It Is The Gift Of God ...
It Is The Gift Of God ...
Salvation is by grace -- through faith -- not of yourselves, for it is
the "gift of God." God has always demonstrated one salient feature of
His nature to mankind -- that is His interest in giving that which is in
the best interest of mankind. James wrote, "Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). If
there is something that is either good or perfect that man needs, God
supplies it. Anything God gives to mankind is the most precious
commodity for which any rational being could ever hope. After a few
announcements we will look further into this subject.
The West End church of Christ presents this program each Sunday with
only one purpose in mind. We want you to know something about the
greatest book of all time, the Bible. We also want you to become
acquainted with us. We urge you to study the things we present in the
light of what you can understand in plain language from the Bible. If
you find us teaching anything contrary to Scripture, we will count you a
dear friend if you will call that to our attention.
We also invite you to visit our meetings today. At nine this morning we
have Bible classes for all ages. At ten, we meet for congregational
worship and again this evening at 6 p.m. we assemble to worship. We
won't embarrass anyone, or badger you for contributions, or anything
else. We just want you to visit and see what the church of Christ is
really like. Wednesday evenings we meet at 7 p.m. for Bible study also.
Our meeting house is located at the corner of Parkside Drive and Old
Morgantown Road, just across from Lampkin Park and A&W Root Beer.
We publish a paper called, "The Voice of West End." It is free, in the
truest sense of free. We neither ask for, nor accept, any donations at
all of any kind for our work. If you want a religious paper mailed to
you twice a month, absolutely free, please let us know. Write us a note
or a card to: West End church of Christ, 1609 Parkside Drive, Bowling
Green, KY. 42101 or call 842-7880. I will repeat that at the end of
today's lesson.
God's gift to mankind is unquestionably the greatest of all gifts. In
this passage, Paul says the salvation God graciously provides is through
man's faith, but not of man. If it is by grace, then it is not of man -
- no man could ever devise any system by which he could obtain it.
Mankind could never create enough power to get it. All of the money all
men have ever accumulated is not enough to purchase it. It is that
which is graciously donated by the Almighty through His Son, Jesus
Christ.
Not all of God's gifts bring salvation. Paul spoke of another kind of
gift in the next chapter. He wrote in verses 6 and 7, "that the
Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, and partakers of His
promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister
according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective
working of His power." The gift of God's grace here is the gift of
inspiration. The means of transmission of saving grace is inspiration.
Men who were chosen as special servants, prophets, apostles were guided
by the Spirit of God to reveal God's grace that saves. Without the gift
of inspiration the gift of salvation would have been impossible.
The gift of God in salvation is revealed to all mankind. Revelation is
limited to those to whom God promised the gift. There are many mere men
among us now who imagine they are still receiving revelation from God --
but such revelation is only imaginary. Anyone who makes the fatuous
claim of being in direct contact with God to reveal something not
already revealed denies the fundamental principles of truth. Jude
speaks of "the faith" which is once and for all time delivered to the
saints (Jude 3) and Paul says God will add His anathema (curse) to
anyone who presumes to preach anything other than the apostles preached
(Galatians 1:8-9). Some of these men who claim the Lord gave them a
direct and special message for today really have ulterior motives. Take
TV evangelists who claim God speaks through them. Have you ever noticed
how many of their so-called "messages" have to do with their need for
someone to send them a donation of money? It is really difficult to
think they do not have a motive that is less than pure when they
continually use God as a wedge to obtain contributions from the people
to whom they speak. The fact is this: there are no special direct
revelations from Almighty God to anyone today. There is but one
revelation and that is sealed by Christ's blood and any mortal who would
dare to tamper with that seal does so to his or her own damnation.
The Hebrew writer speaks of the gift of salvation. The author of
Hebrews wrote, "For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become
partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and
the powers of the age to come, if they (or better and then) fall away,
to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for
themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:4-
6). The "Heavenly gift" is equated with partaking of the Holy Spirit,
tasting the good word of God, and the power of the age to come. No
doubt this is why we have passages such as, "the gift of the Holy
Spirit" (Acts 2:38), and "the gift of righteousness" (Romans 5:17) or
"the gift of Christ" (Ephesians 4:7). All of them direct our minds to
the "unspeakable gift of God" when Jesus came to save mankind.
The gift of God is salvation. All who are saved are completely saved
from every sin committed in the past. Salvation covers the present and
current condition of one in Christ Jesus and spans even to the future as
the saved are promised an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom
of the Almighty. During the time we spend waiting for the return of
Jesus, we must exercise the gifts God has bestowed upon each one of us.
Paul says, "But to each one of us grace was given according to the
measure of Christ's gift" (Ephesians 4:7). The apostles received
special gifts not given to others. Some of those gifts were limited to
the formative period of the Lord's church. But all receive the gift of
salvation by God's grace. This gift is not limited to persons or time.
J.O.F. Murray, author of a small commentary on Ephesians, in the
Cambridge Greek New Testament series, said, "What comes to each is none
the less due to the free bounty of the giver, though it is not given
indiscriminately or in like measure to all. The Parable of the Talents
supplies a partial illustration of the thought. Here the giver, as the
context shows, is the Ascended Christ." He then cited Acts 2:38 as an
application of this point. That passage reads, "Repent and let every
one of you be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission
of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The gift of
the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself, who comes to dwell in the
Christian's life.
Peter promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to all penitent believers who
would be baptized in water for the remission of sins. He promised to
penitent believers who are baptized for the remission of sins, in the
name of Jesus Christ, "the gift of the Holy Spirit." Notice now the
parallel to our text -- Ephesians 2:8. Peter's sermon was the result of
a direct gift of inspiration from God (Acts 1:8 -- the apostles were
told they would receive power from on high). Acts 2:1-4 tells us the
apostles were waiting for that power and the Spirit of God came upon
them and they "began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them
utterance" (verse 4). Those who were baptized upon their faith and
repentance were then given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:8
tells us the same thing. It is the gift of God that brings salvation
through the preaching of the apostles and upon faith (obedience to God)
salvation is granted.
Now, how is this gift of God granted? Is it something that is given
unconditionally? Does God give salvation whether man does anything or
not, whether man even wants it or not? Or, does God grant salvation
conditioned upon man's faith and obedience? The issue is not difficult
to settle. Jesus said, "Not everyone that says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The faith that saves is the obedient faith.
The Hebrew writer says, "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience
by the things which He suffered, and having been made perfect, He became
unto all them that obey Him, the author of salvation" (Hebrews 5:8,9).
Obedience today is no different than it was on Pentecost. Those who
believed were told to repent and be baptized in order to be saved and
receive God's gracious gift. And the question right now is, have you
done that or not? If not, we urge you to wait no longer, but put Christ
on in baptism, be the recipient of God's gracious gift and be added to
the Lord's church.
As we leave you today, remember to write and ask for the free paper. We
accept no donations -- just write West End Church of Christ, 1609
Parkside Drive, Bowling Green, KY. 42101 and we'll put you on the
mailing list. Until we have another opportunity to study with next
Sunday at 8 a.m., please read the Bible daily, think of the Lord daily,
and search your own heart to see that it is right with the Lord. If you
have a question or comment on this topic, or if you have a Bible
question we would like to hear from you. May God richly bless each and
everyone of you. Goodbye.
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Passage where "gift" is mentioned.
Ephesians 2:8; 3:7; 4:7 -- Romans 5:15,17
Hebrews 6:4
Luke 11:13
John 4:10
Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17
Romans 5:15,17
II Corinthians 9:15
Romans 6:23; 11:29
I Timothy 4:14
"gift of God"
"gift of the grace of God"
"grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ"
"the Heavenly gift"
"give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him"
"the gift of God"
"the gift of the Holy Spirit"
"buy the gift of God with money"
"was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit"
"God gave them the like gift"
"the free gift ... the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus"
"the gift of righteousness"
Radio Sermon No. 5, Page 1
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Lyrics, Chords Tabs Rated
Children's NT Studies
