Ephesians 4:7
7 But [de] unto every [hekastos] one [heis] of us [hemon] is given [didomi] grace [charis] according to [kata] the
measure [metron] of the gift [dorea] of Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
7 But
to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. NASB
Grace is Gods favor. Without Gods favor, there is nothing that is available
to anyone. There are three categories of favor, or grace.
First, there is common
grace which is available to all people whether believer or unbeliever. To all
is given the environment that we live in, planet earth, divine establishment
principles (volition, marriage, family, nationalism, authority, economics,
etc).
Second is the grace that
is available to believers only, the grace of the spiritual life, spiritual
growth, the mechanism of and the function of the spiritual life, doctrine,
confession, and so forth.
The third category of
grace is for mature believers only, which is referred to in the Bible as greater
grace. To spiritually mature believers belongs greater blessings for greater spiritual
growth including accelerated spiritual growth, additional spiritual tests to
solidify faith, greater blessings both now and in the eternal reward, and so
forth.
But as to this earthly
life, God measures out grace to everyone in accordance with the gift of Christ,
which is salvation and doctrine and growth after salvation.
Grace, or Gods favor, is
a gift. It is not self-originated. It is a gift that originates from God
alone. Man cannot create or cause or
earn, and certainly will never deserve Gods favor. Without favor from God, each
individual would have nothing, not even their own physical life, which too is a
gift from God.
Grace is given to all
people, and especially to each individual believer.
Grace is measured, and
may or may not necessarily be the same for everyone.
To some, God may give
gifts of ability or talent. To others
God may give gifts of benefactors for the purpose of helping others or
promoting doctrine. To some God may give
gifts of business for the purpose of providing jobs or commerce. To some God may give gifts of parenting or
being a partner in marriage. To some God
may give gifts of innovation or unique labor talents. Most folks will receive multiple gifts because
the lives of most people are connected to many things in life – marriage,
family, work, etc.
Have you ever wondered
how and why some people can do things with seeming ease, while the rest of us
could not do those things, ever.
One should never look to
the talents or circumstances of others with envy, because in the spiritual
life, especially for a spiritually advancing believer, God has always given
something unique to each. Each and every
believer receives some measure or uniqueness of grace. No one is ever left out. You have a spiritual gift.
Some may never see the
function of their gift, because they simply do not have a functional spiritual
life. And that is to their loss. The gift is there, the grace is there, the
favor of God is there, but the spiritual function not being there, disables
that gift or favor.
Gods grace is in
accordance with Christ. All of life, all
of history, all of creation, revolves around Christ. There is nothing in existence that is not in
some way connected to a relationship, or lack of it, with Christ.
As goes your attitude toward
Christ, as goes your attitude toward doctrine, so goes your life.
Christ is the living and
written word, and through Christ, both living and written, your entire
existence depends.
Reject Christ, reject
doctrine, reject Gods plan, be indifferent, try to re-invent your own version
of a spiritual life, and you will lose.
Pursue Gods plan and
spiritual process, legitimately, and your life will be phenomenally blessed, and
successful.
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