Ephesians 4:7
Ephesians 4:7 (see also Romans 12:3)
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
There is a similar passage at Romans 12:3-8. It involves the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:3-8: “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. 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. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Faith comes from two places. Faith comes from the preaching of the Gospel in order to repent, believe and be saved. (Romans 10:17) Faith also comes as a gift of grace in Christ by the Holy Spirit so that believers may fulfill the call of God in their lives, which involves the edification of the Body of Christ and also the evangelization of the lost.
John Calvin: “A certain measure is allotted to each; and it is only by communicating with each other that they have sufficient for maintaining their condition. He discusses the diversity of gifts in I Cor. 12:4, but very nearly with the same object. For there he teaches that such a diversity, so far from injuring the harmony of believers, rather avails to promote and strengthen it. This verse may thus be summed up: ‘On no one has God bestowed all things, but each has received a certain measure, so that we need one another; and by bringing together what is given to them individually, they help one another.’” (Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, p.174, emphasis mine)
Question: To whom was “grace” given, which was given according to the “measure of Christ’s gift”?
Answer: Paul refers to this as the grace in Christ. 1st Corinthians 1:4 states: “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:2 states: “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” Ephesians 6:24 states: “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.”
“The measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7) relates to the fact that “God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), and these are those in Christ through faith, Christians, whereby the Holy Spirit deposits a unique gift so that the believer may fulfill the call of God in their life.
Question: So what’s the contrast with Calvinism?
Answer: Calvinists believe that as “the elect,” they received a special, irresistible grace in the Father in order to become in Christ, that is, to become a Christian, which they term: preemptive Regenerative Grace (whereby the elect [in the Father] are allegedly made born again in order to believe. However, the new birth actually comes after faith in Christ, having been reserved by God for those now in Christ). The reality is that the only grace the lost receive is Atoning Grace which is the provision of Christ’s death at Calvary so that all who look upon Him in faith, will not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16; Numbers 21:6-9)
