We now get practical teaching on what having a transformed mind means, and what offering our bodies as living sacrifices means.
Paul gives the teaching "by the grace given to me". Grace gives us authority. Someone may say "what right have you got to say or do this", but grace gives us authority. This also means we do not "lord it over" others. We do not teach or preach out of any sense of superiority, not out of our own authority. We preach and teach as servants of Christ.
First, we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We should not have too high an opinion of ourselves, we should not be "full of ourselves". Conversely, this does not mean we should have a demeaning view of ourselves, instead we are to have a sober view of ourselves, a realistic view.
None of us is gifted or perfect at everything. None of us knows everything, but to each one of us God has given each one of us some gifts and some wisdom, distributed according to His grace. The church functions as a body. It is not matter of proving who is the best, who is he most gifted. We function as a body, needing each other, depending upon each other, working together with each other. If ever we imagine we do not need others we are in deep trouble.
So whatever gift we have, prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, leading or whatever, we are to use the gift. We do not use it trying to show that our gift is the most important, nor do we use the gift thinking "I only have the gift of ...". We are all part of the one body, and God's plan is that we work together.
Paul gives the teaching "by the grace given to me". Grace gives us authority. Someone may say "what right have you got to say or do this", but grace gives us authority. This also means we do not "lord it over" others. We do not teach or preach out of any sense of superiority, not out of our own authority. We preach and teach as servants of Christ.
First, we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We should not have too high an opinion of ourselves, we should not be "full of ourselves". Conversely, this does not mean we should have a demeaning view of ourselves, instead we are to have a sober view of ourselves, a realistic view.
None of us is gifted or perfect at everything. None of us knows everything, but to each one of us God has given each one of us some gifts and some wisdom, distributed according to His grace. The church functions as a body. It is not matter of proving who is the best, who is he most gifted. We function as a body, needing each other, depending upon each other, working together with each other. If ever we imagine we do not need others we are in deep trouble.
So whatever gift we have, prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, leading or whatever, we are to use the gift. We do not use it trying to show that our gift is the most important, nor do we use the gift thinking "I only have the gift of ...". We are all part of the one body, and God's plan is that we work together.
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