21 Apr A Network of Grace

Christian unity is of great importance to Paul, as it has been formed in the very body of Christ (Ephesians 2:14). He urges the Church towards pursuing it (4:3), and he revels in the fact of it (Ephesians 4:4-6). This is a unity that overcomes the sort of consumeristic individualism that we are bent towards. However, it accomplishes this not by abolishing the individual’s uniqueness, but instead by repurposing it for the good of all of His people.

Individuality Within Unity

As he discusses the completeness of the Church’s unity, Paul turns his attention to Christians as individuals. Each of us has received a “special gift” from God (Ephesians 4:7). God’s love for His people is clear throughout Scripture, but here it is seen in a unique way. He is generous, giving gifts to all of His people, but He is also thoughtful and deliberate, giving particular gifts to particular people for particular purposes. He has united us into one people, commissioning us together and meeting us corporately in worship, but He also sees and relates to each of us as individuals in a unique, personalized way.

Herein is a sweet glimpse of God’s love for His people – that He chooses to condescend to us and accommodate us as individuals. Without any obligation to do so, He preserves and even amplifies our uniqueness. He does not make carbon copy Christians out of us. This is not to say that He is tolerant of our sin – the gate is indeed narrow and the way hard (Matthew 7:14). But look and you will see a delightful medley of persons on it.

Equipped to Equip

However, even our individualism is not merely about us as individuals. By giving His people these special gifts, God has created apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and more; these people He then gives to the Church to accomplish His purposes (Ephesians 4:11). His special gifts to us are intimate expressions of love, but they are also the masterfully calculated initiatives by which He builds and sustains His Church.

The gifts that God gives to us are always meant to benefit others. He multiplied Abraham’s offspring so that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 22:17-18). He directs us to forgive others just as He has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). He is always filling up in order to pour out, filling and pouring out, over and again. The process continues with us, with our particular gifts, which He has equipped us with so that we might in turn equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). He builds us up so that we would build up His Church (Ephesians 4:13). And so on. His grace is of such quality that He uses it to transform the one that receives it into a fresh channel by which it is to flow anew. With His gifts to His people, God is carving out a vast network of tributaries of His grace.

God has a grand vision for us as a Church. As we await Christ’s return, God has designed us to work sustainably and interdependently with each other (Ephesians 4:16). As each of us play our specific role, we make a vital contribution to the Church’s mission. He is deploying each and every one of us, armed with His gifts, to share the good news of what Christ has done and to cause each other to grow more and more like Him (Ephesians 4:15).

Working for the Common Good

Every individual in the Church has received a special gift – a “manifestation of the Spirit” for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). Whatever your gift may be, God has given it to you so that you would use it build His Church. As we live in community with others and take advantage of opportunities to serve where we are, we will gain a better grasp of our gifting and the good works that He has planned for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).

-Brian Barbee, Downtown Campus