gift – Page 2 – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: gift

Romans 6:23 – The Free Gift

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Truth to Learn

God offers all of us a free gift of inestimable value.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wages” is opsonia, which is the plural form of opsonion. This word is a compound word made up of opson, which means “meat” and a form of oneomai, which means “to buy.” According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, “It primarily signifies whatever is bought to be eaten with bread, provisions, or supplies from a soldier’s pay. Metaphorically, it means general wages, recompense.” It is what a soldier has earned for being a soldier.

“Gift” is translated from charisma, which means “a gift of grace or an undeserved benefit.” In the New Testament, this word is only used in reference to an undeserved gift or favor from God.

The Greek for the gift that God gives us is, dzoe aionios. Dzoe is the word for “life” and aionios means “belonging to the continuance of time.” In other words, it means “perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is one of the pinnacles of Paul’s teaching in the Book of Romans. It is the second step in what has been called “The Romans Road,” the road to salvation. The first is found in Romans 3:23:

for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Now, after having talked at length about the fact that we used to be slaves to sin, Paul has just taught us that we are now the slaves of God. We learned that when we were slaves to sin, we were dead (separated from God).

In this verse Paul tells us why we were dead when we were the slaves to sin. He says:

For the wages of sin is death,

Paul is saying that death is what we earned for our sin (and we worked hard for it!). But, Paul says, God does not pay us what we have earned if we have received His gracious gift through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Instead of giving us what we deserve (what we’ve earned), God gives us a free gift that we don’t deserve (and didn’t earn).

If you stop to think about it, there is no greater gift that God could possibly give to us than an eternal existence with Him. The one constant in this earthly existence is the fact that we all will die physically some day and we will be separated from our earthly body. But because of this marvelous gift that God has given us, we will continue our existence in His presence in a heavenly body. We will join with all of our loved ones who have likewise received God’s gift, and together we will glorify God for eternity.

Application

God offers a free gift to all who will believe and that gift is eternal life! Wow!

Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for your sins? I certainly hope so!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, you can call the church phone (618) 614-3070 and leave a message telling us your name and e-mail address or you can send an e-mail to:

Romans 5:17 – A Reigning Gift

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:17

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Truth to Learn

We will reign with Christ because of what He has done for us.

Behind the Words

“Offence” is from the word paraptōma, which we saw a couple verses back meaning “a falling by the wayside.”

“Death” is a word we haven’t looked at yet. It is from the Greek word thanatos, which is based on the verb thaneskō, meaning “to die.” Thanatos is actually an adjective in form but it is a noun in usage. It is used to refer to physical death (the death of our physical bodies) as well as spiritual death (exclusion from the presence and favor of God). The base meaning of this word implies separation. Regarding physical death it is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. With respect to spiritual death is the separation of the spirit from the presence and favor of God.

The word “receive” is translated from the Greek word lambanō, meaning “to take, to accept, or to receive.” It is expressed here as a participle (who are receiving).

The word translated “abundance” is perisseia, which is based on the verb perisseuō, which we also saw a couple of verses back. Perisseia roughly means “more than enough” or “an overflowing.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now combines and summarizes the previous two verses in a single statement. He starts off with, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned.” This is another first class conditional phrase as we saw two verses back, so we can read it as, “For since by one man’s offense death reigned” But the word, “man’s” is not present in the original, so we can read this as, “For since by one offense death reigned by one (man).” Paul says death has reigned as a result of one offense by one man.

The next phrase starts out with “much more.” In other words, this phrase is of even greater impact than the previous phrase. This phrase, “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness,” is talking about those of us who have been saved by grace through faith.

He now makes a play on words in the midst of this very difficult passage. In the first part of this verse, Paul talked about death reigning over all of mankind as a result of sin. Now he says that we who are saved will reign in life; that is, in heaven we will reign with Christ in a state of eternal life. And that reign of ours, with Christ, will be as a result of one man, Jesus Christ.

Now let’s read this entire verse: “For since by one offense death reigned by one (man), much more those receiving an excess of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One (man), Jesus Christ.”

Application

Death reigns over us because of what Adam did, and no matter how much good we try to do, we cannot earn our way out of it. Our eternal reign with Christ, however, is God’s overflowing gift to us because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:16 – One for the Many

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:16

And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

Truth to Learn

God’s free gift of righteousness takes care of all our sins.

Behind the Words

The word “sinned” is translated from the Greek word hamartanō, which means “to miss the mark.”

As if making a play on words, in this verse Paul repeatedly uses nouns that end in ma. In each cast it indicates the result of an action. These words include:

· The word translated “gift” – dōrēma, derived from the verb dōreō, meaning “to bestow a gift.” Hence, it refers to a gift.

· “Judgment” – from krima, which is derived from krinō, meaning “to decide” or “to judge.” Whereas, it can refer to a decision of innocence or guilt, it is most often used in relation to a guilty judgment.

· The word translated “condemnation” – katakrima. The prefix kata means “down” or “against” and krima, as we just saw, means a judgment. Hence, this word means “a judgment against” or “condemnation” as we have it in this verse.

· “Justification” – from dikiōma, which is based on the verb dikaioō meaning “to declare righteous” or “to declare innocent.” Hence dikiōma refers to the result of the declaration. That is, our righteousness or justification.

Meaning Explained

This is a tough verse, so follow closely. It’s the second time Paul is contrasting the effects of the deeds of Adam and Jesus. Previously, he said that death (the consequence of sin) flowed from Adam but that the gift of grace flowed from Jesus.

A literal word-by-word translation of the first phrase in this verse is, “And the gift not like through the one having sinned.” Fortunately a couple of words have been added by the translators in order to make the verse more clear. What Paul is saying is that the free gift is not like the one sin of Adam.

Paul now shows why the one sin is not like the free gift. Here’s what the remainder of this verse says,

for (on the one hand) the judgment is out of one (deed) resulting in condemnation, but (on the other hand) the free gift is out of many transgressions resulting in justification.

Though the grammatical construction is a bit awkward in English, Paul is saying: “on the one hand the judgment that came from one deed resulted in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift that handles many transgressions results in justification.”

If we were to sum up this verse it would be to say that death (the consequence of sin) flowed from one transgression (one sin), but the gift of grace is effective over many transgressions resulting in our justification.

Application

Once again, we should be driven to our knees in prayer giving thanks for the gift of the sinless life of Jesus and the gift of grace whereby we will one day stand in the presence of God as righteous saints, not as condemned sinners!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 4:4 – Unearned Gift

Posted on December 9, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:4

Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Truth to Learn

Abraham did not earn his righteousness and neither can we.

Behind the Words

The words “who works” are translated from ergodzomai, which means “to work or labor.”

“Wages” is from the Greek word mythos, meaning “that which is given in exchange for actions done.” It can mean payment, reward, or retribution.

The word translated “counted” is the same as the one translated “accounted” in the previous verse (logidzomai).

“Grace” is translated from charis, which refers to “a favor done without expectation of anything in return.”

The word translated “debt” is opheilēma, meaning “a debt; that which is owed to someone else.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that according to scripture, Abraham’s belief in God’s promise of a future son was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham was not declared righteous (justified) by God because of any works, but because of faith. Paul now continues on with his logical argument.

If Abraham was justified by a work of righteousness, then he earned his righteousness. If he earned that righteousness by doing something, then God owed the righteousness to him for doing the righteous act. That is, God owed him a debt. If God owed him that righteousness for doing a righteous act then Abraham earned it; it wasn’t freely given to him.

But that’s not the way it happened according to Paul. Abraham didn’t receive his righteousness because God owed it to him. Abraham received his reckoning of righteousness from God by God’s grace, not because God was obliged to, but because in His great love and by His marvelous grace, God chose to credit it to him.

In yesterday’s study we revealed the background of Abraham’s faith. We noted that Abraham returned to the king of Sodom all his people and all the plunder except the tithe given to the King and Priest of Salem and the portion earned by his two friends. Abraham did not keep any of the “reward.” It was perfectly lawful for Abraham to keep it because he earned it, but he gave it back to the king of Sodom. In the opening verse of Genesis chapter fifteen, God then said to Abraham:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15:1b)

Do you see that? God said that He was Abraham’s reward. The Hebrew word translated “reward” has the same meaning as the Greek word mythos, translated as “wages” in this verse. Abraham refused the reward that was due him because he wanted to give God all the credit. Then, when he believed God’s promise, God credited him with the righteousness that he couldn’t possibly have earned. That’s grace!

Application

No matter how heroic our actions and no matter how much we give away of what is rightfully ours, we can’t earn our own righteousness. It only comes as a gift from God when we believe His promise.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 Peter 1:3 – God-given Godliness

Posted on March 29, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Truth to Learn

All that we need for life and godliness comes from God.

Behind the Words

“Divine” is translated from theios, which is derived from theos, meaning “God.” It refers to that which is uniquely God’s and proceeds directly from Him.

The verb “has given” is translated from dōreomai, which means “to give a gift” (one that is undeserved). It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

“Knowledge” is the same word, epignōsis that we looked at in the previous verse, meaning complete, in-depth knowledge.

The word translated “goodness” is the Greek word arêtes, which means “moral excellence” or “superiority.”

Meaning Explained

In this verse Peter continues his benediction by saying that it is through His Godly power that Jesus Christ has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Some have supposed that this means all things that pertain to spiritual life and godliness, but I am of the persuasion that he means all aspects of life, both earthly and eternal. As born-again Christians we have everything we need to live a peaceful life and to expect eternal life in the grace of God, not because we have done anything, but because He has given it to us through His divine power.

As we noted above, the act of giving was accomplished in the past, but it has current ongoing consequences. The point when the giving actually took place can be interpreted either as the point in time when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior or the point in eternity past when He chose us:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (Ephesians 1:4)

Peter seems to imply that we receive everything we need for life and godliness by developing the in-depth, personal knowledge of God in Jesus Christ that we talked about in the last verse. He is the one who called us, and He is the one who empowers us:

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6)

What I want you to see from these two verses is that God shows His grace to us and gives us peace as we recognize and accept who He is and what He has done. And because of His divinity and power, He has called us to Himself and He has given us everything we need for life and for living in a godly manner. But we only get this through understanding and thoroughly knowing who He is, how glorious He is, and how powerful He is.

Application

We must recognize that we are what we are and we have the salvation that we have solely because of who He is, not because of what we have done.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

1 Peter 4:10 – Ministering Gifts

Posted on February 18, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 4:10

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Truth to Learn

God has given every Christian gifts. These are to be shared with the rest of the church, liberally and humbly.

Behind the Words

The expression “one another” is translated from the Greek word hekastos, which means “each one,” but it has the force of a superlative (as in good … better … best, better is a comparative and best is a superlative). So we could translate this word as “each and every one of you.”

“Gift” is the from the Greek word charisma, which means “a gift,” that is, “something which is bestowed gratuitously.” Some translations have this as “the gift,” but the definite article (the) is not in the original. So, this is not talking about some specific gift, rather any gift which God has bestowed on you. These gifts can be spiritual gifts such as are talked about in 1 Cor 12:4-10, (i.e. wisdom, faith, and knowledge), or in Ephesians 4:8-13 (i.e. evangelism, teaching, and pastoring). But these could also be any possession (spiritual, physical, or mental) which God has bestowed on you.

“Minister” is from the Greek word diakoneō (the word from which we get our English word deacon). This word means “to run errands, to wait on (like a waiter in a restaurant), or to serve.”

The word translated as “stewards” is oikonomos, which means “house manager” or “overseer,” one who is entrusted with the care of something belonging to someone else.

The word “manifold” is from poikilos, meaning “variegated” or “many faceted.” It means that God gives various different gifts to individual members of the body of Christ as He determines.

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse Peter continues his description of how we should agape-love each other. He starts out by talking about something that each one of us should do: we should minister to one another. That is to say that we should learn to be each other’s servant. Peter intends that all Christians are included in this call to action.

After all, the gifts that Peter is talking about are not things that we have earned ourselves, but things that God has entrusted to us. Peter makes that very clear when he admonishes us to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The gifts (abilities, talents, possessions, etc.) are bestowed upon us by the graciousness of God Himself and, as Peter points out in this verse, are to be shared in a ministering manner within the body of Christ. Hence, you can see that everything we have is really a gift from God, and we are entrusted to use and take care of these gifts for the good of the church universal.

If we put this all together, we see that Peter is telling us that we are to unselfishly serve one another (Christians) with the gifts that God has freely bestowed on us (spiritual or material) in a manner that will please and glorify God.

Application

Are you sharing with the rest of the church the gifts and abilities that God has given to you? Or are you a Christian sponge, taking in all that others give you (materially or spiritually) but not giving anything back to the body of Christ? God wants you to share liberally with other Christians.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –