Introduction

Some people say that what you don’t know won’t hurt you. But in the case of the church or the body of Christ, what we don’t know will actually hurt us. This is especially true in the area of spiritual matters. Ignorance in this area will greatly affect us. To fulfill God’s purpose for us in this world as His people would require spiritual health, growth, and maturity. These things cannot happen without knowing how the Holy Spirit is at work among us and through us based on God’s word. One area where we need to be informed properly and adequately is spiritual gifts. We are all uniquely and spiritually gifted to serve one another in love. To understand this, we need to know …

Four Spiritual Principles

1. God has given us various kinds of spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:7-10) Out of His riches in glory through Christ Jesus, God has given us — all of us! — various kinds of spiritual gifts. We have at very least one spiritual gift. We need to understand this so that we would not feel that we have nothing to give to the local church or to the world. To live as if we are not gifted spiritually is to waste the opportunity that we have to represent God in the world.
2. These spiritual gifts do not exist apart from God. (1 Corinthians 12:1-6) We have these gifts, and we can operate in them, only because of our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. They do not exist apart from God Himself. In fact, to have these gifts is really to have God Himself present in our lives. Apart from God, we do not have these gifts at all.
3. God continues to give these gifts today. (1 Corinthians 12:11, 31a; 13:8-12; 14:1) God’s gracious gifts are not meant for one generation only (i.e. the apostles or the early church). He continues to give them today just as He determines for the sake of His people. Since we have a task to fulfill, i.e. the Great Commission through the Great Commandment, we need God’s continuous empowerment through these gifts.
4. These gifts are meant for service, not status. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 18-20. 24b-25) Since these are gifts, we do not own them. Therefore, we are merely stewards (or managers) of these gifts. We are accountable to God in how we receive them, how we grow in them, and how we use them for His glory. We are to use them in love to serve others, not to have special status.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “We are all uniquely and spiritually gifted to serve one another in love.”
2. If we don’t understand this fully, we will not be effective spiritually.
3. Know your spiritual gifts and use them in love to serve others.

Discussion

1. Why is there so much ignorance about spiritual matters in the church today?
2. What have you learned today that helps you to understand spiritual gifts better?
3. How would you apply this in your life in the days or weeks ahead?