«　WEEK 3　DAY 4　»

　　Rom. 12:6-7 …Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, whether prophecy,…according to the proportion of faith; or service, let us be faithful in that service; or he who teaches, in that teaching.

　　Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

　　Grace is simply God in Christ as our enjoyment. When this grace, this divine element, which is the divine life, comes into our being, it brings with it certain skills and abilities which are the gifts… As you enjoy God, receiving and assimilating His divine element into your being, out of this divine element proceeds some gift, skill, or ability. These gifts differ according to the divine element which we have enjoyed and which we have assimilated into our being.

　　The gifts in Romans 12 are according to grace. This means that the gifts are granted according to the measure of life. If you have enjoyed the life of God to a high degree, you will receive a higher gift. However, if your enjoyment of the life of God is limited, your gift also will be limited, for the measure of your gift is limited by the extent to which you have enjoyed the divine life as grace within you. The gifts enumerated in Romans 12 are not the miraculous gifts which come to you suddenly. No, the gifts in Romans 12 are like the abilities of the members of our human body… All of the items included in verses 6 through 8 are gifts of grace in life. We may list seven of them: prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and showing mercy. We need to remember that each of these seven items, including the showing of mercy, is a gift. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 305-306)

　　Grace is the divine element coming into our being to be our life for our enjoyment. Grace is not outward; it is the element of the divine life that is wrought into our being inwardly and which gives us some skill or ability.

　　The gifts of grace in life are necessary for the practice of the Body life. [Do not] neglect the gifts of grace in life and concentrate on the miraculous gifts…[because] the miraculous gifts tend to divide, while the gifts of grace in life build up. Paul was very experienced in the Body life, and he knew that the gifts of grace in life are necessary for the building of the church. Therefore, in Romans 12 he did not list the miraculous gifts among the items necessary for the church life… He told the Corinthians to care for the building up of the church (1 Cor. 14:12, 26). In the book of Romans his concern was not the building up of a particular individual, but the building up of the Body. Thus, he did not include the miraculous gifts in this book. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 307, 311-312)

　　Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear.” The Greek word for corrupt signifies something that is noxious, offensive, or worthless. Our conversation should not corrupt others, but should build them up. The church and every member of the church need the proper building up. This building up is accomplished primarily by our speaking. What proceeds out of our mouth should be that which is good for the building up of the church and all the saints.

　　Furthermore, the word out of our mouth should give grace to those who hear. Grace is God embodied in Christ as our enjoyment and supply. Our word should convey this as grace to others. The word that builds up others always ministers grace to the hearers. Our word should communicate God in Christ as enjoyment, imparting Christ to others as their life supply. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 409-410)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msg. 26; Life-study of Ephesians, msgs. 38, 48-49; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 341