SPIRITUAL GIFTS

‭1 Corinthians 1:4-9 NLT‬
[4] “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. [5] Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. [6] This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. [7] Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. [8] He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. [9] God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.“

Spiritual gifts are an essential part of our loving service to our fellow believers. Through the ministry of gifted people, the people in the church are moved along the path towards spiritual maturity.

Paul had every confidence that his words of correction about their spiritual gifts would help them to restore order and move them along towards maturity. Using their gifts was not about them. It was about the function of togetherness for the benefit of everyone.

The giftedness of the people had become a flash point for controversy, competition and conflict rather than an expression of God’s love through their corporate ministry. Paul needed to remind them that their spiritual gifts were given by the Holy Spirit, not according to their choice. The gifts were to benefit the church, not to elevate the human channel.

No doubt, as Paul presented the pattern for the origin and use of spiritual gifts, he was also giving us the pattern for our prayers.

Are spiritual gifts for everyone or just for some?

‭1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT‬
[7] A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

No one is excluded from the role if helping each other. We all have a part to play in the growth and maturing of Christ’s body. No matter how insignificant we may think our gift is, we must function in our place in the body, otherwise there will be gaps in the process of maturing.

On the other hand, no one gift is more important than another. We must not judge ourselves or others by our own standards. The Holy Spirit decides who gets what gift, but they all fit together in a glorious mosaic of God’s wisdom and power.

Is it right for us to ask for spiritual gifts? According to Paul, ” Yes,” as long as we remember that the Holy Spirit chooses our gifts for us. Our desire for a specific gift is for the benefit of the body, not for our benefit and can only be of value to the body if it is used soaked in God’s love. Any other attitude or motive will defeat the purpose of its use.

So, then, prayer and the gifts we have received from the Spirit are closely intertwined. We appreciate and value our gifts and the gifts of the body. We ask the Lord to keep us humble and obedient as we function together as a unit. We use our gifts to benefit others, not to elevate ourselves. We pray for those to whom we minister, that they will be blessed and matured in their faith and behaviour as we do life together as Christ’s body in the world.

This is the way the church works, just like a human body, each cell working in harmony with every other cell, doing its unique job so that the whole body is healthy and functioning as it was designed to do.

‭Ephesians 4:11-13, 15-16 NLT‬
[11] “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ….
[15] Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. [16] He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”