June 13th
1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you 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. 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to 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.11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NIV
The Apostle Paul wrote quite a bit about the “spiritual gifts” that God has given to us for the benefit of the body of Christ. Paul wanted to ensure that Christians understood the operation and significance of the spiritual gifts.
Paul explained that there is a diversity of gifts of the Spirit, yet it is the same Holy Spirit that works through them all for the good of the body of Christ. Every Christian has been given a certain combination of gifts according to his or her purpose in the body of Christ Paul wrote, “God works all of them in all men,” and that God “gives them to each one” (11).
An important condition for the use of spiritual gifts is that they are used in love (1 Corinthians 13) for the “common good” of the body of Christ. When people abuse the gifts by using them for selfish or perverted purposes (greed, power, selfish ambition, vain conceit, control, etc.), the body of Christ suffers.
If you are interested in knowing more about the spiritual gifts, I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 12,13,14, visit our spiritual gifts page, and check out our suggested resources.
Questions for further thought:
Why do you think Paul wrote the above passage to the Corinthian church?
How does abuse of the spiritual gifts damage the body of Christ?
How can effective use of the spiritual gifts help people in the body of Christ in spiritual warfare?
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I thank you that you have given me spiritual gifts for use in the body of Christ. Please help me discover these gifts and how to best use them for your kingdom. I trust that you will lead me in truth. Please protect me from deception and keep me grounded in your love at all times. Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”