1 Corinthians 12:4-11 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
At the onset of this mini-series of
devotionals pertaining to Spiritual Gifts, let us be clear beyond any doubt
that it is not the intention to minimize the work of the Holy Spirit. Nor will
there be any denial of God’s sovereign power to will and to act in any
miraculous event or sequence of events.
Psalm 77:14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
The goal of this mini-series is purely informational. For some time, we have been on the edge of yet another wave of those seeking spiritual enlightenment—seeking some special dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Our text from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was selected for this mini-series because it is one of the passages most misrepresented, misunderstood, and misused texts by those seeking special experiences. This pathway of experientialism leads to a self-centered and self-important position that declares others to be somehow deficient in spiritual graces (e.g., they don’t know what I know; they don’t have what I have) . This special “second blessing,” “second baptism” of the Spirit, or some extraordinary “spiritual experience” creates a type of super-status Christian which is an unscriptural application and totally foreign within the Scriptures. To allow the continuation and development of such errant teachings fosters divisiveness and is far from building unity in the Body of Christ.
Clearly it is Paul’s idea in this passage and many of his other letters to reinforce the need for unity of the Church as being the Body of Christ. All parts are necessary to function properly. And we must remember that unity (i.e., working well and cohesively together) is not the same as uniformity (i.e., all the same without variation). Paul repeatedly states; however, that while gifts and functions differ, they are all provided by one Spirit for one purpose—to work for the good of the whole church and not the individual members within the church. No gift is given to elevate the individual. All gifts are given to glorify God, and God alone. The ultimate litmus test for the use of any gift at any time is “Does it point the way to salvation through Christ? Does it glorify God?”
So how does the Holy Spirit come to
the Christian? At the point of accepting Christ as personal Lord and Savior,
the Holy Spirit resides within.
John 14:15-17 If you love me, you will obey what I command.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with
you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it
neither sees him nor knows him. but you know him, for he lives with you and
will be in you.
Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
The fallacy of seeking something
more, something different, something better does nothing more than minimize the
gift already given to us. It somehow designates the gift as “not enough.” My
dear friends, this must not be so! God has given us a very precious gift of
salvation at the cost of his only begotten Son. His Son did not leave us abandoned
but asked his Father to leave us with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to
guide, direct, and comfort all who believe on his Name. How could we dare to claim
this is insufficient?
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the precious gift of salvation through your only begotten Son. Thank you for the precious gift of the indwelling of your Holy Spirit to guide, direct, and comfort us. Forgive us for lusting after anything else.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior, Amen.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
The devotional The Gift of the Holy Spirit appeared first on Write From My Heart at writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
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