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.
Romans 12:3 (ESV)
A common hiccup one gets when reading Romans 12:3 is the part where there is the mention of God assigning to each believer a measure of faith. What is this faith that is being addressed here? Because if it is talking about the faith as in belief in the Christ of the gospel, it would not make sense for there to be different measures of it. There is no sense in which one believes in Jesus more than the other believer. You either believe or you don't.
Furthermore, the context of this chapter does not seem to give the idea that one should desire to have greater quantities of faith, but more so to be faithful in their acts of service in using their gifts. Romans 12:6 clarifies v.3 in distinguishing between gifts and faith. We are to use whatever gifts we have in proportion to our faith. Gifting and our measure of faith are two different things. Gifts differ across the members of Christ's body according to the grace given (v.7-8). Likewise, God is the one who deals, assigns, or divides to each man a measure of faith.
Now, for example, in a large local church, there may be many who are gifted in teaching - testimony to the grace given by the Spirit of God. However, the same God who gave the many members the same gift of teaching may also then assign to each teacher a different measure of faith. This does not mean that the one given a measure of faith that is less or greater than the other is more favoured of God, or more spiritual, or more godly.
The measure of faith given by God to any person does not constitute their personal effectiveness nor godliness.
Indeed, the Apostle Paul warns against such thinking that the measure of faith should constitute a person's status in the church - far from it. He warns us to not think of himself more highly than he ought to think with sober judgment (v.3). Think soberly about ourselves, our gifts, and our breadth and depth of service to the church.
A local church body can have many teachers, and many servants, but the God who has given these gifts of service has also determined the various ways in which each of these gifts is to be used in its most faithful way (I consciously replaced effectively with faithful). In the ultimate sense, it is not in my power to determine how effective I am, though I will do all I can to maximize it. But it is our definite duty to be faithful in stewarding the gifts given by God to us for the churches that we are members of.
Indeed, there may be many graced by God with the gift of teaching, but each member is assigned a differing measure of faith - that is not all will teach in the same way or capacity. One may be gifted in teaching to large crowds, then let him teach to large crowds, the other may be gifted in teaching to smaller crowds, then let him teach accordingly, to the measure of faith given him. Another may be gifted in teaching, but not in public, rather privately, in the one-to-one discourse, then let him likewise teach according to the measure of faith given him. In the spirit of the context, we can see the implications of not thinking too highly of ourselves by looking at a fellow member in disdain thinking little of his measure of faith given him by God (v.3) - surely just because you teach large crowds and I privately, by no means makes me any less important in the body of Christ - of which you and I are individual members one of another (v.5).
O fellow Christian who has been cut but a small measure of faith by the same God who has given the communion of saints varying measures - surely He does this not because He demeans us, or thinks little of our service and faithfulness, but because he sees the dire need for it in the local body that He has placed you in.
Therefore, "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 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."(v.6-8). Let him who is apportioned to serve in the background behind closed doors rejoice in the measure of faith granted him. Let us not despise the One who apportions to each member a measure of faith in using his gifting, but trust all in whose wisdom we have come to partake in the body of Christ.
To the one who serves privately, let him serve well and joyfully. To the one whose measure is to serve in public, let him serve well and joyfully. To the faithful mothers whose measure it is to serve in the home, let her serve well and joyfully. Let no one's measure of faith be disdained, lest we disdain and mock the wisdom of the God who divided it so. Let us all rejoice in the sovereign wisdom of the God who has in kindness to his church apportioned rightly the measure of our faithful service to his saints.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pistis Lau
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