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

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve written or spoken on this verse, yet I still encounter so many people who fail to grasp the three important truths about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are in it. Word order in Japanese and English being very different, the order in which I deal with those truths generally depends on which language I’m using, and since I just read it in Japanese, I’ll go with that. Spiritual gifts are for the benefit of everyone. I’d be the last to deny that expressing spiritual gifts blesses the one doing so, but that is not the primary purpose. Spiritual gifts are to build up the Body of Christ and give Him glory. With most of the gifts that’s not hard to understand, but the one that causes problems is tongues. Even Paul seemed to place tongues on a lower level than prophecy, at least, because it seems so very personal. However, the gift of tongues allows someone to pray effectively for situations they know nothing about, and when they happen to be in a language understood by someone else present, they can be a powerful encouragement to faith. My wife Cathy was once in a prayer meeting with a group of Philippinas who attended our church, and they got very excited. It seems she was praying in Tagalog, which she doesn’t speak or understand. Needless to say, those girls were convinced of the power of God! The second truth in this passage is that spiritual gifts are given to all who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. I have experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit and I would be the last to discount that, but the Holy Spirit does express Himself through all of God’s children. Baptism certainly frees us up to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us in various ways, but I have run into many people who, even though they love Jesus, think they have no spiritual gifts, and that’s simply not true. If we don’t believe we have spiritual gifts, we aren’t going to be as available for those gifts to be expressed through us. The third point in this verse is that all such gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit; they aren’t packaged gifts. That is, they aren’t things that belong to us for us to take out and admire, they are active. You could almost say they are more verbs than nouns, even though that’s not true in writing or talking about them. Just as the Word of God is “living and active,” (Hebrews 4:12) the Spirit of God is alive and working, and when He works through us, we call it “spiritual gifts.”

I have certainly experienced this, but I don’t remember ever being taught it in quite this way. I guess that’s all the more reason to share this with others! As a pastor, my heart’s desire is that every member of this church be fully open to the flow of the Holy Spirit through them. It is again my experience that the more we allow the Spirit to flow through us, the more junk He washes out in the process, so that we are cleansed and made more like Christ. My job is not so much to “do for God” as it is to allow Him to “do through me.” That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said that without Him we can do nothing, any more than a grape stick could produce fruit without being attached to the vine. (John 15:5) I need to help the believers understand that God wants a lot of fruit, and He wants to use us to produce it.

Father, I was seeking the message You wanted to speak through me this Sunday, and it certainly looks like You’ve given it to me. Thank You. Help me live this out, and not just lecture others. May I be an open conduit for Your Spirit at all times, not limiting the flow through unbelief, but allowing and expecting You to use me in blessing, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!