Series Nine: Exercising Spiritual Gifts for the Edification of the Body

The purpose of this study is to develop a rich and practical appreciation of the apostle Paul’s teaching in Romans 12 on the unique combination gifts that each individual believer is granted by grace. Each believer has a different measure of faith for a unique functioning in the church. It is most encouraging when we see someone maxing out his unique giftedness for the edification of the body and it goes on week, after month, after year, after decade, after multiple decades.

Squandering giftedness dishonors the Lord, who gave it (Rom 12:3; cf. 1 Cor 12:11). Romans 12:6—the italicized words in the NASB (“each of us is to exercise them accordingly”) are not in the original language, but the text carries the sense. Since each of us has gifts according to the grace given, we must exercise them in service until we drop! But there will some ashes because some burnt up (1 Cor 3:12–13).

Hindrances to Maximal Service

The Spirit wants to use me and wants to produce fruit through my life and use me as a vessel. But if sin overtakes our lives and becomes patterned, we squander the fruitfulness of service. Fleshly distractions must be starved in order to put ourselves in the position of maximum blessing.

1. Wickedness
   • Maximal usefulness depends on abstaining from wickedness (2 Tim 2:19–22).
2. Laziness
   1. Our culture is obsessed with not working hard, with vacation, and with living a pain–free life (Prov 18:9).
   2. But the time is short (Eph 5:16).

Helps to Maximal Service

We are called to exercise our gifts “according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph 4:7) and “according to the proportion of … [your] faith” (Rom 12:6).

1. Press in to your sanctification (2 Tim 2:21).
2. Rejoice in God’s sovereignty over the gifting of the body.
   1. God determines the diversity in the body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12).
      1. We are spiritual relatives, individual members of one another, interlocked with one another and attached to Christ the Head.
      2. God calls us to function within such a diversity.
      3. We don’t need to be clones; everyone will not be like us.
   2. God distributes the gifts as He pleases (1 Cor 12:4–7, 11).
   3. God directs each part of the body.
      1. You may look back and see how God directed you or diverted you from the broad channel to a narrower or particular area.
      2. You didn’t necessarily choose that specific or unique area, you just went forward, and looking back you see that the Lord directed you to the places and people where your measure of faith would be most effective.
3. Recognize the interdependence within the body.
   1. “For the body is not one member, but many” (1 Cor 12:14).
      1. The body parts have different functions.
      2. No part of the body can say to another, “I have no need of you” (1 Cor 12:21).
      3. No single individual is God’s unique, comprehensive gift to the body, making others unneeded.
      4. We must not wish for some other kind of gifting or function than what we have, or begin to imagine that we cannot be useful.
   2. “The members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Cor 12:22).
      1. People with the speaking gifts tend to get more recognition.
      2. Those with gifts that are viewed as less prominent are the sometimes referred to as “behind the scenes people.”
         1. They tend to be deemed less honorable, when in fact we are commanded to “bestow more abundant honor” (1 Cor 12:23).
         2. It is their gifts that cause them to receive more recognition, because they are using their gifts to the max.
      3. We recognize everyone’s usefulness and fruit bearing in the body.
      4. We are all peers in the body, no matter what God has given us to do.
4. Encourage others to maximize their gifting.
   1. Implied here is that if you are not the one with the gifting listed, you ought to encourage the one who does have the gift to get after it (1 Cor 12:4–27).
      1. Stir people up to greater love and do more for others (Heb 10:24–25).
      2. When we see someone sitting on the sideline, we need to ask them why they are tending to do very little and not fulfilling the biblical mandates.
      3. We should be praying for others to use their unique gifting to the fullest.
   2. Don’t despise the gifts given to others.
      • Perhaps an exhorter is exercising his gift by faith and he is blessing the body. Do you:
        1. have a dislike for his exhortation, so you stifle him?
        2. want the same gift, so you are jealous?
        3. simply not like the fact that he is pointing his finger at you?
5. Look for needs to meet in the diverse body of Christ.
   1. The needs will not be of only one kind; there will be a great variety of needs.
      1. The needs are as varied as people. They vary as much as life and circumstance, trouble and trials, joys and sorrows.
      2. God is doing something in each person’s life; help them in the areas in which God is working. That’s where their greatest needs are.
   2. Be intentional.
      • When you walk into a fellowship, meet people, talk to them, intentionally learn their needs and seek to meet them.
        1. God may use you with a thousand people in the same way.
        2. Or He may use you with one person in a thousand different ways.
        3. Meet needs not just on Sunday, but every day.
6. Remember the biblical motivations.
   1. We are a safeguard for each other (Heb 10:24–25).
      1. Trials and difficulties are coming.
      2. People are going to get caught up in sin.
      3. God will use you to guard and rescue people through your service or speaking or a combination of your gifts.
   2. Exercising your gifts builds up the body of Christ (Rom 14:19; Eph 4:12–16).
   3. We are “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might” (Col 1:11; cf. vv. 9–14; 1 Pet 4:11b).
   4. There are heavenly rewards to lay at Christ’s feet for what He accomplished though you (2 Cor 5:9–10; Rev 22:12).
   5. No greater motivation is needed than that the Spirit is in you granting a measure of faith and gifting to serve the body.