GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT 3
1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
- The gifts of the Holy Spirit are reactive gifts in which the Holy Spirit manifests himself through his people in response to people and their circumstances and in the way that he chooses…
- This does not mean that everything the Spirit of God does in the world is reactive through God’s people, because the Spirit of God is also at work in the world sovereignly, outside of manifesting himself through God’s people…
- It is essential to realise that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are never, never, never our gifts…
- The gifts of the Spirit do not belong to us – we do not possess them…
- Growing in the practice of the gifts of the Spirit in a safe environment with safe people is necessary to become confident in using the gifts of the Spirit…
- An undivided heart is vital for us to grow securely in the use of spiritual gifts…
- All spiritual gifts are prophetic by nature – they are integral to God’s interface with his world…
- All spiritual gifts are prophetic by nature – but not all spiritual gifts are prophecy…
- God is vitally involved in the affairs of this world – and he is relevant to those affairs…
- The gifts of the Spirit are useful not only for what they achieve in the lives of those who receive them – but also in the lives of those using them…
- The gifts of the Spirit are invaluable in helping us to discern and confirm God’s calling(s) on our lives…
- PROPER USE OF THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS RESPECT A PERSON’S DIGNITY AND MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY…
(v4) Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit...
- The gifts of God are to be identified by source – not type...
- The importance of spiritual gifts lies not in who uses them or even how they use them – but where they come from...
- Where the gifts come from will be evidenced by what they achieve – though this may not be immediately obvious…
- The nature of the person using the gift will be evidenced by who gets the glory for what the gift achieves…
- A note of caution: There are many spiritual gifts in the world – but not all spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit...
- THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE GIFTS OF GRACE – NOT GIFTS OF MERIT...
- When immaturity uses spiritual gifts with a lack of wisdom, the results can often be unhelpful…
- Actually, when immaturity uses spiritual gifts, the results can be downright disastrous…
- When pride uses spiritual gifts, the results will be disastrous…
- Many of us will have been on the receiving end of: “I have a word from the Lord for you…”
(v5) There are varieties of services, but the same Lord...
- The word ‘services’ here means ‘ministries’ and is indicative of ‘servanthood’…
- We must, therefore, make a critical distinction that English translations often do not clearly make...
- It is the distinction between service and servanthood...
- All around us, service of one kind or another is being provided for us because the price of service has been paid.
- Bus service, train service, social service, babysitting service, etc...
- But the servanthood that Jesus showed was not given because someone paid him to do it.
- In fact, Jesus himself paid the price in order to become a servant...
- In the kingdom of God, service always flows out of the servant heart – never out of duty or expectation…
- True service is identified by source – not type...
- True service flows from the Lord...
- The nature of the person serving will be evidenced by who gets the glory through the service…
PHILIPPIANS 2:6-8
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.
- Those Jesus came to servanthood paid no price that he should servanthood (be a slave to) them…
- Those we servanthood should pay no price that we should servanthood (be a slave to) them…
- Service without servanthood flows from the accountant – that is, the head…
- Service from servanthood flows from the heart of servant heart…
- Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father…
- It is nonsense to believe that the Lord of heaven and earth should run around at our command…
(v6) There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone...
- The word ‘activities’ here refers to the operation of things – the way that they accomplish things.
- There are many ways of accomplishing things – activities – but it is the one Spirit who is the source of all such accomplishing…
- Activity should be identified by source – not type…
- Activity that has true value is the activity that flows from God…
- Remember that the context here is spiritual gifts – not whether you should put vinegar on your chips or stay indoors because it’s raining…
- The exercise of spiritual gifts should always centre on their source – not the user…
- The exercise of spiritual gifts should always make Jesus known – not the user…
- The result of properly-used spiritual gifts is the powerful work of God in people’s lives…
- Activity should never be a ‘standalone’ – it should flow in love through servanthood from the servant heart…
- Such activity is never meaningless – but is truly fruitful…
(v7) To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good...
- No-one – but no-one – is excluded from receiving the manifestation of the Holy Spirit…
- And especially not children and young people…
- Here is one very important way to tell what the source of spiritual gifts is – the Holy Spirit always manifests his gifts for the common good – never, never, never to exalt the one who uses his gifts…
- Here is another very important way to tell what the source of spiritual gifts is – the one who uses the gift has made themself nothing for the sake of the person who is receiving the gift – just as Jesus made himself nothing – making himself the lowest servant (slave)…
- Here is another very important way to tell what the source of spiritual gifts is – where the Holy Spiritual gifts are properly used and received, they always build up – they never destroy the person…
- BUT DON’T CONFUSE ‘DESTROY’ WITH ‘CLEARING DEBRIS’…
- Do not confuse ‘destroy’ (which refers to the person themself) with the need to clear the person of debris before God’s building can commence in earnest…
- We all carry baggage that needs to be cleared by the Spirit of God before he can properly begin to build what he wants to in our lives – that baggage and debris needs to be cleared, but that is the necessary prelude to God’s building – it is not an attack on the person themselves.
- The common good includes debris clearing…
- Our heads may understand the concept of the common good – but, if we are really honest, it can sometimes be very difficult to be sure that we are truly using spiritual gifts for the common good, rather than for the good of self…
- We need to be able to practise using the gifts of the Spirit in a safe environment with safe people…
(v8-10) To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
- Having laid the foundation, Paul now moves on to describe some of the specific spiritual gifts that make Christians a prophetic people...
- There is two characteristics of these gifts that may not be immediately obvious:
- THEY ARE REACTIVE GIFTS GIVEN ACCORDING TO CIRCUMSTANCES...
- THEY FLOW FROM THE HEART – NOT THE HEAD...
- The Spirit of God will use anyone in these gifts – all they need is an open heart to receive from him...
- To use these gifts properly requires an open heart of love for other people…
- All the work of God is foolishness to the head – if we are head-driven – logical and legalistic – then these spiritual gifts will be foolishness to us...
- If we are heart-driven – people in whose lives love flows freely – then we will know the immense value of these spiritual gifts that touch people’s hearts and transforms lives...
(v8) To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom...
- Throughout Scripture, God’s wisdom is a person – the utterance of wisdom flows from seeing as the Spirit sees, hearing as the Spirit hears, knowing as the Spirit knows, (etc)…
- The utterance of wisdom can speak to people in critical or urgent circumstances – rather than into the circumstances themselves…
- The utterance of wisdom is usually about direction – rather than answer - often helping people to look beyond themselves and their own circumstances to the God who is there for them…
(v8) To another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit...
- In Scripture, knowledge (noun) is knowing (verb)…
- Knowing is not information, facts or data – knowing is ‘acknowledgement’, ‘recognition’ and ‘confession’... (NOED)
- Knowing carries the emphasis of understanding – the knowing that is given is understanding that is given…
- Knowing is related to a person, to their life, to their struggles, to their fears, to them...
- It is knowing that has been given by the Holy Spirit – for the good of the person that it is intended for...
- Such knowing has to be used with great care and sensitivity…
- As with all spiritual gifts, there is a great need to maintain respect and confidentiality…
(v9) To another faith by the same Spirit...
- This is faith for a specific instance, or a specific set of circumstances, or a specific occasion...
- This is faith that, in the specific instance, set of circumstances or occasion, God will do something specific...
- Such times like this may be used by God to grow our faith in him as we meet events that we have never met before, and so we need God to work for us in a way that he has never worked for us before...
(v9) To another gifts of healing by the one Spirit...
- The translation in the NIV and NRSV (and most others) here is misleading, because, in Greek, the word ‘healing’ is plural...
- It is, therefore, better translated “To another gifts of healings by the one Spirit”...
- This is important because, in Christian life today, the word ‘healing’ almost always seems to be taken to mean just physical healing, when it actually means so much more than just that...
- The word ‘healings’ refers to the healings of the whole person, not just the body, and that healings are given to the whole person, not just to part of the person...
- Comparatively few people need their bodies healing – there are vast numbers of people with crushed spirits, broken personalities, damaged emotions, and so on...
(v10) To another the working of miracles...
- In the culture into which Paul wrote Corinthians, miracles were not unusual – they were actually quite commonplace.
- There were all sorts of individuals and cults claiming all sorts of miracles…
- They were common, too, in Jesus’ day, where it was not Jesus’ miracles that often impressed the crowds, but rather the way that he spoke...
- In our culture, miracles are both unusual and usually treated with great suspicion.
- If you remove the miraculous from God – he stops being God...
- If you remove the miraculous from your Bible – it stops being Scripture...
- But remember whose miracles they are – and remember why he does them...
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