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Romans 12:3-8
The Apostle Paul calls each of us to be a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1-2) in that we would not sacrifice ourselves physically, but that we would sacrifice our sinful nature to that of a life worthy of and reflective of our salvation that we have received by His grace. He continues in Romans 12:3-8 to insist that we also carry a humble heart in our actions of the gifts we have received through our calling and salvation. Paul refers to the Church members as being all parts of one body with different gifts according to that which God has given each member. Paul instructs that each person should utilize the gift that God has given to support and build the Church as a whole – together, with none looking more highly on one’s gift than that of another, but that each person, and the gift God has given them, is equally important to Him.
This is a command to have love and respect for each other in Christ Jesus as He teaches us in John 13:34-35.
This is a promise that our gifts in Christ Jesus, being different, are all equally important in the eyes of God.
This is an example of the behavior in which Christians should exemplify in each other as we build up the Church – in Christ.
Salvation in Christ Jesus does not have a “pecking order” but is to be viewed as “one” body in Christ Jesus. God uses us for different reasons at different times and in different ways. This does not make one – in Christ – more or less favored, but complementary to one another in the body of the Church – the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:21 (ESV), “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’” We are all members of the same body with different gifts to bring glory to God. Let’s pull together and be the body of Christ Jesus as is His will for us.
Dear LORD,
You have made each of us individually unique for a purpose that we would bring You glory through the individual gifts that You have given us. Please help us to see that we are all equal in Your eyes and that we need to work together to truly be representatives of Jesus in the world today. In Jesus name I pray, amen.