Spiritual Gifts, 2

 ~ The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts  ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

The Word of God makes the purpose of Spiritual Gifts very clear.  The purpose is to build up the church, the body of believers.  It is not to be exercised selfishly, but is to give spiritual help to other believers.  All Spiritual Gifts are for serving in the church and ministries.

Scripture  ~  “It was He (Jesus Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers [niv].  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ [kjv]: until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the fullness of Christ [niv]” (Ephesians 4:11-13). 

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).  

“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24).  

The Apostle Paul’s Example  ~  “For I (Paul) am not seeking my own good but the good of the many, so that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33).  

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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