by Mark Mayberry
Synopsis: God bestows gifts on humanity, but these blessings are spoiled by sin. Victory comes through abstaining from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:22) and avoiding fleshly lusts that war against the soul (1 Pet. 2:11).
Discussing the redemptive work of Jesus, Paul quotes and adapts a statement from Psalm 68, a Davidic song praising the God of Sinai and the Sanctuary:
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men" (Eph. 4:7-8, NASB).
King David spoke of God receiving gifts: "You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men. . ." (Ps. 68:15-19, esp. v. 18). Gifts are given in recognition of a king's exalted position. When the queen of Sheba perceived the wisdom of Solomon and all that he had built, she gave him 120 talents of gold and a large number of spices and precious stones. "Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon" (1 Kings 10:6-10, esp. v. 10). After God delivered the city of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, many brought gifts to the Lord and presents to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations (2 Chron. 32:22-23). Magi from the east came and worshipped the Christ-child, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:11). Given all that God has done on our behalf, we should gratefully acknowledge His goodness by presenting our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1), offering the praise of our lips (Heb. 13:15), and acceptable spiritual sacrifices through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5).
However, in Ephesians 4, Paul shifts the focus. Instead of describing the necessity of giving gifts to God (which he does elsewhere), the inspired apostle refers to gifts that we receive from God. Discussing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, Paul said, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men" (Eph. 4:7-13, esp. v. 8). Contextually, this refers to His death, burial, and resurrection. It also includes the establishment of the church and the appointment of offices of revelation, proclamation, leadership, and instruction.
Much could be said about the gift of God's Son, the benefits that we enjoy in His body, etc. Nevertheless, in this lesson, let us expand our focus to consider other gifts that God has bestowed upon humanity.
God gave us the gift of judgment, bestowing human intellect, and also revealing His mind unto man via special divine revelation that forms the bases of understanding. Accordingly, we should be of sound and sober judgment (Rom. 12:3; 1 Pet. 4:7). Alcohol, drug abuse, and other judgment-impairing behaviors debase the gift of intellectual ability, reasoning, and understanding (Prov. 20:1; Hos. 4:11).
God gave us the gift of liberty, freedom of will, and the ability to choose (Josh. 24:15; Acts 11:23). Smoking and other addictive behaviors rob us of yet another gift that of self-mastery (1 Cor. 6:12-13) and also destroy our bodies, which individually function as the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17).
God gave us the gift of marriage, providing companionship and intimacy (Gen. 2:18-24; Prov. 18:22). Sexual immorality, in its varied manifestations, not only debases this gift but also destroys those who pursue this path (Prov. 2:16-20; 6:24-35).
God gave us the gift of speech and verbal expression (Exod. 4:10-12). Accordingly, we can communicate a nearly infinite range of thoughts, ideas, and emotions, the highest of which is praise (Ps. 51:14-15). Cursing, swearing, and profanity defile the gift of speech (Rom. 3:9-18; cf. Ps. 52:1-5).
God gave us the gift of stewardship, entrusting us with responsibility (Luke 12:42-43; 1 Cor. 4:1-2). Gambling, slothfulness, and other wasteful behaviors render one unworthy of such trust (Prov. 24:30-34; Matt. 25:24-30).
God gave us the gift of truth (Isa. 29:22-24; John 8:31-32). Jesus is forthright with His followers: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you. . ." (John 14:2). Theft, cheating, lying, and other dishonest behaviors reveal that we are unworthy of this blessing (John 8:44; 1 John 2:4-6).
Encouraging His disciples to pray fervently ("Ask. . . Seek. . . Knock. . ."), Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him" (Matt. 7:11)? In this lesson, we have considered specific divine blessings—the gift of judgment, liberty, marriage, speech, stewardship, and truth. However, evil conduct sets aside these gracious gifts. The next two issues of Truth Magazine focus upon Paul's exhortation, "Abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22). Study with us as we contrast God's goodness with the devil's relentless attempts to defile these divine blessings.
Many view sin in a favorable light, because it brings fleshly gratification. However, its pleasures are passing, deceptive, and illusory. The Greek adjective poneros, translated "evil," pertains to "(1) being morally or socially worthless; (2) being so deficient in quality in a physical sense as to be worthless; (3) being in an unhealthy condition physically" (BDAG). The undesirability of evil is seen through its figurative usage in John's Apocalypse to describe "malignant sores" (Rev. 16:2). Instead of being attracted to sin, like a moth to a flame, let us recognize that victory over evil comes through abhorrence (Rom. 12:9), avoidance (1 Cor. 5:13; 1 Thess. 5:22; 2 John 11), assurance (John 17:15; 2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 4:18; 1 John 5:18), appealing to God in prayer (Matt. 6:13), and actively overcoming the evil one (1 John 2:13-14).
In writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul spoke of various gifts that God has bestowed upon His people. While the saints at Corinth did not lack in any gift (1 Cor. 1:7), yet they were fighting among themselves over who possessed the most significant spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12:1ff). Such petty arguments left them stunted in their spiritual development. Concluding his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul exclaims, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15).
Speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" (John 4:7-14, esp. v. 10).
Have you received God's free gift of salvation (Isa. 55:1-2; Rom. 6:20-23)? Have you begun the process of spiritual transformation (Rom. 12:1-2)? To achieve that end, let us resolve to scrutinize everything. Holding fast to that which is good, may we abstain from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:21-22).
