Posts
My commentary said that the Corinthian church members had
been given many gifts of the Spirit, but they had problems which had several
causes. “Some of the members were grieving the Holy Spirit by the carnal ways in which they were using the spiritual gifts. They were like children with toys instead of
adults with valuable tools, and they needed to mature… The gifts are given for
the good of the whole church. They are not
for individual enjoyment, but for corporate employment….”
Paul also wanted them to understand that every believer received the baptism of the Spirit at
conversion. “The filling of the Spirit had to do with the Spirit’s control of our lives. To be baptized
by the Spirit means that we belong
to Christ’s body. To be filled with the Spirit means that our bodies belong to Christ.”
The church needs to have unity, but diversity is
very important, too. “Unity without
diversity would produce uniformity, and uniformity tends to produce death … However, if diversity is not
kept under control, it could destroy
unity … It is maturity that balances unity and diversity, and that
maturity comes with love. It is not enough to have the gift of the Spirit and gifts from the Spirit. We must also have the graces of the Spirit as we use our gifts to serve one another,” it
said.
Father, thank You for emphasizing our part in the body of
Christ. No Christian was ever meant to
be alone, but instead in fellowship with other believers. Show us how to work together to glorify You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
No comments:
Post a Comment