Introduction: Today we are starting a new series regarding Spiritual Gifts. The Bible speaks of spiritual gifts- special gifts given by God to be used in the church for God’s glory. In the secular world, when someone receives a gift, he/she may or may not know how to use it or how to use it wisely. So is in the church, in fact, part of the reason why Paul is addressing this is because the church in Corinth needed to know about spiritual gifts. This first lesson will deal with a general perspective regarding spiritual gifts so that we can really understand not the actual gifts themselves, but how they apply to the Believer.
Concerning Spiritual Gifts:
Don’t be Ignorant– I Corinthians 12:1” Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant”. (Ignorant- a person untaught or uninformed). There are 3 ways that a Christian can be ignorant regarding (their) spiritual gifts:
A Christian can be ignorant that there is such a thing as spiritual gifts.
A Christian may not know what spiritual gift(s) God has given him/her.
A Christian may not know how to properly use such spiritual gift(s).
II Timothy 2:15 The solution to not being ignorant is to study the Word of God regarding what the Bible has to say about Spiritual Gifts and ask God what gift he has gifted you with that is not of your own doing but of Him.
Don’t stay ignorant; 1. There are spiritual gifts given to the Christians by God, 2. Find out what gift God has given you, 3. Know how to properly use and exercise the gift that you have been given, for the Honour and Glory of God.
They come from God– I Corinthians 12:8 “by the Spirit”, vs 8 “by the same Spirit, vs 9 “by the same Spirit”, vs 11 “the selfsame Spirit”. This is not a natural ability that you know how to do well because you have worked on it or developed for a long time, this is a gift that God has gifted the believer with. The gift is given freely by the Spirit “as he will” I Corinthians 12:11.
The gift is God’s Choice- This is important because it’s not our choice, what you want, but what God wants for us. God knows us better than anyone and knows what is best for us. James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is form above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”.
Because God gives the Gifts- there is nothing about a gift that a man should feel prideful and or important about. We didn’t earn the gifts and we certainly don’t deserve the gift anyways. I Corinthians 4:7 “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Romans 12:3 “For I say, thorough the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”.
Everyone gets at least one– I Corinthians 12:7 “every man”. Every man is given a spiritual gift or gift(s), and his gift manifests the Spirit who gave it.
Vs 8 “for to one is given (a specific gift)”. Vs 9 “to another”. Vs 10 “to another”.
Vs 11 “dividing to every man severally”. Severally means- one at a time by itself.
The purpose of getting at least one gift is so that you can be profitable to the work and purpose of God in the local church and to other believers. The need in the local church meets the person with the gift, and it is a perfect fit. Ephesians 4:16 “maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”. They’re all different– I Corinthians 12:4-11. Vs 4 “diversities of gifts”. The Holy Spirit of God determines what gift to give to a believer. Romans 12:6 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us”
Why are the gifts that God gives different? –Because the gifts are many and varied. And because He Gives them as He wills, To whomever, wherever. Imagine if every person in this local church had the same one or two gifts, how would that look like? How would that work? There would be problems among the believers. Don’t force a spiritual gift on yourself that perhaps you don’t really have. I Corinthians 4:7 “for who maketh thee to differ from another?
They’re all Profitable– I Corinthians 12:6-7 “to prifit withal” (together are profitable for all of us). These gifts are not natural abilities that a person has developed from birth but something very specific given by God.
Withal- means together at the same time. The picture that is seen here is everyone in the body doing something different and it works flawlessly. The beneficiary of your gifts are other people in the local church, not just you. For the benefit and edification of the body. When your seat is empty, everyone feels it. The gift that you have is needed in the church and in the world, so it has been given to you so that others profit from it. These gifts are not given for your own benefit.
Ephesians 4:7-12 “And he gave some gifts… for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”. This is the purpose; everyone has a specific gift and it helps the body in it’s entirety.
Conclusion: In this lesson we should have learned that God gives gifts to his Children and we shouldn’t be ignorant regarding which one we have been given and how to use it. These gifts are all different and they are profitable to everyone in the local church and in the body of believers. Hopefully this lesson has helped you understand the Biblical spiritual gifts.
Anchor Baptist Church 