According to the Gift You Received

(Eph4:7-16)



God is the Owner (Rm11:16).

He manages His possession as He wishes, and

Lets those who have used the gifts He gave also become eternal owners (Mt25:14-15, 21).



Faith is receiving God's gift as grace, and

The life of this faith is putting effort to do the best according to the gift one received (Eph4:16), for

The giver has more interest than the receiver.



Adam forgot about God's grace (Ge2:16) and was deceived by

The devil, the angel who though was made as a servant

Attempted to ascend the throne and was cast down to Hades (Is14:12-15; He1:14).

Consequently, Adam was banished from the Garden and

All men became slaves of the devil (Ge3:24; 2Pe2:19).



For God's gifts and calls are irrevocable (Rm11:29),

As the Potter He forms some pottery for special purposes and others for common use.

He also gives or takes away as He wishes (Rm9:20-21; 2Ti2:20).



Before there were any deeds of good or evil,

God gave the providence of the older serving the younger (Ge25:23; Rm9:11-12).

He also blessed each of the 12 tribes of Israel according to their measure (G49:28),

Making them a kingdom of priests (Ex19:6).

He also gave the Levites as gifts (Nu8:19), and

Aaron and his sons served Him as priests (Nu18:7).



Aaron's budded rod in front of the Ark inside the sanctuary was

A sign to the rebellious for generations (Nu16:1-33, 17:3-5).



Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because

Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,

He would give God's gift to not flesh and blood but for all souls (Jn3:16, 4:10).



As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:

1)     According to the Father's will used His life which He received from the Father as gift, and fulfilled His measure (Jn10:18; He3:6; Php2:6-8);

2)     Condemned the devil the ungrateful one (1Jn3:8); and

3)     Purchased souls with His blood and gave them as gifts to the Father (Rev5:9).



He resurrected and sat on the heavenly throne,

The gift which the Father prepared for the Son (He1:2).



The Holy Spirit who comes as gift to believers (Ac2:38)

Lets them know what He has freely given (1Co2:12),

The measure of their gifts (Rm12:3-11).



The Christian knows the measure of the gift he received, and

Puts every effort to mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, by

Building up the body of Christ (Eph4:13-16), and

Fulfilling his duty, his measure (Eph3:7), for

He knows that

There is not even one member that is not important (1Co12:4-31), and that

God gives more gifts to those who are willing (Mt25:14-29), and

Believes that the Lord will finally give the heavenly throne as gift to him in the end (Lk22:30).



O Lord,

Let each of us follow the measure of the gifts we received

Successfully worship and

Build a great church, and

Give it to the Father!

Amen.