"Spiritual Gifts and the Grace to Use Them" Kathryn Kuhlman Ephesians Chapter 4 Part 2

In a previous broadcast, you and I had a little heart -to -heart talk together regarding a portion of the fourth chapter of Ephesians. It was that fourth verse. There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. Now for a very few moments, we're going to continue with the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses of this same chapter. Some of you are looking for your Bible, that's right. It's the fourth chapter of Ephesians. Now, I may not be able to finish our little heart -to -heart talk together today, but in our next broadcast, I will continue with this wonderful discussion of the gifts. May I please, for just a minute, read the first three verses? Have you found it? Ah, you were a little slow in finding it. That's right. Now you have it. Begin with me, please, with that seventh verse of the fourth chapter of Ephesians. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended upon high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might feel all things. All right? Pause just a moment, and we shall consider the gifts. which the risen Christ has given to members of his body. And remember that when we're discussing this portion of the word of God, Paul is speaking of the church, the body of Christ. Those believers from the beginning of the day of Pentecost, as recorded in the second chapter of Acts, and through and including those who will be caught up at the time of the great catching up, the rapture of the church. Now consider, but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Now, the Spirit of God with regard to the unity of the body of Christ expresses The diversity of the gifts to the saints and their ministry of them. These opening words give us the startling truth that every one of us, every member of the body of Christ, has received some gift fully edifying in the body of Christ. and for the unity of the faith. I don't care how insignificant you may be. I don't care how weak. I don't care who you are. If you are born again, if you have been adopted to the Father, if you have been baptized into the body of Christ, and are a member of his body. The scripture here says that every one of us has received some gift. And that gift was given to you and that gift was given to me for the edifying of the body of Christ and for the unity of the faith. Oh, somebody says, but Ms. Kuhlman, are you sure? Sure, I'm sure. That's the reason. Go back again when the comparison was made regarding the physical body and the spiritual body. And when we take that push in the Word of God, when the comparison was made in 1 Corinthians, the 12th chapter, it says, for the body is not one member. And he's talking about the physical body. He's making this comparison. But many. Sure, our physical body is composed of many members. The hand, the feet, the eyes, the ears, the arms. But remember, each part of our physical body has a very definite work to do. And each member is most important to that body. Let me just give you an illustration. Have you at any time in your life ever looked up and thanked God for two good thumbs? Oh, it's easy to thank God for two good eyes. We treasure our eyesight. It's wonderful to look up and thank God for two good legs. And I'm constantly thanking God for two good legs. But do you want to know something that is most important to the physical body? Those little thumbs of yours. And yet, when we count our blessings, we never think of that little thumb. Do you realize that you use that little old thumb of yours as much as you use your legs constantly? You try to pick up something without that thumb. Put that thumb of yours in splints where you can't use it. Tie it to your hand so that you have no use of that thumb whatsoever. Do it for just one hour. You are going to be amazed when you discover how much you use that little thumb. Try to eat without that thumb with your right hand. That's right. Try to comb your hair. without the use of that thumb on your right hand. Right now, just try to pick up something without the use of that thumb. You'll find out that that little old thumb that you thought was so insignificant and you've never given praise to the Lord for is a very vital member of that body of yours. And so he is with the body of Christ. I don't care how insignificant you may feel that you are. The weak... The most insignificant member of the body of Christ is all important to that body and to the head of that body, Jesus Christ. It's just like that. Sure, I know. Some gifts are more outstanding because of their public character. But you and I cannot get along without the ministry of the most insignificant of God's people. Every believer has some contribution to make toward the body as a whole. It's just like that. Remember also that he not only gives a gift, but he also imparts grace to enable you to exercise it. No matter what it is that God has called you to do. By his grace, you can do it. That's right. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. If your gift requires great grace, great grace will be given you. That page is missionary out there on the foreign field. I may sit here and say to myself, I'm afraid I couldn't do it. I'm just afraid I couldn't take it. But do you want to know something? If God had called me to the mission field with that... Call he would have supplied the grace to be obedient to him in that call. That's right. That missionary that's out there on that mission field. That one who has been called a God. Along with that call, God gives them daily the grace to take it. The grace to come through victoriously. Oh, to me, that's marvelous. All right, here we go. Take verses 7, 8, 10. Let's begin with that 8th verse now. Verses 8 and 10 present the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the body of Christ, as the one who bestows these gifts up on the members of his body. Now... This significant description of the word of the Lord is given just before the gifts are enumerated. The opening words begin with, Wherefore he saith. And then a portion of the 68th Psalm is given. And the 18th verse of the 68th Psalm reads, Thou hast descended on high. Thou hast led captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts for men. Now there's a difference. There is a terrific difference in the scriptures. There's a difference in the Psalms. There is a difference here in Ephesians. In the Old Testament, Christ is seen as the glorified Son of the Living God receiving from the hands of the Father gifts which he in turn bestows upon the church. Here in the New Testament in Ephesians, he is seen... giving these gifts to members of his body. Do you remember in a previous message, when we took you to that great conference table, way back there in past eternity, when the three sat down, God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and they made plans for the redemption of man? And Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, offered himself to the Father as an atonement for the sins of man. The Father, in turn, gave his only begotten Son that you and I might have life everlasting. But there was an agreement that was made at that same conference table. Those of us who are redeemed during this dispensation, from the time of the beginning of Pentecost to the last hour of Pentecost, which of course would be at the time of the great catching up, we would be given to Jesus by the Father as His inheritance. At that same time, the Father says, gifts that you in turn can give to them in turn the holy spirit today operates the gifts that jesus has given to us remembers of his church who in turn had been given those gifts by the father we see the trinity King together in calling out the body of Christ and preparing each member of that great body. Oh, doesn't that do something to you? Don't you see how the whole thing is not a separate thing? It's as a whole. And how the three members of the Trinity. work together as one, perfecting the unity of the many members of his body. Just a second. What do the words lead captivity captive mean? Now, this expression refers to the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Victor overseeing death, Hades. Now, in the margin, captivity captive is translated a multitude of captives captive. These captives that are spoken here were Old Testament saints who were in paradise or Abraham's bosom waiting for the Son of God to make possible the entrance for them into God's presence. Remember, atonement had not been made for their souls. Until the cross, the Old Testament saints went to paradise, which was called by the Jews, Abraham's bosom. The rending of the veil in the midst from top to bottom signified that a way into God's presence had been made. And from the cross... The Lord Jesus went into paradise. They put his body in the tomb. But remember something. They never put the person of Jesus in the tomb. He went to paradise to set the captives free. God bless you.