I'm thinking today of a short couple of verses in the middle of 1st Corinthians 12.
In 1st Corinthians 12, Paul is largely talking about the Holy Spirit gift.
A Holy Spirit gift is a gift given by the Holy Spirit, an ability, if you will, where
the Holy Spirit shows His presence.
These are what the verses say.
There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
Like if each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
So there are two key points to these verses that could be missed.
The first is that everyone has a spiritual gift.
Whether or not you're in the church and using your spiritual gift, whether or not you recognize
the presence of the Holy Spirit in you or anyone else, He's there if you're saved and
His presence creates an outward manifestation.
In other words, something that people can see to know that He is present.
Something that you can do now that you couldn't do before you were saved.
A way that you ask now that you didn't do before you were saved.
And there's a lot that can be spread in Scripture to get to the bottom of the spiritual gift,
but the bottom line is everybody who's saved has a minimum of one and it's a manifestation
or a making known of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The second part here is that these gifts are given for the common good of the church.
And so a lot of times I see people who have no idea what their spiritual gift is and then
they get in the church and start serving God and doing the things that God would have them
to do and their gifts become evident and the presence of the Holy Spirit in them really
becomes evident outwardly as they act in their spiritual gift.
Let me encourage you, get involved in your local church and act in your spiritual gift
that was given to you so that you and everyone else can know that He is there and for the
common good of the church.