Made a Servant

Text Ephesians 3:7-8  

Paul describes himself as a ‘minister.’ The word simply means a servant, διακονος – a deacon, someone who serves others. Paul serves them be preaching the good news, by expounding to them the ‘mystery of Christ,’ – how and why he has redeemed us, – worthless sinners. It was a form of service to which he had been specially chosen and equipped by God. Galatians 1:15  Paul was ‘called by God’s grace.’ And here he speaks of that again. ‘according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;’ 

Notice that he was MADE a minister.  For Paul, ministry certainly wasn’t a safe career choice, or a way to earn a good salary and a manse and a car and a pension. Look at what ministry meant for him in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28   

So Paul was MADE a minister. God did it to him. God chose him for this life-path from before he was even born, and equipped him for it. It was part of his plan. And it was part of God’s grace towards the apostle, God’s undeserved favour. So firstly, what is…

1  The Grace of God.

Now, we know what grace is. It is God’s unmerited favour, by which he choses to save us. It emphasises that God’s favour with us cannot be deserved or earned.  

• Grace is a gift.  Look at how he talks about this grace having been GIVEN, in both verse 7 and 8.  There is nothing of Paul, and nothing of us in our salvation. It is given to us as a gift. 1 Corinthians 4:7  
• Grace changes lives! Look at how Paul describes the efficiency of this grace of God which changed his life and brought him into service. He tells us tat it works, it achieves God’s purpose in our lives. The application of God’s grace to sinners is a demonstration of the outworking of his power. God’s grace works because of the almighty power of God. The God who created the universe out of nothing, and who upholds it by his power through His Son, Hebrews 1:3  is so powerful that even the worst of sinners can be transformed, and become useful to God. And because of that power, 
• God’s Grace is irresistible!  Paul drives this point home. He could simply have pointed out that because God is powerful, his grace can do wonders in us, – but he adds that God’s power, working in us is EFFECTUAL. The AV quite rightly adds a superlative to translate the Received Text.  The word for ‘working’ – ἐνέργεια (energeia) means energy, not just theoretical abstract power, but power that is converted into energy, power that moves mountains. God’s great and mighty power is not an abstract concept, – it is applied power. So, if God in his sovereign choice decrees that a sinner will come to him, in humble repentance and faith and be saved then that sinner will indeed be saved. Romans 9:19 …For who hath resisted his will?   

It’s because the grace of God is a gift, even to us sinners, and made effectual by God’s almighty power, that…

2  God’s Grace Humbles Us. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given

The fact that Paul has received unique and vital revelations from God didn’t make him proud or boastful.  It made him humble. He simply can’t understand why God would save him and use him. Paul didn’t deserve to be saved, let alone to be so wonderfully used of God in His service. See how…

• Humility is part of our Christian growth. We used to speak about young Christians – growing in grace – Peter writes of this in 2 Peter 3:18  It is something never stops until we reach heaven and some commentators see evidence of this continual ‘growing in grace’ in a progression of humility, in the way Paul thought of himself. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:9, with Ephesians 3:8 then 1 Timothy 1:15  All of those statements coming chronologically as his Christian life progressed.  Paul, growing in grace and humility progressed from viewing himself as the least of all the apostles, to the least of all Christians, to the worst of all sinners. I think that as we grow in grace we recognise more and more the great depths of our sin and we become more aware of how great a work God’s grace has achieved in our lives, and surely that makes us more humble before God and other men and women.
• Humility is a work of sanctification.  We note that God kept him, and often keeps us, humble. In Paul’s case he used his weariness in his physical frame, his affliction that he calls his ‘thorn in the flesh.’ Read 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 … 
• Humility is encouraged in us. Paul counsels us to be humble before God too. See that in Philippians 2:5-7ff  

So, like Paul, when we consider God’s grace, and its powerful effect in our lives, the result ought to be a humbling change in our lives. Finally…

3  God in His Grace Rewards Us. that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

The whole tenor of this verse is that Paul considers it a wonderful privilege that he should be allowed to be the one to bring the message of salvation to the non-Jewish world. His difficult ministry is, in itself a reward from God. 1 Peter 4:12–13   But here he speaks of ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ.’  What does Paul actually mean by this?  Martyn Lloyd Jones here reminds us that it is Christ himself who is our wealth! The the greatest riches that any man can ever have in this life is to Jesus. Nothing is more fulfilling, more satisfying, no riches, no power, no wisdom, just knowing Him is all the wealth we need. And the greatest reward of all, will be when we meet him face to face. Psalm 17:15

So, Paul has been MADE a minister. It was not by a denominational call, or a church selection committee, it was God’s grace that saved him and brought him into service, and that grace emanates from God’s almighty power, it is power in action, – energy – and it always works, and that fact alone will humble us, and as God continues his work of grace within us, we will become more and more humble and thankful before him. And even though we may face hardships and persecution in this life as we serve the God who called us, we will receive the ultimate reward – not in this world, but in the new world to come, – when we finally meet the Saviour, who gave his all, suffered and died for us sinners on the cruel cross.  Matthew 5:11–12 

© Bob McEvoy 2023