The Daily Word

 

What do you think about spiritual gifts? It seemed so simple in the early church, specific spiritual gifts seemed to be readily recognised and used for the benefit of the church. Many of the gifts were very visible, e.g., tongues, prophecy and perhaps they are less visible today as the need for these gifts has perhaps lessened, particularly with the free availability of the New Testament, which is God speaking to us after the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus and bringing in the new era.

However, whether recognised by the individual who has been given the gift by God or recognised by the church where those gifts are exercised, there is no doubt that God gives these gifts as necessary still to support and help the local church to grow. As servants of our Saviour, we therefore have to acknowledge that any talent we might possess is given by God and we cannot take personal pride in whatever we seek to do for our Saviour. At the best we are unprofitable servants of God and all our worth comes from Him.

What has this to do with our subject this week of love? Well, at the start of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul itemises some of the spiritual gifts that were most evident in the early church and explains that without the input of God’s love, the practicing of these gifts neither profited the deliverer nor the hearers or witnesses of these gifts. All this reminds us that in whatever way we interact with our brothers and sisters and seek to help them to grow in Christ, it must be done totally in love. James, our very practical apostle, has a word to say on this which sums it up perfectly, “Let him that thinks he stands OK take heed lest he fall.” All we have, and are, in spiritual terms has been given to us by God, let us always remember that is the case.

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church