“Having then gifts. . . “– Romans 12:6a
God’s greatest gift to humankind is Himself and the salvation provided in Jesus Christ. God our Creator, Sustainer, Revealer, Just Judge, and Savior, is a Giving God. God is Holy, that means there is none like Him. God is not only extraordinary, He is uniquely One-and-Only. There are no others as magnificent and Sovereign like Him. That should give us great joy.
One of the most incredible attributes or characteristics is the giving nature of God. God enjoys surprising us with more. Paul urged Christians to pray to God “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Then Paul bursts out in a spontaneous expression of worship concluding, “to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). It is in the Church that we can see much of the blessed giving of God.
In Romans 5 the Apostle Paul is inspired to describe the “justification” aspect of the gospel. Justification is the legal standing bestowed by God on those who repent (Romans 2:4), and trust Jesus as Savior. To be justified through faith in Jesus is to be legally declared by God to be just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned. Think of it, all our sins washed away and standing before God just as if we’d never sinned. Incredible. It’s the most glorious exchange. Jesus took and paid for our debt of sin on the cross. We, when we trust Him as Savior, have His righteousness put to our account (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Romans 5 begins with a “Therefore.” Whenever you see the word “therefore,” ask why is it there for? In this case it is the climax of the reality that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), but that the sinner can be “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Romans 5 then continues, “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). This is the beginning of the compounding blessings of God.
Romans 5 continues stating that by faith we are given access to more grace “and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). As Paul describes the abundance of blessings of God’s grace he uses phrases like “And not only that” (5:3, 11), and “much more then” (5:9), and “much more” (5:10, 15, 17, 20). “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (5:20b). Those are wonderful words. I encourage you to take a moment and read through that incredible chapter five of Romans.
But there’s still more! More? Yes, more. Romans 6 tells us this gracious provision of God provides us with “newness of life” spiritual, eternal life (romans 6:4). This is not only a new life, a second birth, or as Jesus said, being “born again” (John 3), it is a life that empowers us so that sin no longer has to dominate us (Romans 6:14). Now this holy life os victory over sin isn’t something we achieve in our own strength, trying to live in our own strength results in wretchedness (Romans 7). Victory over sin and fulfillment from God in this life is provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit who helps us in our weaknesses and empowers us to be more than conquerors! (Romans 8). In other words, more, More, MORE! Still MORE!!
But if you haven’t caught on yet that this eternal life provided by God’s grace through faith in Jesus is characterized by a never-ending sequence of mores, then entering the practical section of romans beginning in Romans 12 should convince you. In Romans 12 we are introduced to the practical section of Romans 12-16. We are given marching orders and advised about how Christians should live out this new life in Christ. We not only receive blessings from God’s grace, but God our Creator provided opportunity for those He created to show their appreciation and love to Him and to others. We humans need to be appreciative and loving in order to realize the fullness of God’s intended purpose for us.
In Romans 12 Paul tells us the only reasonable response to all of God’s gracious provisions is to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices (12:1-2). In doing so, God reveals his perfect will to us. Paul then comments that what he is saying to them is a product of God’s grace in him (12:3). Then he instructs his readers to be humble and be mindful of others, and that he says, “Having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us” (12:6). What? “Having gifts”? More? MORE? Are you kidding me? God gives us even more? Yes. Incredibly God provides us with spiritual gifts, tools to serve Him, and He does this by His grace.
What are some of these spiritual gifts and how are they to be used? That is what Paul discusses in the rest of Romans 12. Let’s look at these gifts and our proper application of them.
6 Having then gifts
“Gifts” (Greek charisma) refers to spiritual gifts, supernatural enablements to serve God, supernatural gifts in the sense that they are the Spirit’s enablement beyond natural ability we are created with. Such “gifts” are not natural talent.
Such gifts come to us by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. These enablements are not something we go to school to attain. These gifts are given by the Spirit who then works powerfully through their use by us.
We can see spiritual gifts birthed at Pentecost. Prior to Pentecost Peter for instance, was constantly putting his foot in his mouth, speaking out of turn, out of step and awkward in his following of Jesus. This was true of all of Jesus disciples prior to Pentecost. Therefore, Jesus instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4-5). He described this Promise as, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is with a person prior to conversion showing them their need for salvation (John 16:8-11). The Holy Spirit comes in a person when they repent and trust Jesus as Savior (John 3; 14:17). The Holy Spirit comes upon a person to empower them for service (Acts 1:8). The disciples obeyed Jesus and prayed in the Upper Room (Acts 1:14). Then, just as Jesus had promised, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them in power (Acts 2). The evidence of this empowerment was seen in the spiritual gift of tongues and interpretation. This power was also seen in the newfound boldness of men like Peter who stood and preached the gospel powerfully to those who a few short days before had crucified Jesus. Peter was equipped and empowered by the Spirit with the spiritual giftings of prophecy, teaching, evangelism, to name a few. The effect of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit on Peter was to transform him making him a dynamic servant of the Lord. All that we see in the Book of Acts is the acts of the Holy Spirit in and through those serving Him.
differing according to the grace that is given to us,
Spiritual gifts are more from God. They are bestowed on us by virtue of God’s grace. We do not earn them or even choose them. God the Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual gift(s) HE chooses to serve Him where and when and how He chooses (cf. 1 Corinthians 12-14).
let us use them:
Spiritual gifts must be used. If you don’t use them, you can lose them. If you abuse them for your own glory or purposes, the Spirit can withdraw them. Spiritual gifts must be used in humility by faith depending on God and for His glory.
If Peter had kept his experience to himself and resisted reaching out to the people at Pentecost, nothing would have happened and Peter likely would have wilted. If the early disciples of Jesus had disobeyed Jesus and just went home or even tried to serve in their own strength, there would have been no Book of Acts and likely no Church birthed either. They would have remained an offshoot of Judaism and blended in with other failed movements in history. Thankfully, and by God’s grace, that is not what happened.
The importance of using the spiritual gifts the Spirit gives us is seen in Peter’s testimony to the religious leaders that were confronting him. Peter said, “And we are witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32 emphasis mine). If they hadn’t obeyed the Spirit, if they had kept silent and complied, they would never have had the opportunity to have been so mightily used by the Lord. To be powerfully sued by God and live in his provision of more, you have to step up and step out in faith and trust Him for His power, giftings, and grace.
Now Paull describes seven spiritual gifts. There are more spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4). In all of these spiritual giftings the objective is to communicate God’s grace by doing more than expected and more than is required. In our own strength that would be impossible. Inn the strength and power of the Holy Spirit we will more than conquer that task.
if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
“Prophecy” (προφητεία prophēteia) – forth telling – could involve speaking of future events but has to align with scripture (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20-22). The spiritual gift of prophecy more commonly involves one of three purposes:
1 Corinthians 14:3 (NKJV) 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification [I.e., building up] and exhortation [i.e., stirring up] and comfort [i.e.., lifting up] to men.
The Spirit empowered prophetically gifted person is one who builds people up, exhorts them to action, and lifts them up in times of difficulty. The gift of prophecy, like with all spiritual gifts, is used “in proportion to our faith” or trusting in the Lord.
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering;
“Ministry” – (Greek διακονία diakonia) is depicting truth of God in life. Jon Courson comments:
Romans 12:7 (Courson’s Application Commentary (3 vols.) Prophecy declares truth. Ministry depicts truth. Jesus modeled this over and over again when He would first teach and then touch. He would teach truth and then touch people as an illustration of what He taught. Ministering simply means serving. I think of Dorcas in Acts 9. When she died, the early church went into an upheaval. Why was she so loved? Because she was a minister in the truest sense of the word. Others declared truth and warmed people’s hearts; Dorcas depicted truth by sewing people’s garments and warming their bodies.
It is in ministry service that we can live out very practically how God offers more and more by His grace to us. We become agents of God’s more-than-enough blessings.
he who teaches, in teaching;
“Teaches” means to communicate systematically the truth of God’s word in a way the helps people understand it with the intent they would apply it to their life. Teaching people about the grace of God is a wonderful blessing.
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation;
“Exhorts” means to spur on to action, to urge application of God’s word to life. Encouraging people to look to the God of grace for all their needs is a wonderful life application to live.
he who gives, with liberality;
“Gives” is a desire to share one’s resources with others. “Liberality” is the spirit with which one gives and means to give generously, giving with simplicity not complexities of required accounting, with the heart, giving with no strings attached. By giving to others what they don’t expect or deserve, we can very practically bless people with living examples and experiences of the more of God’s grace.
he who leads, with diligence;
“Leads” means to lead ranks from the front, to lead into battle. The ability to get things done, to lead in a way that accomplishes a goal. A person with this gifting sees how to achieve a task. They are problem solvers. “Diligence” means eagerness, with the heart, being invested in the task, passion. There is a certain dynamic characteristic of those with the gift of leadership. The leader is one who presses on to more and more victories in Jesus. The leader is one who enthusiastically leads others to more and more victories by God’s grace.
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
“Mercy” means to have compassion on someone, to empathize and seek to help one who is hurting. This is someone who cares for others, sympathizes with those hurting. They weep with those who weep. “Cheerfulness” refers not just to an upbeat attitude, but a readiness, eagerness, not as an unwanted burden, not as a have to but as a get to help someone. The person with the gift of mercy gets their joy from being merciful to people. We all need more and more and more of God’s mercy and joy.
What do these spiritual gifts look like in action? Paul now paints a picture for us.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy.
When you use your gift do so in sincerely in love, not like a hypocrite who has ulterior motives. Every truth spoken, every deed done to show people God’s gracious more, should be shown in the love of the Spirit. It is the love of the Spirit that is the true evidence of spiritual life in Christ (cf. Romans 5:5).
Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
This is the heart of one with the gift like prophecy, teaching, or leading. To “abhor” (Greek apostygeo) is to detest, look on with horror, intensely dislike. “Evil” (Greek poneros) is that which is hurtful, evil, degenerate, diseased, derelict, vicious, devilish, sinful. Evil is like a cow pie. “Cling” (Greek kollao) means to glue, to stick to keep company with, cleave to. “Good” (Greek agathos) is that which is beneficial, good, useful, agreeable, excellent, upright, honorable. Fasten yourself to what is good and keep evil far from you. Keep further and further away from evil. Draw more and more closer to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
This is what the gift of ministry or serving looks like. It is often expressed in kindness and brotherly love, giving preference to others, diligently and fervently serving the Lord by serving others. Just keep living in the love of Jesus more and more my brothers and sisters in Christ.
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
This is what the gift of mercy looks like. The person with this gift brings the joy of hope in the Lord and His grace. They patiently press on following the Lord during times of trial and help others to do the same. People with the gift of mercy are often the prayer warriors in the congregation. It is in prayer to God that we tap into more and more of His gracious provisions.
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Give people more of God’s grace in practical ways. Seek Him for ideas and opportunities to do so. This is what the gifts of mercy, ministry and giving may look like. I like what Pastor Jon Courson comments here making a distinction between entertaining and true hospitality:
Romans 12:13 (Courson’s Application Commentary (3 vols.)) What does “hospitality” mean? It means to be a “hospital” for the hurting, lonely people who come your way. Entertaining says, “I want to impress you with my home, my decorating, my cooking.” Hospitality says, “This house is simply a gift from my Master. I use it however and whenever He desires.” Entertaining needs to impress. Hospitality aims to serve. Entertaining puts things before people, saying, “As soon as I get the house clean, I’ll start inviting people over.” Hospitality puts people first, saying, “No furniture? No problem. We’ll picnic on the floor.” Entertaining subtly declares, “This house is mine—an expression of my personality, and my ingenuity.” Hospitality whispers, “What’s mine is yours. Enjoy it anytime.” Truly, hospitality is practical Christianity.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
This is what the gift of exhortation and mercy looks like. But this attitude toward enemies should be characteristic of all those empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is what sharing God, His grace, and the extraordinary nature of God’s provision in life. Those who persecute aren’t going to expect the persecuted to bless them. They are going to expect defiance and belligerence. But by showing them grace you will win them to the Lord. Instead of reacting in your own feelings, respond in giving them more of God’s grace.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
This is how our gifts of the Spirit should be ministered. We are empathetic and appropriately rejoice with the joyful, weep with the hurting, seek to be single minded with others. We shouldn’t use our spiritual gifts to elevate ourselves over others. We shouldn’t think ourselves wiser because the Spirit’s gifting gives us insight others might not have who don’t have the same gifts we have. Be a Spirit empowered agent of God’s grace by reminding people of the more that is available from the Lord. Where there is joy, add more joy. Where there is sorrow, bring more empathy. Where there is disunity, bring more unity. Where there is pride, bring more humility.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
The gift of giving goes deeper than money or material things. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be reduced to tit-for-tat or getting even with offenders in our own strength. Instead we should focus on the good and encourage others to do the same. Overcome evil with God’s good.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Jesus said peacemakers would be called children of God (Matthew 5:9). In all our giftings from the Spirit we should seek to help people first, to make peace with the Prince of Peace Jesus, and then be at peace with others. This world needs more and more peace. Give it to them in the power of the Holy Spirit.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
It takes faith to restrain yourself from striking back at someone trying to hurt you. It takes faith to trust an enemy to God and let Him carry out justice. True joy is rooted in a faith that trust that God is in control and will bring true justice. Learn to give God your enemies more and more. Help others to do the same.
We are living in an intense political climate at present. It would be easy for us to pin our joy on political victories. But if we do that, our joy will likely be short lived. Political tides go up and down. It would be easy to be sucked in to avenging ourselves on our political opponents. But there is a better way. I’m not saying justice should not be served. Not at all. We are to have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to expose them (Ephesians 5:11). We are to abhor evil as we’ve already seen. But if we settle for mere political victories, we will have missed a great opportunity.
God will repay justly those who are purveyors and proponents of evil. Our job is to minister to our enemies, to represent God and His righteousness to them and to do so in the power of the Spirit with the spiritual gifts He provides. We should be living out and sharing the truth of God’s word in every corner and public square of life. We are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). We are called to be witnesses of Jesus locally and globally. Pray and seek the Spirit’s leading and empowering about how you can fulfill such a calling in your area of this lost world. If you seek Him, and obey Him, you will discover He is willing and able to do more than you ever thought possible.
20 Therefore
When you see the word “therefore” ask yourself “What’s it there for?” In this case it is to tell us how to respond to those who oppose us. We shouldn’t be so gullible to expect everyone to receive the ministry we offer them. Many will reject our kindness. Some will bite the hand that is trying to feed them. When that happens we shouldn’t strike back. Instead we should. . ..
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
This statement by Paul needs to be understood in the historical context of his day.
Romans 12:21 (Courson’s Application Commentary (3 vols.)) In Paul’s day, when a fire went out in a home, it was difficult to reignite it. Therefore, if someone’s fire went out, the women would carry live coals in clay jars upon their heads to share with the person who had no fire. Thus, the implication here was not of burning one’s enemy, but of warming him in order to ultimately win him to the kingdom.
This is the perfect example of how to counter evil with more and more of God’s good.
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
These last verses express the attitude we should have when using our spiritual gifts. Our attitude should be one of mercy and getting the victory over evil by doing good. The redemption of the lost should be foremost in our mind in all we do. The salvation of souls and the glory of God is more important than avenging the wrongs we suffer. No amount of vengeance from us can match God’s eternal justice. Give your enemy to God.
More? MORE? MORE!! God is gracious and is constantly giving us more. It’s a wonderful thing to experience God’s grace. It’s a wonderful thing to understand and live in expectation of such grace from Him. It’s a wonderful calling to be empowered by the Spirit to share God’s grace with those around us. The world would be a better place if we all just learned to appreciate and live in the MORE of God’s glorious grace. May God help us to live in His grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen!