In a previous broadcast, you and I had a little
heart -to -heart talk together regarding a portion
of the fourth chapter of Ephesians. It was that
fourth verse. There is one body and one spirit,
even as ye are called in one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and
Father of all, who is above all and through all
and in you all. Now for a very few moments, we're
going to continue with the 7th, 8th, and 9th
verses of this same chapter. Some of you are
looking for your Bible, that's right. It's the
fourth chapter of Ephesians. Now, I may not be
able to finish our little heart -to -heart talk
together today, but in our next broadcast, I
will continue with this wonderful discussion
of the gifts. May I please, for just a minute,
read the first three verses? Have you found it?
Ah, you were a little slow in finding it. That's
right. Now you have it. Begin with me, please,
with that seventh verse of the fourth chapter
of Ephesians. But unto every one of us is given
grace according to the measure of the gift of
Christ. Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended
upon high, he led captivity captive and gave
gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is
it but that he also descended first into the
lower parts of the earth? He that descended is
the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might feel all things. All right?
Pause just a moment, and we shall consider the
gifts. which the risen Christ has given to members
of his body. And remember that when we're discussing
this portion of the word of God, Paul is speaking
of the church, the body of Christ. Those believers
from the beginning of the day of Pentecost, as
recorded in the second chapter of Acts, and through
and including those who will be caught up at
the time of the great catching up, the rapture
of the church. Now consider, but unto every one
of us is given grace according to the measure
of the gift of Christ. Now, the Spirit of God
with regard to the unity of the body of Christ
expresses The diversity of the gifts to the saints
and their ministry of them. These opening words
give us the startling truth that every one of
us, every member of the body of Christ, has received
some gift fully edifying in the body of Christ.
and for the unity of the faith. I don't care
how insignificant you may be. I don't care how
weak. I don't care who you are. If you are born
again, if you have been adopted to the Father,
if you have been baptized into the body of Christ,
and are a member of his body. The scripture here
says that every one of us has received some gift.
And that gift was given to you and that gift
was given to me for the edifying of the body
of Christ and for the unity of the faith. Oh,
somebody says, but Ms. Kuhlman, are you sure?
Sure, I'm sure. That's the reason. Go back again
when the comparison was made regarding the physical
body and the spiritual body. And when we take
that push in the Word of God, when the comparison
was made in 1 Corinthians, the 12th chapter,
it says, for the body is not one member. And
he's talking about the physical body. He's making
this comparison. But many. Sure, our physical
body is composed of many members. The hand, the
feet, the eyes, the ears, the arms. But remember,
each part of our physical body has a very definite
work to do. And each member is most important
to that body. Let me just give you an illustration.
Have you at any time in your life ever looked
up and thanked God for two good thumbs? Oh, it's
easy to thank God for two good eyes. We treasure
our eyesight. It's wonderful to look up and thank
God for two good legs. And I'm constantly thanking
God for two good legs. But do you want to know
something that is most important to the physical
body? Those little thumbs of yours. And yet,
when we count our blessings, we never think of
that little thumb. Do you realize that you use
that little old thumb of yours as much as you
use your legs constantly? You try to pick up
something without that thumb. Put that thumb
of yours in splints where you can't use it. Tie
it to your hand so that you have no use of that
thumb whatsoever. Do it for just one hour. You
are going to be amazed when you discover how
much you use that little thumb. Try to eat without
that thumb with your right hand. That's right.
Try to comb your hair. without the use of that
thumb on your right hand. Right now, just try
to pick up something without the use of that
thumb. You'll find out that that little old thumb
that you thought was so insignificant and you've
never given praise to the Lord for is a very
vital member of that body of yours. And so he
is with the body of Christ. I don't care how
insignificant you may feel that you are. The
weak... The most insignificant member of the
body of Christ is all important to that body
and to the head of that body, Jesus Christ. It's
just like that. Sure, I know. Some gifts are
more outstanding because of their public character.
But you and I cannot get along without the ministry
of the most insignificant of God's people. Every
believer has some contribution to make toward
the body as a whole. It's just like that. Remember
also that he not only gives a gift, but he also
imparts grace to enable you to exercise it. No
matter what it is that God has called you to
do. By his grace, you can do it. That's right.
But unto every one of us is given grace according
to the measure of the gift of Christ. If your
gift requires great grace, great grace will be
given you. That page is missionary out there
on the foreign field. I may sit here and say
to myself, I'm afraid I couldn't do it. I'm just
afraid I couldn't take it. But do you want to
know something? If God had called me to the mission
field with that... Call he would have supplied
the grace to be obedient to him in that call.
That's right. That missionary that's out there
on that mission field. That one who has been
called a God. Along with that call, God gives
them daily the grace to take it. The grace to
come through victoriously. Oh, to me, that's
marvelous. All right, here we go. Take verses
7, 8, 10. Let's begin with that 8th verse now.
Verses 8 and 10 present the Lord Jesus Christ,
the head of the body of Christ, as the one who
bestows these gifts up on the members of his
body. Now... This significant description of
the word of the Lord is given just before the
gifts are enumerated. The opening words begin
with, Wherefore he saith. And then a portion
of the 68th Psalm is given. And the 18th verse
of the 68th Psalm reads, Thou hast descended
on high. Thou hast led captivity captive. Thou
hast received gifts for men. Now there's a difference.
There is a terrific difference in the scriptures.
There's a difference in the Psalms. There is
a difference here in Ephesians. In the Old Testament,
Christ is seen as the glorified Son of the Living
God receiving from the hands of the Father gifts
which he in turn bestows upon the church. Here
in the New Testament in Ephesians, he is seen...
giving these gifts to members of his body. Do
you remember in a previous message, when we took
you to that great conference table, way back
there in past eternity, when the three sat down,
God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, and they made plans for the redemption
of man? And Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, offered
himself to the Father as an atonement for the
sins of man. The Father, in turn, gave his only
begotten Son that you and I might have life everlasting.
But there was an agreement that was made at that
same conference table. Those of us who are redeemed
during this dispensation, from the time of the
beginning of Pentecost to the last hour of Pentecost,
which of course would be at the time of the great
catching up, we would be given to Jesus by the
Father as His inheritance. At that same time,
the Father says, gifts that you in turn can give
to them in turn the holy spirit today operates
the gifts that jesus has given to us remembers
of his church who in turn had been given those
gifts by the father we see the trinity King together
in calling out the body of Christ and preparing
each member of that great body. Oh, doesn't that
do something to you? Don't you see how the whole
thing is not a separate thing? It's as a whole.
And how the three members of the Trinity. work
together as one, perfecting the unity of the
many members of his body. Just a second. What
do the words lead captivity captive mean? Now,
this expression refers to the ascension of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Victor overseeing death, Hades.
Now, in the margin, captivity captive is translated
a multitude of captives captive. These captives
that are spoken here were Old Testament saints
who were in paradise or Abraham's bosom waiting
for the Son of God to make possible the entrance
for them into God's presence. Remember, atonement
had not been made for their souls. Until the
cross, the Old Testament saints went to paradise,
which was called by the Jews, Abraham's bosom.
The rending of the veil in the midst from top
to bottom signified that a way into God's presence
had been made. And from the cross... The Lord
Jesus went into paradise. They put his body in
the tomb. But remember something. They never
put the person of Jesus in the tomb. He went
to paradise to set the captives free. God bless
you.