Spiritual Gifts
From the deplorable behavior of the Corinthians at the Lord’s supper to the Corinthians receiving and correctly using their unique spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NLT
Spiritual Gifts
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
Examine the scriptures:
Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NLT
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us.
- Special abilities are given to us by the Holy Spirit.
I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.
- The special abilities given to us by the Holy Spirit can easily be misunderstood and misused.
Misused or abused.
The Corinthian church was strongly influenced by their surrounding culture and the presence of false teachers.
2 Peter 2:1-2 (NLT)
The Danger of False Teachers
1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.
- Paul wanted to encourage and disciple the Corinthians to use their spiritual gifts correctly.
- Christians need to learn how to use their spiritual gift(s) correctly to bring glory to God.
3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God (controlled by the Holy Spirit) will curse Jesus,
and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
It’s all about Jesus.
John 14:6 (NLT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:12 (NLT)
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
John 3:16 (NLT)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)
For,
There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
John 10:9 (NLT)
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
John 3:36 (NLT)
And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
No one can say from the heart Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
A simple test.
Luke 6:45 (NLT)
45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
1 Corinthians 12:3 (ERV)
3 So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the help of the Holy Spirit.
What is coming out of your mouth?
- A simple test to determine what is in your heart: “What is coming out of your mouth?”
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,
but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.
6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
God works in different ways in each of us.
- Individuals serve the Lord and His Church in various ways.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us
Spiritual gifts were given to the Corinthians.
- All Christians have at least one spiritual gift.
so we can help each other.
- Spiritual gifts are given to each of us so we can help others and bring glory to God.
8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
Various gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:10-11.
- We don’t all have the same spiritual gifts.
11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
- We do not choose our spiritual gift(s).
