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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | I have returned HELP! | 1 Cor 12:7 | tashina | 165663 | ||
Mark, I have been happier today, thanxs for the prayer. I also have wondered - I have taken the written spirtual gifts test and first my gift was prophet. The second time it was prophet.(in first place,both times) What exacty does this mean if Jesus is Gods very voice(words) and He has said all we need to know to get thru this life and in this mondain existance of waiting for Him to return. Not sure exactly if this "gift is real" not doubting but very leary because of what God stats about self-proclaiming prophets. Also a true prophet is one that mearly shares the great news about Jesus and His glorious return , what else could there be? And are these test real as to what your gifts maybe. The purpose driven life book study is what has prompted my sunday school teacher to give me this test. I have know this for sometime ,about one year and everyone was turn to me for answers about things and I told them to please dont lift me up I strive to stay Hidden. | ||||||
2 | I have returned HELP! | 1 Cor 12:7 | mark d seyler | 165664 | ||
Hi Tashina, I appreciate that you desire to know where and how God wants you to serve, and that's what any discussion of Spiritual Gifts is about. Peter exhorts us (1 Pet 4:11) "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;", and so each of us is to speak according to what we read in His Word. To my understanding, the gift of prophecy is the Spirit enabling a person to do that better. Whenever the question arises "what is my gift?", I like to point to what Paul wrote: 1 Corinthians 14:12 “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” To the same degree that you want spiritual gifts, seek to excel at building up the church, your Christian brothers and sisters around you. These tests about what our gifts are may give an indication. My experience has been that they tend to reflect what we already think about ourselves. Whether that is because we already know inside what God has called us to do, or because they simply show our own thoughts, I couldn't say. The goal is not the gifts. So often in a discussion of the spiritual gifts, the focus becomes “what is my gift?” I do not wish to downplay the importance of knowing what our spiritual gifts are, but its easy to overlook their purpose. The purpose of spiritual gifts are to minister to, serve, build up the church. This is the Holy Spirit’s way of ministering to the Church of Jesus Christ, the Body of Christ, and is actually to be our focus of our efforts. It is not without reason that every place in the Bible we find a discussion of spiritual gifts we also find multiple admonishments be humble and yielded to God. These gifts are discussed at length in 1 Cor. 12,13,14, Rom. 12, and Eph. 4 I recommend that you pray, read, and study these chapters, so that you can be firmly grounded on what the Bible says about spiritual gifts. Looking at 1 Cor 12: There is one Spirit operating various gifts through us to benefit all of us (vs. 4-7). Verses 8-10, and vs. 28, add to the list of functions (gifts) given in Romans 12. The importance of each individual functioning effectively in the body, led by the Spirit, is stressed and explained in vs. 11-27. The order of functions is given in vs. 28, but we do not all have all gifts (vs 29-30). And then in vs 31, Paul writes, “but earnestly desire the best gifts.” In this verse,“earnestly desire” is from the greek verb zeloo which is written the same whether is is indicative or imperative tense. We cannot know grammatically if this is saying as a description “you covet” or as an instruction “you are to covet”, or “earnestly desire.” But whether Paul is encouraging our desire of the greater gifts, or simply stating that we want the greater gifts, he says: 31 “And yet I show you a more excellent way.” Way to do what? To care for each other. (vs. 28) Its not about the gifts. Its about serving the body of Christ. The gifts are empowerment, to enable us to do what God has called us to do. As we look now at this next chapter, I prefer the King James translation for it’s use of the word “charity”, used instead of love, because it speaks of a love that causes us to devote ourselves to the object of this love. And that's the bottom line. The whole point of spiritual gifts are that they enable us to fulfill our calling, to minister to the body of Christ. So should you find that the Lord brought someone to you in need of encouragement, or direction, or counsel, and you find that the Lord has given to you Godly words to say to them, speak as the Lord gives to you the ability to speak. Should you find that the Lord has brought to you one in need, and you find that the Lord has given to you the ability to meet their need, give as the Lord give you the ability to give. And to show mercy. And to pray in faith. And to do all things that the body needs, not regarding your natural abilities, but looking to the Lord to supply any ability you need, whatever it may be, to fulfill His calling in your life. The active thing we do is to pursue love. We desire spiritual gifts to help us fulfill our pursuit of love. We love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and so we devote ourselves to them. As we exteem them greater than ourselves, and seek to fulfill their needs, the Holy Spirit gifts us, empowering us to better serve others. We want to be empowered by the gifts of the Spirit, so that our work is powerful, and on target, and actually fulfilling the needs of the Body of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” I hope this helps! Love in Christ, Mark |
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