Week 4 Day 2-Spiritual Gifts

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DAY 2 – SPIRITUAL GIFTS – Part 2 (1 Peter 4:8-11)

⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

    Our “spiritual gifts” are not solely given by the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 4 and Romans 12 say the gifts come from God, while Ephesians 4 says the gifts come from Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 says the gifts, ministries and activities all come from the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God. So, we see the Trinity involved in endowing us with abilities to be involved as church members.

    Involvement in ministry should not be view as a casual option for believers. Jesus told a story about a man who buried a talent that had been given to him. “Master … I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”

    Salvation is a gift of God’s grace (the Greek word is charis), and our spiritual gifts are also by God’s charis. We should not shy away from our ministry because it is a “gift” from God.

    To refuse to walk in the good works in which God has already prepared for us violates the purpose of our salvation (Ephesians 2:10). To abuse or not use your gifts in building up others is a rejection of God’s gifts to us. Like today’s passage above, Paul emphasized that gifts should build up others and not ourselves.

“ ¹²So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church…¹⁷For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up… ²⁰Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. … ²⁶ When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.?

    EACH BELIEVER HAS A GIFT. “What is your spiritual gift?” That question may leave you speechless. This is unfortunate, because the Bible teaches that every Christian has at least one spiritual gift. Ephesians 4:7 states “But to each one of us grace (charis) was given...”  1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift.” 1 Corinthians 7:7 promises “each one has his own gift (charisma) from God, one in this manner, and another in that.”  Again in 1 Corinthians 12:6, 7, and 11, Paul affirms “Now there are varieties of gifts (charismaton).. it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit…All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.” Romans 12:3, 6 agrees that “as God has allotted to each a measure of faith...and since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly.” Every member of the church has a gift and calling to be involved in ministry.

     EACH BELIEVER DISTINCTLY GIFTED. Every Christian receives at least one gift, but every believer does not receive the same gift. By God’s grace, each gift is distinct within each believer.  Paul said, “All do not have the gifts of healings, all do not speak with tongues and all do not interpret, do they?” (1 Corinthians 12:30).

     EACH CHURCH DIFFERENTLY GIFTED. The Bible gives partial lists of the varieties of gifts. Every gift is to be used for the common good and the service of each other.

Day 3, Heart