Bible Reading Challenge #34

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says, “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for ministry that the Holy Spirit gives to all believers, and they are used for the building up of the church.

Before diving into the main section of this passage, Paul gives us a warning to remember: there will be many false teachers seeking to deceive for their own gain. Whether it is prosperity preaching, healing hoaxes, or money manipulation, many have used the umbrella of religion to dupe and exploit people searching for hope and help. If Jesus is not Lord in the teaching you are listening to, then the teaching you are taking in is false!

From this point on, Paul speaks very practically about the makeup of the church. Two main truths stand out in verses 4–7.

First: while there is great diversity in the church, there is only one God. We all have different skills, passions, and opportunities, but we are knit together by the same God. This same God does not play favorites, but loves all equally, even if we are not gifted the same way. We must focus less on comparing our gift and more on using our gift.

Second: the gifts given by the Holy Spirit have one purpose—the common good. You are not gifted by God to make your name great. You are not gifted by God to lead the biggest group. You are not gifted by God for your own glory. You are gifted by God for the common good. Yet it is common for us to exalt certain gifts and look down upon others. But while that may be common, it is not correct.

Before we dive into what your gifts may be, I encourage you to consider this: the God of the universe has specifically gifted you for a specific purpose. He made you unique, and your uniqueness matters. Take time to sit in the enormity of that truth—that the infinite God deals personally with you!