Spiritual Gifts

Diversities of Gifts - Given by God for His Purpose

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (I Corinthians 12:4-7). Everyone does not have the same gift(s). Spiritual gifts are not just anybody and everybody speaking what they feel is good for the hearers. A spiritual gift is someone being used by the Spirit to bring forth His words and the expression that God designs, in His timing, to accomplish God's own purpose. God gives "severally as He will." We do not work God when we will. He works all things to His end purpose as we move in His faith, by His Spirit, and in the life of God, which is love. We must come together in love and allow God to work.

We must encourage each other but never try to work the works of God in our own ability. Having our hearts right will not of itself work the purpose of God, but our hearts must be right to allow God to work His perfect work through us. Our desire must always be to please Him, never focused on how much we can do for Him. We could be busy in the service of the Lord and still not be doing one thing in His eternal plan. Let us move in His purpose and enter in at the strait gate.

In our life in the Spirit there must never be self-realization, but only realizing God in every step of faith we take. In Christ, God has given us the ability to be sons. That ability is in the hand of God and the outworking of His Spirit. We are being built together as a habitation for God by the Spirit.

Groups that have no place in their midst for God to manifest Himself or to use different men in the gifts of the Spirit must first have a desire for life in God as He has designed, not a desire for man's ways. God is looking for hearts that are looking to Him and have pleasure only in Him. If there is not yet a true experiencing of fellowship with the Father and Son, and the essential life of God working in and through the believers, this must become a reality before there can be a manifestation of that life to work the works of God. Gifts are the abilities of God to do His work through individual believers. The evidence of life is not the gifts but the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is produced because we are abiding. Gifts are manifested through us, as we move in God's ability by faith. Paul told the brethren to desire spiritual gifts, that which would build up the church and bring us to God's end purpose, Christ filling all in all, which is fullness.

Let us seek God and prove Him, in His Word and by the witness of His Spirit, and all things will be done to His glory.