Good Stewards of Grace

Jesus told parables that involved servants who were given stewardship of talents (large sums of money) by their master to invest while he was away.  They didn't know exactly when he was going to return, yet belief their master would arrive at any hour motivated them to work so they would be ready.  This provides a parallel for Christians today, for Jesus said many times His return is imminent and sudden.  Many believers have passed away before the long awaited rapture of the church, and only God knows if we will remain until that glorious day.

In light of the end of all things being at hand, Peter urged fellow believers to be sober, watch unto prayer, and love one another fervently.  He continued in 1 Peter 4:10-11:  "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  Freely we have received the Holy Spirit who provides spiritual gifts, and having freely received we are to be good stewards of God's grace to minister it to one another.  God gifts His people, not primarily for their own edification, but so our God-given ability would be utilised for the glorification of God through Jesus Christ.

Receiving a gift is a small thing when compared to if we are using it as good stewards.  God does not fault anyone for not operating in a spiritual gift they have not been given.  Receiving a gift from God should cause us to glorify God by ministering the gift to one another--not seeing it as a feather in our cap of spiritual maturity since all we have is by God's grace.  We may have been Christians a long while before we realised the gift or gifts God has given us, and we need His guidance and wisdom to learn to use it well.  Even when we have a great wealth of experience, every time we minister to one another we need to rely upon Jesus as at the first, for without Him we can do nothing.

Even if you are not sure what spiritual gifts God has given you, common to all believers is the gift of salvation when we are born again by faith in Jesus.  Having been saved by Jesus through the Gospel, we can testify of all He has done for us and how awesome He is.  By virtue of our new birth we have also received the Holy Spirit who indwells us, for Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.  To Jesus Christ belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever, and having been purchased by His shed blood we are not our own.  As people saved by grace through faith, we are to extend grace to all people by loving and forgiving, by edifying words and exhortations to be good stewards of the abundant grace of God.  As we have received, good stewards freely give and lack no good thing.