3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
— Romans 12:3-8, ESV

The Apostle Paul established a paradigm in his biblical epistles that can be clearly observed in the book of Romans.  He details Christian doctrine first (Romans 1-11).  Then, he moves on to our Christian duty (Romans 12-16).  The key to both is the life and death and resurrection, the grace and mercy and peace, the great gift of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Doctrine of Christ

The doctrines of Romans define how sinners can become right with God and be transformed into saints through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
— Romans 1:16-17

The transforming power of the gospel begins with justification … 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
— Romans 5:1

… moves on throughout our entire lives by sanctification …

For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
— Romans 6:19, 22

… and is guaranteed to land us in the eternal outcome of glorification:  

Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
— Romans 8:30

All of this is carried out under the auspices of the sovereignty of God in election …

God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls.  So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.  So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
— Romans 9:11, 16, 18

… and the responsibility of man in evangelism:

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
— Roman 10:13-15

All of these doctrines serve to provide for our eternal good and give everlasting praise and glory to God!

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
— Romans 11:36

The Duty of Christians

From the doctrinal side of Romans 1-11 we move to the practical admonitions in Romans 12-16.  This section begins with spiritual worship, which we called the liturgical life … 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 
— Romans 12:1

… which is performed through spiritual transformation, which we called the born again identity:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
— Romans 12:2

This now leads us to the spiritual and practical purposes of our Christians lives, the identification and application of our seven spiritual gifts, all rolled up into One.

The Spiritual Gifts of Grace

Before we identify the seven practical and predominant gifts of the Spirit in Romans 12:3-8, let us go back and survey all of the New Testament teaching on the subject of spiritual gifts and giftedness.  

Some spiritual gifts of God to and through Christ’s church are persons:

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ
— Ephesians 4:11-12

The apostles, or Apostles, were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ, and were personally chosen and commissioned by Him to be the foundational leaders, Elders and Pastors, of the New Covenant church.  They were the original twelve minus one plus one, one chosen late who wrote this epistle to the Romans and twelve other New Testament books, and a much debated and decidedly short list of others.  They were given special gifts by God, often called sign gifts, and when the Apostles died, such gifts ceased, or so say we cessationists.  

The prophets referred to here are also no longer with us.  While in general the term testifies to all preachers, the specific ones here were special associates of Jesus and the Apostles who preached and wrote what became the New Testament.

The evangelists continue unabated.  They are the men and women who share the gospel all over the world, winning souls and planting churches.  May their tribe ever increase.

The shepherds are the Pastors, from Christ’s first coming to His second, whose primary purposes among the flocks of churches are to continue the legacy of the Apostles as preachers of the word, prayer ministers for the people, and proper givers of soul care.

A mixture of the gifts of signs, speaking, and service are given by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
— 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

And, subsequently in that same letter, he mentions the day when the Apostles will have all died and the New Testament will have been completed, the day when those sign gifts will cease:

As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
— 1 Corinthians 13:8-10

With sign gifts ceased, there remains speaking gifts and serving gifts for the church.  Let’s rob from Peter to pay Paul in order to give this some clarity:

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
— 1 Peter 4:10-11

Christians are supposed to be Spirit-filled spokespersons and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This brings us back around to the spiritual gifts which remain present among the people of God and are to be prominent in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They are seven, a perfect number.  There is no mention of sign gifts, but seven perfect speaking and serving gifts that build up the body of Christ and equip them to win the lost.  Taken from our text in Romans 12:3-8, they are:

Prophecy
Serving
Teaching
Exhortation
Generosity
Lead(ing)
Mercy

“Prophecy” is preaching, taking a revelation from God and bringing it to bear upon the minds and hearts of the people.  It is more forth-telling than foretelling, and what we tell forth is truth “in proportion with,” literally analogous or in keeping with God’s word, Holy Scripture, the Bible.  You do not have to be a Pastor or Elder to be a preacher, but you shouldn’t be a Pastor or Elder without a good measure of the gift of preaching.  

“Serving” is ministry, any work done on behalf of another to alleviate pain, suffering, or want a person may be experiencing.  The word used here is where we get our English word “Deacon,” and certainly Deacons should be the leading ministers of the church.  You don’t have to be a Deacon to serve others, though, as all Christians are called to serve one another. 

“Teaching” translates into our word for doctrine, Bible doctrine, of course.  Teachers have an intense interest in these things, and the ability to explain them to others.  Pastors are supposed to be teachers, as well as those who lead Sunday School classes or small groups.  Parents rely on this gift to properly raise their children.  Every Christian at every level of maturity ought to be teachers to those still learning to walk with God.

“Exhortation” literally means to stand beside someone and talk.  It is service and it is speaking.  The precise posture and point presented are pivotal.  You are not barking orders at someone from behind, nor lecturing them to their face, but talking to them as an equal, as an encourager, to help them in whatever difficulty they may be facing.  We all need and we all need to be encouragers.

“Generosity” is giving, putting your money where your mouth is, by making substantial donations to church and charity.  It is the duty of all to give, but this gift is generally granted to a few who find themselves adept at generating wealth.  Why does God make some wealthy?  To give large amounts of it away, of course.

“Lead(ing)” is listed near the bottom, for Christian leaders lead from the bottom up, from a servant’s posture and perspective.  It is an organizational and managerial gift, much needed, but blessed is the church with far more foot soldiers than generals. 

“Mercy” is much needed, in the words of Marvin Gaye, when “things ain’t what they used to be.”  Mercy is a sweet mixture of love, empathy, understanding, and care.  It should arise from every Christians’s heart when we see sin and suffering, and it should offer forgiveness, compassion, and connection to Christ and His church.  “Mercy, mercy, me,” we need a lot of this today.

Any Christian can exercise any of these gifts on any given occasion, because these are spiritual gifts, manifested by the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, to make you a spiritual person fit for spiritual worship and spiritual work.  Most Christians will find that one or two of these gifts are predominant in them, and find themselves working primarily in these areas.  All of the gifts are important, and none is more important than the other.  We are to use them, humbly, as gifts from God, and gift them away freely and frequently to others.  

Now, let me show you how.

The Spiritual Gift of Jesus

When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you receive the greatest gift of all.  You receive God.  You receive the Holy Spirit.  You receive the power and ability to exercise speaking and serving gifts in the same way Jesus did during His earthly ministry.  

No one was a better “preacher” than the Lord Jesus Christ.  He revealed this to be His purpose in life and ministry.

And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”
— Mark 1:38

What a gift!  Because Jesus is the gospel, because Jesus came to preach the gospel, we now have a gospel to live and preach.  We must make sure we take this spiritual gift of Jesus, the gift of preaching the gospel, in every part of the world where God has placed us.

No one was a better “servant” than the Lord Jesus Christ.  He said so with His words.  He demonstrated so with His deeds.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
— Mark 10:45

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
— John 19:3-5

What a gift!  Because was the Suffering Servant, we now have the privilege and opportunity to go to suffering people, in our church and in our world, and serve them.  With preaching we let them know what we know, with serving we let them know that we care.  

No one was a better “teacher” than the Lord Jesus Christ.  Teacher, or Rabbi, was the name people used most often to call on Him.  Jesus revered the Scriptures, the word of God, and constantly commended it to others.

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
— Matthew 4:3-4

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
— John 17:17

What a gift!  Christ, the living Word, has taught us to have complete confidence in God’s written word, the Bible.  We must absorb its teaching as often as possible and teach one another to take God’s word to heart.

No one was a better “exhorter” than the Lord Jesus Christ.  Many examples abound.  I love the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus.  Christ could have beat him down for his many sins, but lifted him up instead.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
— John 3:17

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
— Luke 19:9-10

What a gift!  Jesus’ encouragement is unconditional love.  As we have received it, so let us share it with the people God places in our lives.

No one was a better “giver” than the Lord Jesus Christ.  And He measured righteous giving not by the amount given, but by the amount left behind.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
— 2 Corinthians 8:9

And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
— Luke 21:3-4

What a gift!  Jesus paid it all.  Somehow, someway, we must put not some, but all of our time, talents, and treasure at the feet of Jesus to use in building up His kingdom on earth.  Great will be our treasure in Heaven.

No one was a better “leader” than the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Gospels record a couple of dozen times when Jesus simply said:

“Follow Me.”
— Matthew 4:19, etc.

What a gift!  If you want a simple and complete way to lead a church, or lead someone to Christ, just embrace, exemplify, and exalt following Christ in doctrine and duty.  

No one was a better minister of “mercy” than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
— John 8:10-11

What a gift!  What a friend for sinners, and so should we be.  The time for judgement will come at the second coming of Christ.  Until that time, we must magnify the mercy of God just like the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

You do not have to perform miracles to make a difference in the church and the world.  You do not have to speak in tongues to prove you have the Holy Spirit.  You simply have to take God’s greatest gift, the gift of Himself through His Son and His Spirit, and give it away by preaching, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy.  Use the spiritual gifts God has given you, and you will be giving others God’s greatest gift, the spiritual gift of Jesus.