Spiritual Gifts are for the Common Good.

Bible Text: 1Corinthians 12:1-11 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Corinthians

Verses 1-3… Paul stresses the importance of what he is about to teach them (Chapters 12-14) about the oneness of the body of Christ and the unity in which we are to express the gifts of the Spirit (v. 1), “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.”

Interestingly, the word “gifts” is not in the original manuscripts, but is used here to emphasize the connection between the believer and the gift given to the believer, i.e., spiritual people have spiritual gifts bestowed upon/within them, by the Father for the whole body of Christ, in essence, every believer is a “gift” to the church, through the Spirit of God’s bestowment of these gifts.

The Corinthian church was the most gifted church in the NT, it was also the most carnal and corrupt church in the NT. As we move through chapters 12-14, we’ll see that the Corinthians emphasized the gift of tongues more than any other gift, placing an incorrect priority on this “showy” gift of tongues (speaking known languages, that were unknown to the speaker).

Paul reminds them (v. 2) that some of them “were influenced and led astray to mute idols,” for many of them had been involved in pagan worship before coming to Christ (v. 3), “Therefore 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.”

In the Roman Empire, every citizen had to proclaim “Caesar is Lord,” but genuine Christians could not do that. In the same way, no one can genuinely say “Jesus is Lord,” apart from the work of the Spirit in that person.
John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Jesus said (John 3:3, 5-6), “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 6:44), “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

To be genuinely “spiritual,” is to have the Spirit of God in you, placed there by the Father, because of your belief in the Son. To truly say that “Jesus is Lord,” is to be born again, born from above, born from the Spirit of God.
Verses 4-6… Notice, there are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service [ministries], different kinds of workings [effects]; but there is only one in the same Lord and God, Jesus Christ.

The word used in verse 4, translated in the NIV as “different,” is a word that means “varieties,” this is important, because God clearly loves variety. Just think for a moment about snowflakes and fingerprints, no two are the same; there are billions of them uniquely different. As Christians we all belong to one Father in

heaven, but we are each different, and that diversity in the body of Christ is very unique and important.

Another interesting word here is the word rendered “gifts,” the Greek word is charisma, meaning grace given, and so, these gifts are grace gifts — we can’t earn them or choose them or acquire them in some way, for they are freely and sovereignly given as gifts from God.

God gifts us so that we can do (Ephesians 2:10), the “good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” in Christ Jesus, always in unity (Ephesians 4:4-7).

Instead of seeking spiritual gifts, we should be using the gifts God gave us, serving in the church as a gift of light to this dark and corrupt world.

We each ought to be praying for God to reveal His gracious gift in us, that we might use it to bless the church and to bring honor to God.

God has given each of you a spiritual gift that will be a benefit to other believers, but you have to serve in order for it to become effectual, i.e., in order to discover and use the gift God has given you, you must actually serve others, you must engage in the good works God prepared beforehand for you to do.

One major problem in the church today is a generation of attenders who come to sit, spectate, socialize, or to be entertained; and in the end they either inwardly applaud what they hear, are totally indifferent toward it, or they mock and belittle it; but one thing is for sure, they do not come to serve anyone, let alone God.

Listen, one of the greatest joys in this life is to serve other people in the name of the Lord, and the only people who are genuinely fulfilled and content in the local church are those who are actively serving, using the gifts God has given them to bless others and to honor God.

I do not believe the Scriptures allow for any person to walk in the Spirit without exercising his or her gift in a manner that serves and benefits other believers, while at the same time bringing glory to God.

To refuse to use your spiritual gift is to say “NO” to the Holy Spirit and to deprive the church of God’s blessings.
Verse 7… This is the pivotal verse in this section, for Paul is clearly, loudly, stating that we have been gifted by God for the benefit of others!

Sadly, many believers are like spoiled children on Christmas morning, unwilling to let their brothers or sisters touch, let alone play with their gifts. They act like they personally picked out and paid for their own gifts.

Do you know that God intends for every member of the body of Christ to both serve and to be served? Too many believers have decided that they will only serve when it is convenient for them.

The church needs servants who are willing to make longterm commitments, to serve faithfully, earnestly, dependably, and honorably. The church cannot be effective if its members aren’t using their gifts in service.

Some people will say, “I’ll help out when I can, when it is convenient.” “If no one else will do it, call me, and if I’m not doing something else, I’ll try to help.”

In many churches, the congregation thinks the pastor, the “paid guy,” is supposed to do all the work. Wrong! You are not just spectators, as we will see in verses 12-30, for we are all members of the body of Christ and we have functions to perform, every single one of us!
Verses 8-10… Paul references a variety of gifts within the body of Christ, without going into great detail about each one, yet clearly showing the diversity of these gifts within the church.

As we move through this chapter into chapters 13 and 14, we will explore and

define many of these spiritual gifts; but for now, Here is a “Reader’s Digest”

definition of each of the gifts Paul cites in verses 8-10.

message [word] of wisdom = The ability to understand and apply the Words and Ways of God.
message [word] of knowledge = The ability to understand the mysteries of God’s Word.
faith = The ability to trust God in the midst of very turbulent times, when there seems to be no hope.
healing = Temporary sign gift used by Jesus, His apostles, and those commissioned by Him, prior to the completion of the Canon of Scripture.
miraculous powers [miracles] = Temporary sign gift used by Christ and His apostles to authenticate they were messengers and prophets of God, speaking for God, with authority from God, e.g., casting out demons.
prophecy = Proclaiming the revealed message of God for exhortation, edification, and consolation.
distinguishing between spirits = The ability to discern between true and false spirits and doctrine.
speaking in different kinds of tongues = Temporary sign gift by which a speaker would speak a language unknown to himself, but known to his listeners.
interpretation of tongues = Temporary sign gift by which a person would interpret a language unknown to himself, but known to others who were present.

Verse 11… The Holy Spirit manages, administers, and distributes spiritual gifts to the Family of God. These gifts are given because of God’s great love for us and as an expression of the unmerited favor of His GRACE (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense), given in response to the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of God’s Son.

These gifts from God are not to be sought by us, we can’t acquire them, as they are gifts, given by God; these gifts are to be received by us and then used in service within the body of Christ for the common good and mutual edification of all believers.