imparted from God.

The other part, which I think is probably the more controversial part of his definition With respect to this passage about 12.6, specifically of gifts, now listen to this, imparted to the early Christians and particularly the Christian teachers by the Holy Spirit.

What do we think about that? Is it for, well, maybe we'll get to that later, I guess. Is it only for the early church? No, of course not. Yeah, that's why Zodiacs are like, what? It's important to the early Christians. So we'll hit that a little bit later. But it also violates my normal problem about giving definitions when you use the word in the definition. So it doesn't really give you much.

So what are spiritual gifts? We got a present on our doorstep. an Amazon package dropped on us, what are the spiritual gifts? What are they? Not specifically the various ones, but what generally describes them? Gifts, manifestation of the spirit for the edification of the body. Okay. Others? Gifts, gifts. Gifts give? Yeah, service, I mean... Yeah, explain. Well, it's all based on grace, right? They're not unique to us. They're not our works. They're not merited to us, but they give. They make up the body. The foot moves in a certain way in order to get you from one place to another. The hand picks things up in order to feed you.

So, gifts give. Yeah Other thoughts and again not the individual like gifts of you know, whatever we'll get into those but so I I think Alan JD you're right there, but there there are different talents ministries different aspects that Individuals manifest based on on the gift they have and and the measure of faith allotted to them by God to exercise that gift. But it's something that is used within the body. Like I said, a foot walks you around, a hand picks up things, a back supports your body, all those different things. So it's a service. It's something that provides to the body. And so, you know, it's not like a gift, like I get something, you know, a gift and I use it or I have it and it's in a nice little package.

It's our manifestation, is I think what Alan was saying, manifestation through the Holy Spirit of whatever talent, ministry, ability that God has given us. And it's God-given, we've just seen that. It's allotted by Him, and it's the measure of faith through exercise. I think, Courtney, that because the body of Christ is unique, and the word for spiritual gifts is a composite of the word grace, there are grace enablements given by the Holy Spirit for the body of Christ to function normally.

And so people are the vehicles through which these gifts are manifested, which means that there are two aspects of that. Number one, the person through which the gift is manifested doesn't own the gift. He's just the conduit. And two is it's totally the work of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the body has nothing to do with enhancing anything in the world. or personally, or anything like that. Every one of the gifts are designed for the body, not for the person who's the conduit. Right, which again, how are they given? By the Holy Spirit. By God, but what does the verse say? Verse 6. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given, Exercise them accordingly. By grace. By grace.

You don't earn them. So that was the question I have. Do we earn these? Should I strive to get as many gifts as I can? Man, I got five gifts. I'm going to shoot for six. Is that how it is? That would be, I would say, a total 180 from what it really is, because a person, every believer has at least one, and every gifted believer, his whole focus is off of himself, and because the gift is for the body, it isn't about him ever.

Right, and again, It's given by grace. We don't earn it. There's nothing that we earn that says, you know, if I do X, Y, and Z, I get the gift of exhortation. Or if I do X and this, I get the gift of mercy. It's not like that. And this verse says that it's according to the grace given to you. There's no possibility of earning this. We can't earn it. Because that violates grace.

This might be just too obvious, but it's for new creatures in Christ. It's like when we become new creatures in Christ, something changes in us and these abilities start to happen. You know, Russ, that's a great point because everything we do out of the world is for our own enhancement and our own glory. In the body of Christ, everything we do is for the glory of God and not for ourselves. So it fits perfectly with how the body of Christ should function, that God gets all the glory, which means that the enablements for that body to function through its members has to redound to the glory of God and not to the person.

Otherwise, it's not grace. Right. Well, and the other about the body concept is, and I think the other part of scripture where if we're all feet, the body doesn't function. If we're all hands, we need feet, we need ears, we need noses, we need all the different things, necks, feet. We need all those things. And it's all to come together to function together for the body.

It isn't for it to individually glorify the hand. It isn't to make the feet the best part of the body. The whole concept is to be focused on edifying or growing or functioning as a body. So again, there's no striving for these things. It's not that you want to have the gift of X because that's really cool and it's more important than the gift of Y. And it's only given by God.

We just saw it. It's allotted by Him, and the measure of faith to exercise that is given by Him. So again, I think it's really the basic concept of gifts that's being brought out right here, and I think that's important. We'll see in other scriptures that lay out a bigger list of gifts, but this is kind of the foundational ones where he's kind of saying every believer has it, and we're all part of one. And so, again, this is the foundational part.

So everybody good with that? Yes. Brian's giving it to me and the second bell has now rung. So so let's close and we'll start with question six next week and hopefully maybe only another week or two of this and then we'll be able I think we're due by the 26 the latest emergency notification gives us through the 26 so maybe after that we can we can Gather together and again have that fellowship face to face.

So anyway, well, let's close with prayer. I Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for this time and even if it's virtual through the things you've given us through modern technology, we just thank you again that we are one body in Christ and what that means.

That's an incredible concept that we have been placed into Christ, part of the Triune God, that we are positionally in Christ and as we know in Colossians, placed into Christ, in God. There is no safer, better place to be than in Christ and in God. And we thank Him for that, because it's nothing that we have done. It was the finished work on the cross with Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection as we celebrate this day, the resurrection, which means, Father, You accepted the payment for all of our sins. past, present, and future, all the sins of the world that were laid upon Christ, and you accepted that, and you raised Christ out of the grave. And we thank you for that and what that means to us. And then, by grace, you have offered us salvation. And through our trust and faith, in the finished work of Christ. So we thank you for all your plans and again, the position that we have now in Christ.

And again, we just pray for the body and all those needs that are out there. You know about them. You're a sovereign God in control of all things. And again, we rest in the fact that you have an eternal love for us. And we just thank you for our time together. And again, we pray that everything we say and do will honor and glorify you. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen.