The Nature of God's Gifts

This message is a brief study of the nature of God's gifts to believers. It is not a study of Spiritual gifts as described in the Twelve Chapter of 1 Corinthians although references will be made from it. References will also be made from the Fourth Chapter of Ephesians concerning the five ministry gifts.

The Grace Gifts of God

A good Concordance will show you that there are nine different Greek words equivalent to the English word "gift". One of the Greek words translated is "charisma". The real meaning of the word "charisma" is derived from a basic Greek noun "charis" which means "grace" in English. Therefore in New Testament teaching all God's gifts are "grace gifts".

The Grace of God

Biblically, grace is the the free unmerited favor of God toward the undeserving and the ill-deserving. It is not merely that we do not deserve good, we actually deserve evil. And in place of evil God offers us good. The only reason is that God chooses to give us grace. First of all, grace is free and can't be earned; no one ever earned the grace of God. If you can earn it, then it isn't grace. Secondly, it is sovereign. God is absolutely entitiled to do what He will with His grace; He owes no one any account or explanation of His grace. The gospel (good news) is simply the manifestation of the grace of God to the undeserving sinners.

Here are some statements of truth about God's grace as revealed in the New Testament Scripture:

1. God gives grace to the human race through only one channel. That channel is His Son, Jesus Christ.

John said, "For the laws was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17, NKJV).

Apart from Jesus Christ, God offers grace to no one.

2. Grace is only offered to one kind of person - the humble. Both James (James 4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) in their epistles quoted Proverbs 3:34: "Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble" (NKJV).

3. There is only one way by which grace can be appropriated, by which you can have it in your life and your experience - by way of faith.

Paul said, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast"(Ephe: 2:8, 9, emphasis added).

Notice that both salvation and faith are grace gifts of God.

4. There is only one administrator or dispenser of the grace of God - He is the Holy Spirit. He is called the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).

The Gifts of God

All gifts of God are grace gifts given freely by Him. The following statements are made by Paul in his epistles:

Spiritual gifts

"For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gifts, so that you may be established ...." (Rom. 1:11).

Notice that no specific gifts were mentioned. But we know that these spiritual gifts are meant to establish the Church of Jesus Christ.

Ministry gifts

Christ Himself established the five specific ministries (offices) for the Church:

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11, emphasis added).

These five ministry gifts came from the hand of the exalted and glorified Christ at the right hand of the Father in heaven. They are His own provisions for the continual maturity of His Church through the ministries of those who are called, chosen and ordained of God.

Gift of righteousness

"For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who recieve abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:17, emphasis added).

The majority of professing Christians completely failed to realize we are offered righteousness as a gift - we can't earn it, we can't work for it, we can't strive to attain to it, we simply accept it as a gift.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

We are made righteous with the righteousness not our own but the righteousness of Christ. All we need to do is to receive it by faith.

Connection between life and righteousness

"And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom. 8:10).

Life comes in by the Holy Spirit because we are reckoned righteous. God cannot give life to the unrighteous.

The difference between wages and God's gifts

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

Paul was drawing a deliberate contrast between wages and grace gifts. Wages are the due reward for what you have done. If you work with a monthly fixed salary, at the end of the month you collect your wages. Paul said that the due reward for the sins we have all committed is death. If you want justice you can have it because God is just. Since your "work" is sin, He who is faithful and just, will pay your salary and you will recieve death as your wages. Death is therefore your due reward! His alternative is grace gift of eternal life! The choice is yours.

The Gifts and Calling of God

Paul said, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29, NKJV).

The Amplified Bible puts it more vividly - "For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable - He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call".

Paul gave a very brief statement but it speaks volumes. It is one of few Bible verses which still hold true whether it is in the context or taken out of context.

In the entire Chapter 11 of Romans Paul spoke about how Israel rejected the gifts and calling of God. And as a result salvation came to the Gentiles. God, in His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel), chose Israel as His own Bride. You can find many references in Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Notice also that God had also chosen His Church as the Bride for His Son. God's gifts and calling for both Israel and the Church are irrevocable - cannot be withdrawn. He will never change His mind - God never changes (Malachi 3:6).

The logical meaning of "gifts"

Many believers fail to understand why when God has given a gift to someone He does not subsequently change His mind and withdraws it. Let us apply some simple logic. For example, if you give your son a fast car, and if it is a gift you can't subsequently withdraw it if he misbehaves. Otherwise it is not a true gift. It is but a conditional loan.

Similarly, when God gives you and me gifts, He gives them but He does not take them away even if we misuse the gifts. We are accountable for what we do with them, but because they are gifts and not loans, God will not withdraw them. This is true for both gifts and the calling of God.

Take the case of an evangelist (a called minister), every time he preached and subsequently gave an altar-call, sinners would respond and be saved. But in many other aspects this man's life is all together crooked, out of order and found wanting. People say how a man like that can be used by God. The explanation is that God is sovereign and He gave him a gift and being a just and covenant keeping God He will never takes away what He has given, because if He does, it will not be a gift.


But, it does not mean that this evangelist will never lose his gift. If he keeps on disobeying God and keeps on leading an unholy lifestyle, subsequently his ministry will not be effective. If I give my son $100 for him to keep, and if he is careless and loses $50 the next day, he cannot turn around and say I have taken back $50 from him. He is accountable to keep the money safely.

God's Purpose will stand

In Isaiah God said of Himself: "I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient time, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please" (Isaiah 46:9, 10, NIV).

God is sovereign and knows what He is doing; His prophecies concerning His people come true cover the entire Bible, from Old Testament to New Testament and from Israel to His Church.

Concerning Israel

We have seen that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable but it doesn't mean that all Israel will be saved.

In Romans Paul quoted a prophecy from Isaiah 10:22 concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved" (Rom. 9:27, NKJV, emphasis added).

God spoke through Zephaniah concerning Israel: "I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth ..." (Zeph. 3:12, 13, emphasis added).

It is true that all Israel received their gifts and calling but only the remnant will not lose them. God is looking for a meek and humble people who will trust in the name of the Lord, a people who is righteous and speak no lies.

Concerning the Church

I believe God's purpose for His Church is the same. He is also aiming to produce a meek and humble people who will trust in the Lord.

Several Scripture passages, concerning the Church, seem to depict a remnant that has fulfilled certain conditions:

1. Jesus addressed the question: "Are there few who are saved?"

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'" (Luke 13:24 - 27, NKJV).

2. Jesus gave a similar warning at the Sermon on the Mount:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21 - 23, NKJV).

These people who were given the grace gifts of God (working of miracles, prophesying, casting out demons) were not lying, but they failed to measure up to God's requirement - the nature of the Lamb (Jesus), meekness, purity, holiness and never to compromise the truth of God's Word!