MONDAY October 5, 2020
Gifts According to Grace
…or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:7-8
There are many different people attending church. The Lord can use all these different groups of people: rich, poor, young and old, from all different walks of life, and ethnic backgrounds. You never know who is in the body of Christ. Sometimes I am truly surprised. If we placed all these gifted people in the right places, can you imagine what the body of Christ could do to spread the Gospel as we all work in unity together?
Every spiritual gift is given to each of us is according to the grace of God. The gift of ministry, relates to serving, it is a gift of servanthood. People with this gift do not murmur or complain––they willingly serve. Then the gift of teaching is used to instruct people in the truths of the Scriptures.
During the Calvary Chapel Movement, out of thousands of people, God chose Mike MacIntosh, Greg Laurie and myself to be pastors-teachers and evangelists––dual gifts. I thought my gift was evangelism, I never thought I could be a pastor-teacher. However, the Lord placed me in the right place as a pastor, I did not strive for that position––it was God given.
At first, we used to listen to Pastor Chuck Smith tapes in the Kung Fu studio. It was not until 1976, when I went to the Shepherd School for one week, that the Lord changed my whole life. He spoke to my heart, and by faith I began to teach the Word of God. I set up a study library. The Lord taught me how to teach the Bible––line upon line.
Honestly, I just wanted to know God, and do exactly what He intended for our ministry. At that time, Pastor Chuck Smith became the greatest example in my life. He knew that when God calls a person, He uses them greatly. I am the person I am today, only because of God’s grace.
A spiritual gift is a supernatural designed ability granted to every believer by which the Holy Spirit ministers to the body of Christ. A spiritual gift cannot be earned, pursued or worked up. It is merely “received” through the grace of God.
~John MacArthur~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!