~ The Source 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).
Source Spiritual Gifts ~ What Spiritual Gifts do we categorize as Source Spiritual Gifts? They not only relate to our service but also are related to our spiritual maturity. They enable us to please God as we exercise our traditional Spiritual Gifts. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3 niv). The Source Spiritual Gifts are those gifts which build Christ-likeness into our lives. I think of the Source Spiritual Gifts as the Construction Sector, as you will see as we take up each of these gifts individually.
Scripture ~ Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians is all about Spiritual Gifts and in particular how their can be unity while diversity (how our culture could learn that principle). This key chapter on Spiritual Gifts ends this way: “But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Two key learnings from this passage. First, it is good to seek to grow our spiritual gifts and second there is an excellent way of not only desiring the best gifts but also in the use of any and all of our Spiritual Gifts. The “more excellent way” is provided in the following passage, Chapter 13 commonly known as the Love Chapter. Notice, how the Love Chapter ends: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Explanation ~ Faith is how you know where you are going. Hope is what keeps you going. But love is how you get there. Why is love the greatest? One idea to contemplate is that the Scripture tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) but nowhere does it say that God is faith or God is hope.
Our responsibility is to become more like Christ. ”And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
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).
“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).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
* * * * *
Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”
· Be an insider! Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers. His books have won national and international literary awards. Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift. Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr
Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/ “Abundant Life Now”
· The INDEX of topics is accessed by scrolling down the left column.
· The current TOP 10 reader favorites are listed at the bottom of the page.
· Personal TOP 10 favorites are listed in the right-hand column of the blog.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/robertlloyd.russell
Career page: http://www.robertlloydrussell.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment