God’s Grace in Spiritual Gifts

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10)

When we use our spiritual gifts, we are stewarding grace — not yesterday’s grace, but today’s, arriving in every moment of need. And this future grace is “varied grace.” It comes in many colors and shapes and sizes. This is one of the reasons spiritual gifts in the body are so diverse. The prism of God’s gifts in your life will refract shades of divine glory that would never come through my prism.

There are as many future graces as there are needs in the body of Christ — and more. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to receive and dispense the future grace of God to those needs.

But someone may ask, “Why do you take Peter to refer to future grace? Doesn’t a steward manage a household store that is already on hand?”

The main reason I take Peter to refer to future grace is because the next verse illustrates how this works, and the reference there is to ongoing supplies of future grace. He says, “Whoever serves, [let him serve] by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). The word is “supplies,” not “supplied.” As you serve, serve in the power of the ongoing supply of God’s grace to do what you need to do.

When you fulfill your spiritual gift to serve someone tomorrow, you will be serving “by the strength that God supplies” — and the supply will be tomorrow, not today. “As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25).

God goes on, day-by-day, moment-by-moment, supplying the “strength” in which we minister. He does this because the ongoing, inexhaustible supplier of power gets the glory. “Whoever serves, [let him serve] by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

John Piper 

What’s ahead if you hold steady?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

But that which you have already, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. Revelation 2:25-27

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

You’re going to find in these days churches will face more temptation to get away from the Word of God, the blood atonement, and salvation by grace through faith. Churches will also be under attack by seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. But in Jesus’ message here to the church in Thyatira He encourages then and urges, “You hold fast till I come.”

Even though it’s tough, remember this, dear friend—it’s going to happen that one day the saints are going to have their day. Look at v. 26: "He that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations."  Are you aware the Bible plainly states that one of these days Jesus is going to come and rule this world?

The Bible says if we suffer with Him, we'll also rule and reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). The Bible even teaches that we're going to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

It may not be long before Jesus comes and His millennial reign begins here on this earth. The Bible clearly says that it's going to be a powerful reign (v. 27).

ACTION POINT:

Don't give up, don't let down. Hold fast, stick to it, stay with the Word of God. Hold fast to that old truth. Hold fast to this Book and don't let go.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail

Definition of prevail

Prove more powerful than an opposing force

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

16 Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. - Matthew 16:13-20

The Twelve 

1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. - Matthew 10:1-4

The Messiah 

38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39 He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ).

42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). - John 1:38-42

One in the Body of Christ

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. - Ephesians 2:11-22

His Kingdom

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. - Revelation 21:14

The Rock that is Christ

24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." - Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus Authority

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. - Matthew 7:28-29

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. - Matthew 28:18

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. - John 3:35

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, - John 13:3

For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. - Romans 14:9

25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. - John 5:25-27

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. - Colossians 2:9-10

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.

28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. - 1 Corinthians 15:26-28

Debt Paid

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. - Colossians 2:12-15

Your Mission

18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

The Power to Profess Christ

With great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33)

If our ministry is to witness to Christ tomorrow in some unsympathetic situation, the key will not be our brilliance; the key will be abundant future grace.

Of all people, the apostles seemed to need least help to give a compelling witness to the risen Christ. They had been with him for three years. They had seen him die. They had seen him alive after the crucifixion. In their witnessing arsenal they had “many proofs” (Acts 1:3). You might think that, of all people, their ministry of witnessing, in those early days, would sustain itself on the strength of the past glories that were still so fresh.

But that is not what the book of Acts tells us. The power to witness with faithfulness and effectiveness did not come mainly from memories of grace; it came from the new arrivals of “great grace.” “Great grace was upon them all.” That’s the way it was for the apostles, and that’s the way it will be for us in our ministry of witnessing.

Whatever added signs and wonders God may show to amplify our witness to Christ, they will come the same way they came for Stephen. “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Grace was arriving from God for all that Stephen needed — eventually all that he would need to die.

There is an extraordinary future grace and power that we may bank on in the crisis of special ministry need. It is a fresh act of power by which God “bore witness to the word of his grace” (Acts 14:3; see also Hebrews 2:4). The ever-arriving grace of power bears witness to the ever-given grace of truth.

John Piper 

Will you be faithful—whatever happens?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

…and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10b 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If faithful believers in past centuries—and some even today— have reddened the mouths of lions, languished in prisons, and been scorched in the flames, can we not go out today, back to our school, back to our office, and live for Jesus Christ? 

In this evil hour, sin-bound, self-bound, hell-bound men and women need a Savior. And we need revival.  We’ll have it when there are Christians with burning hearts, brimming eyes, and bursting lips, who fear nothing but sin and who love nothing but Jesus Christ.

Who among us will be faithful unto death? We’re not to be fearful; we’re to be faithful. God help us that we shall. 

ACTION POINT:

Pray this prayer today: “We realize, Lord, that most of our lives we’ve had it relatively easy. Help us not to be ashamed of Jesus. Help us not to deny Him.  Help us to fear none of the things that shall happen, but to be faithful to death. Lord, we are so grateful for the good times we have and for the joy we have.  We don’t want to be morose about whatever is to come, but help us that we might see things clearly and understand Your Word. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Energy for Today’s To-Dos

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

God is the decisive worker here. Work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you, the willing and the working. God wills and he works for his good pleasure. But believing this does not make Christians passive. It makes them hopeful and energetic and courageous.

Each day there is a work to be done in our special ministry. Paul commands us to work at doing it. But he tells us how to do it in the power that God supplies: believe him! Believe the promise that in this day God will be at work in you to will and work for his good pleasure.

It is God himself, graciously at work each moment, that brings the promise of future grace into our present experience. It is not the gratitude for past grace that Paul focuses on when explaining how we work out our salvation. I mention this simply because so many Christians, when asked what the motive is for obedience, will say gratitude. But that is not what Paul emphasizes when he talks about motive and power for our working. He focuses on faith in what God is yet to do, not just what he has done. Work out your salvation! Why? How? For there is fresh grace for every moment from God. He is at work in your willing and doing every time you will and do. Believe that for the challenges of the next hour and the next thousand years.

The power of future grace is the power of the living Christ — always there to work for us at every future moment that we enter. So when Paul describes the effect of the grace of God that was with him, he says, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience — by word and deed” (Romans 15:18).

Therefore, since he would not dare to speak of anything but what Christ accomplished through his ministry, and yet he did, in fact, speak of what grace accomplished through his ministry (1 Corinthians 15:10), this must mean that the power of grace is the power of Christ.

Which means that the power we need for the next five minutes and the next five decades of ministry is the future grace of the omnipotent Christ, who will always be there for us — ready to will and ready to work for his good pleasure.

John Piper 

If you have to suffer, are you prepared?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried…. Revelation 2:10a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Polycarp was the pastor of the early church in the city of Smyrna. It was a bustling port city of 100,000 people on the Aegean coast of modern-day Turkey. Today, Smyrna is the city of Izmir, Turkey. Paul founded the church there on his 3rd missionary journey. 

In the book of Revelation, the church in Smyrna was the second church to receive a letter from the Lord Jesus, as given to the apostle John. Jesus encouraged the persecuted church there to be "faithful unto death" and they would receive "a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).

Polycarp was told to renounce his faith in Christ and offer just a pinch of incense to Caesar. That would get him off the hook with the Romans. He refused, saying, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and in nothing hath He wronged me; and how, then, can I blaspheme my King, Who saved me?”

When they heard that, they clamored to burn him at the stake. They brought their wood and heaped it around his feet. And then Polycarp prayed, “I count it a blessedness to be thought worthy of a place among the martyrs of Jesus Christ.”

And when that fire was kindled around his feet, he was heard singing and praising the Son of God.

ACTION POINT:

Most of us will not die at the stake, get shot by a firing squad, or be imprisoned for the Lord Jesus Christ. We may not have a chance to die that way, but can we not die to this world—a world that’s at enmity with God?  Can we not die to our plans and our ambitions?  And can we not say, “Jesus Christ is Lord”?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers