All of Salvation is the result of a gift of Jesus Christ given to everyone who believes in Him; but also, there are other special gifts awarded to each believer as well, based on the selection of God the Holy Spirit for the carrying out of the specific mission of each and every believer. Listen in today as our Pastor Teacher, Landis Fisher shares another episode of our ongoing teaching through the epistle to the Romans which He has titled: Since We Have Gifts”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Daniel 6:1 – 5 (NASB)
Dan 6:1 It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom,
Dan 6:2 and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss.
Dan 6:3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.
Dan 6:4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.
Dan 6:5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”
New Testament Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1 – 8 (NASB)
Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Rom 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Rom 12:4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
Rom 12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Rom 12:6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
Rom 12:7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;
Rom 12:8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Transforming Power Statements:
1)Daniel is a great example of how God has utilized the giving of giftedness, even before the cross of Jesus Christ, along with a host of others whom God set-apart by special enabling abilities to glorify Himself through them, for the advancement of His Kingdom purposes.
2) Beginning with the “Measure of Faith” the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Who Is GOD) is the first of the gifts given by God because of our faith in Christ Jesus, where with we are sealed for the day of redemption. (See Ephesians 4:1 – 32)
3) Since we have gifts, let us cultivate them and employ them as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
