Are Spiritual Gifts for Today
God gives us seasons, and He gives us assignments. That means they have a beginning and an end. These commissions do run their course. Sometimes we like the last season, and we don’t want to go into the next. But, we shouldn’t hold on too tightly to the things of the past. When you are in Christ, you understand that He builds season upon season. That means it is important to embrace each upcoming season.
As a church, we fully believe in, embrace, and aim to activate you in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The beauty of these gifts are that they are supernatural and you must be connected to Spirit personally.
In 1st Corinthians Chapter 12 through 14, we learn about the different gifts in the body of the church and how important it is that we operate in them. Let me pull out just a few critical verses for reflection.
- Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
- But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
- Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
- If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
- And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Pursue love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
God is assembling His body together for a reason, each with gifts, talents, and abilities. When people come to visit our church community, the Holy Spirit is already at work. It’s easy to show others their mess, but how about our own messes? Remember, the Holy Spirit, not you, will be the One to convict people’s hearts. You are commissioned to follow the example of Christ and pursue love.
In Ephesians 3:20, we see that the Holy Spirit works through us so that we can carry out His Kingdom here on earth. It is amazing and humbling that God wants to work through us to bring others into relationship with Him!
“Now to Him who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
Yes, we are to desire the Giver and His gifts, so that we can speak the heart and mind of God to the world around us. Let’s position our hearts to serve the Lord and others.