The Power of Spiritual Gifts


Image result for spiritual gifts

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans,somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Paul turns his attention to the subject of spiritual gifts.  The Greek word for "gift" is "charism", where we get our term "charismatic".  This is also where we get the word, "grace/charis".  Spiritual gifts are sometimes called "grace gifts".  The source of these gifts is the Holy Spirit, and they are given to us we don't earn them.  Paul begins his teaching to the Corinthians by saying, "Now about spiritual gifts brothers and sisters I do not want you to be uniformed."
Paul has addressed many issues to the church at Corinth in this letter and now he addresses their misunderstanding of spiritual gifts.  Christians today are still "uninformed" about the gifts of the Spirit.  They may either misunderstand them, or have never been educated about them. Paul says there are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit distributes them as the Spirit sees best.  There are different kind of manisfestations of the Spirit's power, but it is all God's power at work.  Finally, each person is given a manifestation for the common good of the body of Christ.  No Christian is without a spiritual gift.
You can see two themes here.  One is the diversity of gifts.  Secondly, the unity in the Spirit of God.  One of the ways the church has been misinformed about spiritual gifts is when it teaches that everyone should have a certain gift and if you don't have that gift you are lacking the Holy Spirit.  Because of the spirtual power behind these gifts it is easy for the gifts to be miscontrued and also mismanaged in the body of Christ.  Having certain types of gifts can also cause pride in believers.
We need to remember Paul's teaching on spiritual gifts.  The power of the Holy Spirit is most potent when God works through each believer in the body of Christ.  God moves in power when believers individually and colllectively exercise and use their spiritual gifts.  We need to continue to teach on this concept so we are not uniformed today.  
Most important you have been given a gift.  Use your gift in your local church.  Without your deploying your spiritual gift in your local church, the church will never be what God intended it to be!  The church needs you!   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more