“Unto every
one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of
Christ.” Eph. 4:7. The measure of the gift of Christ is “all
the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” This is true whether
viewed as the measure of the gift which God made in giving
Christ or as the measure of the gift which Christ Himself gave.
For the gift that God gave is His only begotten Son, and in
“him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
Therefore, from this standpoint the measure of the gift of
Christ being only the measure of the fulness of the Godhead
bodily and this being only the measure of the grace that is
given to every one of us, it follows that unto every one of us
is given grace without measure, simply boundless grace.
Viewed from the
measure of the gift in which Christ Himself gives to us, it is
the same, because “he gave himself for us.” He gave Himself
for our sins, and in this He gave Himself to us. And as in Him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and as He gave
Himself, then the measure of the gift of Christ on His own part
is also only the measure of the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
It therefore follows that from this standpoint also the measure
of grace that is given to every one of us is only the measure of
the fullness of the Godhead; that is, simply immeasurable.
Thus in
whatever way it is viewed, the plain word of the Lord is that
unto every one of us He has given grace to the measure of the
fullness of the Godhead bodily; that is, boundless, immeasurable
grace—all the grace He has. This is good. But it is just the
Lord; it is just like the Lord to do that, for He is good.
And this
boundless grace is all given, given freely, to “every one of
us.” To us it is. To you and me, just as we are. And that is
good. We need just that much grace to make us what the Lord
wants us to be. And He is just so kind as to give it all to us
freely that we may be indeed just what He wants us to be.
The Lord wants
every one of us to be saved, and that with the very fullness of
salvation. And therefore He has given to every one of us the
very fullness of grace, because it is grace that brings the
salvation. For it is written, “The grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men.” Titus 2:11. Thus the Lord
wants all to be saved and therefore He gave all of His grace,
bringing salvation to all. The marginal reading of this text
tells it that way, and it is just as true as the reading in the
verse itself. Here it is: “The grace of God that bringeth
salvation to all men, hath appeared.” All the grace of God is
given freely to every one, bringing salvation to all. Whether
all or any one will receive it, that is another question. What
we are studying now is the truth and the fact that God has given
it. Having given it all, He is clear, even though men may reject
it.
The Lord wants
us to be perfect, and so it is written: “Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Desiring that we shall be perfect, He has given us, every one ,
all the grace that He has, bringing the fullness of His
salvation, that every man may be presented perfect in Christ
Jesus. The very purpose of this gift of His boundless grace is
that we may be made like Jesus, Who is the image of God. Even so
it is written: “Unto every one of us is given grace according
to the measure of the gift of Christ. . . . for the perfecting
of the saints. . . . till we all come in the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Do you want to
be like Jesus? Then receive the grace that He has so fully and
so freely given. Receive it in the measure in which He has given
it, not in the measure in which you think you deserve it. Yield
yourself to it, that it may work in you and for you the wondrous
purpose for which it is given, and it will do it. It will make
you like Jesus. It will accomplish the purpose and the wish of
Him who has given it. “Yield yourselves unto God.” “I
beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in
vain.” |