“What is God’s will for my life?” Have you ever asked that question? If you’re like me, you’ve asked that question a number of times in the course of your life. As a follower of Christ, the subject of God’s will is obviously very important to you.

The subject of God’s will is significant because we desperately want to please God. But there is a secondary reason the subject of God’s will is so crucial: many of us lack purpose in our lives. Psychologists have long admitted that one of the great problems men and women face is a feeling of utter futility, emptiness, and aimlessness. Mankind needs to somehow feel that life has purpose and that they are to some extent reaching that goal. Unfortunately, many Christians are not living meaningful lives. We are so caught up in the busyness of life that we miss the fullness of life. Yet, at the core of our being, every new creation in Christ longs to know and apply God’s will. Therefore, if we are to satisfy the soul’s quest to know and apply God’s will, we must listen to Paul as he lays out some specifics.

In 12:1-2 we learned that God calls every believer to experience a transformation of his life to the glory of God. This transformation begins with a decisive and thorough act of offering our bodies to Christ. Such transformation is produced when we overhaul our minds through God’s renewal process. It is here that the connection between 12:1-21and 12:3 8 is very evident. We are exhorted to stop allowing the world to “conform” us and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Verses 3 8 give us the first exercise of this new mind. In this passage, Paul shares three graces of Christian maturity that will enable us to live a transformed life and know and apply God’s will.

1. Christian maturity produces humility (12:3).In 12:3, Paul writes, “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.” In 12:3, the first thing Paul does is call attention to his own dependence on grace in the use of his apostolic gift.2Paul is saying, “I could easily begin to think too highly of myself as an apostle were it not for one thing: all my calling, all my gifts, all my authority is a work of God’s grace in my life. I don’t deserve it; I didn’t muster it up; it is all of grace.”

We must continually remind ourselves of this simple truth: our lives consist of grace. We are saved by grace; we grow by grace; and we are endowed by grace. We do so according to the “measure of faith” we have been given. This refers to the portion of faith we were given when we believed. Paul is speaking of our salvation experience, which levels the playing field so that all are equal at the foot of the cross.

It is no accident that a form of the word for “think”3is found three times in 12:3. Every person has three possible options in his estimation of himself: (1) he can think more of himself than he ought, (2) he can think less of himself than he ought, (3) or he can think realistically and appropriately. Unfortunately, most of us choose one of the first two options (many of us erring on the side of thinking more of ourselves than we ought).

Tom Brokaw was wandering through Bloomingdales’ New York store one day, shortly after earning a promotion to the co-host spot on the Today Show. Brokaw’s new position was another peak in a rapidly rising career in television journalism after plodding faithfully up the ranks, first in Omaha, then for NBC in Los Angeles and Washington. It wouldn’t be lying to say he was feeling pretty good about himself. As he browsed through the store, he noticed a man watching him intensely. The man continued to stare, and finally, when the man approached him, Brokaw prepared himself to reap the first fruits of television stardom in New York. The man pointed at him and asked, “Tom Brokaw, right?” “Right,” said Brokaw. “You used to do the morning news on KMTV in Omaha, right?” “That’s right,” said Brokaw, getting ready for the warm praises destined to follow. “I knew it the minute I spotted you,” the fellow said. Then he paused and added, “Whatever happened to you?”

Another story is told of a man who had a high opinion of himself who stepped on a coin-operated scale that dispensed a card, giving his weight and comments about his personality. After reading the card, he handed it to his wife and said, “Here, look at this!” She took it and read aloud, “You are dynamic, a born leader, handsome, and much admired by women for your personality.” Giving it a second look, she added, “Hmmm, I see it’s got your weight wrong too!”4

We must not error in thinking too highly of ourselves. Neither must we error in thinking less of ourselves than we ought. I’m not talking about self-esteem, but Christ-esteem.”5We must recognize who we are in Christ. When we properly discern ourselves we will think realistically and appropriately. This is humility. You’ve heard it said, “Cleanliness is next to godliness?” Well, I disagree. I believe that “humility is next to godliness.” Humility is an essential characteristic-a non-negotiable-if we are to grow to be more like Jesus.

[We have seen that Christian maturity produces humility. Now we will discover that...]

2. Christian maturity produces unity (12:4-5).Paul writes, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” In these two verses, Paul emphasizes the importance of unity amidst diversity. Although we don’t all have the same function, we are still “one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Now consider this carefully. You may have never thought about how utterly crucial the local church is to your life in Christ. Do you realize that in belonging to the body, we belong to each other? Connection with Christ means connection with each other. If one arm is bleeding badly, every limb in the body will grow weaker, not just the arm. If one arm is working hard to feed the mouth, every limb will be strengthened.

But think about the importance of this for your relationship to Christ. What would it mean if one limb of the body said to the other limbs, “I don’t need you and I don’t like you, so I choose not to be attached to you; I want no relationship with you?” What would that mean? Well, that limb would be saying, “I choose not to be in Christ.” You can’t have it both ways. Paul says, “In Christ we are individually members one of another.” That is a reality. We don’t make it a reality-it is a reality. And if we reject the reality, we reject Christ. In other words, the reality of the church-the local body of believers, is crucial.

Jenny Thompson is the most decorated American woman when it comes to Olympic competition. Her 10 Olympic medals in swimming (in the last three Olympics) also mean that she has won more medals in swimming than any other Olympic athlete of any nation. Eight of those 10 medals were gold. However, she didn’t win any of the golds in individual events; rather, she won them in a team event with three other swimmers. As a result, some people have questioned whether Jenny’s swimming accomplishments ought to rank her with the “great” Olympic champions. She asks the question herself. The 27-year-old swimmer from Dove, New Hampshire, said, “It’s got to be very different to experience an individual gold versus a team gold.” And ice-skating champion Bonnie Blair said recently of Jenny, “I wish she could feel what it’s like for an individual gold, to witness it by herself and not just as part of a team.” I find Jenny’s accomplishments in the ego-driven U.S. culture refreshing.

With ballplayers moving from team to team and demonstrating little team loyalty, Jenny is a marvelous example of a person whose genuine success came in the context of team play. This is how the church should work as well. Our true “stardom” occurs when we participate as part of a winning team. On God’s team, there’s no room for superstars or mega-celebrities who do it all on their own. The body of Christ is a unified team.

[Paul has shown us that the same Christian maturity that produces humility also produces unity. Now we will see how this all works together in a very practical way.]

3. Christian maturity produces ministry (12:6-8).Paul writes, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given6to us,7each of us is to exercise them accordingly.“12:6 informs us that God does something very special for everyone entering into His family. He gives each member a divine endowment known as a spiritual gift. This gift is a God-given capacity to fulfill what He has asked us to accomplish. This gift helps us to locate our niche, our place, and our role.

Two serious errors are the root of pride over the possession of our spiritual gifts. First, we may believe we deserve the credit for what God has given us and what He is doing in and through us. We dare not take credit for grace, neither saving grace nor serving grace. Second, the most visible and prominent gifts are not necessarily the most important gifts.8Returning to the analogy in 12:4, we are reminded that our vital organs are not visible. So too the vital members of the body of Christ may be the least visible. With that let’s consider the seven gifts that Paul refers to in 12:6b-8: “if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;9if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;10he who leads, with diligence;11he who shows mercy,12with cheerfulness.”

Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:6-8)13

So what are the benefits of the gifts? There are the three primary benefits14:

• First, God will be glorified. 1 Peter 4:10-11 states that your spiritual gifts are ultimately designed to bring glory to God. This is your highest calling.

• Second, others will be edified. Spiritual gifts are given to build up the body and lead her to maturity. If you fail to develop your gifts or let them decline through disuse, your brothers and sisters in Christ will be hurt because they will be deprived of the unique ministry that only you could perform in their lives.

• Third, you will be satisfied. Knowing and using your gifts will allow you to discover a significant part of your purpose for being on this planet. You will also have a sense of fulfillment and joy in serving others.

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine a family with a permanent Christmas tree in their house. Under that tree sits a pile of presents-each one purchased with love and thoughtfulness, then carefully wrapped and put under the tree. Yet it would be a shame if the presents remained there, beautifully wrapped but never enjoyed as the packages of love they were intended to be. The receivers would never experience the gifts, the givers would never be appreciated for giving the gifts, and the family would never benefit from the use of the gifts.

Emmanuel was not designed to be a house full of unwrapped gifts. When all members know the gifts God has given them and use them for the common good, everybody wins-the receiver becomes fruitful and fulfilled, the body receives the ministry God intended, and God is glorified whenever the church operates according to His design.15

What is God’s Word for you and me today? He expects three graces to be produced in our lives: (1) He wants believers who are humble before Him and fellow brothers and sisters. (2) He wants His body to be unified. He doesn’t want anyone to presume to be “one up” on anyone else. (3) God wants every single believer to be exercising his or her spiritual gift. Look for needs and seek to meet them. Look for those who are weaker than you and serve them from your strength. Spiritual gifts are given in order to meet the needs of others. Others’ needs are all about us. We need the eyes to see them and the obedience to respond to them by God’s grace and power.

Herman Ostry’s barn floor was under 29 inches of water because of a rising creek. The Bruno, Nebraska, farmer invited a few friends to a barn raising. He needed to move his entire 17,000-pound barn to a new foundation more than 143 feet away. His son, Mike, devised a latticework of steel tubing and he nailed, bolted, and welded it on the inside and the outside of the barn. Hundreds of handles were attached. After one practice lift, 344 volunteers slowly walked the barn up a slight incline, each supporting less than 50 pounds. In just three minutes the barn was on its new foundation.

Now if a bunch of farmers in Bruno, Nebraska can accomplish that, how much more can we as Emmanuel Baptist Church accomplish as we work together? The body of Christ can accomplish great things when we work together. But only as our Christian maturity produces humility, unity, and ministry.

Copyright © 2001 Keith R. Krell. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, C 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.Permissions: Feel free to reproduce and distribute any articles written by Keith Krell, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this information, not protect or restrict it.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Keith Krell, Timeless Word Ministries, 2508 State Ave NE Olympia, WA 98506, 360-352-9044, www.timelessword.com

All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
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