It's good to be back again with you here at Grace
Church. We have missed you the last two weeks.
Thank you for praying for us. You were involved
in opportunities of ministry, which God seemed
to bless. But it's always good to get back with
you. We feel comfortable here, and we love you.
And so this is where we want to be. We were in
Kansas for a few days of... I was going to say
rest, but I think that would characterize it
improperly. At least it was a relaxing time.
And I understand that you were told how hot it
was, and that was not exaggerated. It was very
warm, although I think it was pretty warm here,
too, as I was able to listen to the weather reports.
So I guess I can't complain too much to you and
get very much sympathy, so I'll just go on. Today
we're going to continue our series regarding
the Church and what it's all about, and do that
by looking again at this metaphor of the Church,
the body. Today we're going to talk about the
Church, a gifted body. I suppose most of us have
heard or read about the man that was called the
Elephant Man. who was afflicted with a disease
which caused his body to be fashioned in a horrifying
way. Several years ago, when we were living in
Texas, I was in a drugstore one day when two
ladies brought a little child in that was afflicted
with that disease. I guess I admired them for
their... courage and being willing to take her
out into public. But I would not go into detail
expressing to you the shock of seeing that child,
for in addition to what was obviously severe
mental retardation, her body was formed in the
most grotesque way. It broke my heart to see
her because that wasn't what God had planned
for a human body to be like. Those kinds of things
are present in the world because of the effects
of the sin of mankind. And to see her that way,
it was not easy. I'm sure it wasn't easy for
the two ladies with her. I'm sure it's not easy
for that little girl. Sometimes I've wondered
if a church could be somehow represented by a
body, just what that body would look like. You
understand what I'm saying? The Lord says that
we are a body spiritually. We are an organism.
And I just wonder what a body would look like
which represented what we are. I wonder if we
would be that well -developed athlete that is
described in Ephesians chapter 4 as the mature
man, or if there might be something more horrifying
or grotesque that would represent what we are
as a church. A healthy body's members are given
the capacity to accomplish certain functions.
Otherwise, the person is handicapped. In a healthy
body, organs work with other organs, limbs interact,
the brain coordinates the members, and it produces
a marvel of unity out of all of this diversity
in our bodies. And the same thing is true in
the church. The body of Christ is very similar
to that. The purpose of the body, the church,
is that the life of Jesus Christ might be fully
revealed to the world, showing what he is like,
telling the truth about him. And God has designed
the members of his body to interrelate, each
having a ministry that results in the total body
being built up and healthy and reproduced. Each
of us realizing and acting upon this vital truth
will make our church what it ought to be. In
a brief paragraph, John MacArthur has written,
If the body is to be healthy and mature and thus
have a single dynamic testimony to the world,
every believer must actively and intensely involve
himself in the function God has given him. His
services and ministry make the body healthy because
he carries strength to the other vital parts.
His failure to serve makes the body sick. To
function properly, we must understand something
of the spiritual gifts which God has given us,
thus the message this morning on the gifted body.
There are three terms in the text that we're
going to read in a moment which represent spiritual
gifts to us. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter
12 as we read verses 1 through 11. I want you
to notice verse 1, verse 4, and then verse 7.
For in each of these verses there is a word or
phrase which represents spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians
chapter 12, beginning in verse 1. Now concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you
to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans,
you were led astray to the dumb idols, however
you were led. Therefore I make known to you that
no one speaking by the Spirit of God says Jesus
is accursed. And no one can say Jesus is Lord.
except by the Holy Spirit. Now apparently both
of those statements were being made in the worship
services of the church. Their services had been
infected by a carryover from the religion that
they were used to in their paganism. And it involved
a very emotional kind of release in which they
would lose control of themselves, really. And
at least in their paganism, they were wide open
for demonic possession or demonization, a better
word. And apparently some of the people in the
church now who professed to be saved were experiencing
something like that which they had experienced
before. It was a holdover, you see, from their
mystery religion that they had been involved
in. And in their... orgy of emotions being expressed,
they would make all kinds of statements, including
one like, Jesus is cursed. And other people hearing
that would say, well, you know, that doesn't
sound right, but after all, they're having this
experience, and therefore we have to accept what
they say as being genuinely of God. But Paul
writes to clarify that no one can say Jesus is
cursed. By the Holy Spirit. He doesn't lead anyone
to say that. Because Jesus is not anathema. He
is not cursed. He is God. And so he says, likewise,
no one can truly, genuinely say from his heart,
Jesus is Lord. He is deity. Except the Spirit
of God leads him to that understanding. Now he
says in verse 4, there are varieties of gifts,
but the same Spirit. And there are varieties
of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are
varieties of effects, but the same God who works
all things in all persons. But to each one is
given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good. For to the one is given the word
of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another
the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit.
To another faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healing. by the one Spirit, and to another
the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy,
and to another the distinguishing of spirits,
to another various kinds of tongues, and to another
the interpretation of tongues. But one and the
same Spirit works all these things, distributing
to each one individually just as he wills. Notice
in verse 1 the word which is translated in the
NASV, spiritual gifts. Gifts being in italics.
I think it represents correctly what is said
there, but literally it says, now concerning
the spirituals. And the idea seems to be that
Paul is saying now about that which relates to
the realm of the spirit. And after all, that
is where the gifts operate. Not in the natural
realm, nor essentially in the realm of our senses,
but they really are rooted in the realm of the
spirit. And so he says now about the things of
the Spirit or the spiritual gifts. Then in verse
4, he talks about these variety of gifts, but
he uses a different word here. It is the word
charismata. And he says that all of us have these
charismata, these grace gifts is the literal
meaning of it. And thus he indicates to us that
these gifts that we receive from God are given
by grace. We do not receive them because we have
some personal merit. They are undeserved and
unearned. And the ability that God gives to you
or to me to minister spiritually is purely by
the grace that he exhibits. Purely by grace.
Thus they are charismata. Charismatan. They are
grace gifts. That is obviously the root word
for the word charismatic today, a word which
takes on a certain meaning in our society because
of certain elements of evangelicalism. I want
you to know that all of us who are saved are
charismatics in the biblical sense, though maybe
not in the societal or religious sense of today.
For we all have these grace gifts that he's talking
about, thus we are all charismatics. And then
in verse 7, he speaks about these gifts as being
the manifestation of the Spirit. In other words,
the source of the gifts is the Holy Spirit. Their
presence in the life of a person is evidence
of his salvation and of the presence of the Holy
Spirit within that life. They are a manifestation
of the Holy Spirit himself, these gifts. Now,
there are several key principles that are taught
in the Word regarding spiritual gifts. Some of
these are rooted in the text we have before us.
Others are not. For time's sake, we're going
to have to move quickly through these. I hope
that you will take out a piece of paper if you
have one and jot these down because they are
important for us to know. Several key principles
taught in the Word of God regarding spiritual
gifts. We must know and practice these principles
if we, as Grace Church Roosevelt, are going to
be the gifted body that God intends for us to
be. Principle number one. Spiritual gifts are
given to every believer. We see that in verse
7. We see it again in verse 11. It says, to each
one is given the manifestation of the Spirit.
And then again in verse 11 it says, the Spirit
works all these things, distributing to each
one individually just as He wills. You say, now
Pastor Cole, we have been studying in Ephesians
chapter 4, and you have emphasized this truth
already. And I confess that I have at least four
times. Said essentially this very same thing,
that spiritual gifts are given to every believer.
Now you say, why do you keep saying it? because
I want every one of us to hear it. And I figure
if I repeat it enough times, all of us will eventually
hear it, that we are all gifted by the Holy Spirit
to minister in Christ's body. Each one of us
is given the manifestation of the Spirit. There
are no exceptions to that. You can go to 1 Peter
4, verse 10. You can go to Romans 12, verse 6.
You can go to Ephesians 4, verse 7. And those
are the other three key passages in the New Testament
dealing with spiritual gifts. And in each place
you will find the same emphasis that to each
one of us responsibility is given to function
in the body of Christ as we are gifted by the
Holy Spirit. These gifts, as it says clearly
in verse 11, are given sovereignly by the Lord.
I do not get to select the gifts that I want.
It says that he gives to each man, each one individually,
just as he wills. He chooses how I am to be gifted,
how you are to be gifted. Gifts are not to be
personally chosen and sought. You say, but how
does that tie together with the end of chapter
13, where it says that we are to, or the beginning
of chapter 14, where it says, pursue love, yet
desire earnestly spiritual gifts. It says there
we're to desire spiritual gifts. And actually
it says they're the better spiritual gifts. You
say, Pastor, you're telling us on the one hand
that they are chosen for us, but then it says
in the Word that we are to seek them, to desire
them, to pursue them. Well, the answer to that
is, chapter 14 is written to the church as a
whole, and as a whole, the body of believers
were to emphasize to pursue the greater gifts
and not the lesser. They had that in reverse.
But to individual believers, We are never commanded
that we are to personally seek the gifts. God
sovereignly chooses which of us is gifted in
a particular way. That's His choice. And it is
simply our responsibility to exercise the gifts
that are given to us. So principle number one
is that spiritual gifts are given to every believer.
No exceptions. Number two. Spiritual gifts are
expressed in a variety. You will notice the word
varieties in our text, verse 4, verse 5, verse
6. There are four key passages, as I've already
said, regarding the spiritual gifts, and there's
an interesting thing as you look at those four.
There is absolutely no consensus from the four
as to what all the gifts are, for each list is
a little bit different. And as you try to sum
them up and to list them, comparing passage with
passage, you will probably have a different numbering
than somebody else. I have one very fine book
in my library that talks about the 19 gifts of
the Holy Spirit. But there are some who number
them as 20, and then there's another book that
says there are 23. Now, why is that? I think
it's because the Holy Spirit has built into this
whole matter a variety and a certain flexibility.
What it really seems to indicate is this, that
the lists that are given to us are intended by
the Lord to be suggestive and not exhaustive,
dynamic and not static. The gifts are various
and flexible. I'm not even sure they all may
be listed. in the New Testament. Perhaps those
are the general gifts, and they can be broken
down in various ways. My point is this, that
I think we need to be careful of being too rigid
regarding exactly what the spiritual gifts are.
They are various. I have come out of a background
where I have been rather rigid about this matter,
but I'm in my study learning that perhaps that
rigidity is not correct. It does seem, however,
that there are two broad categories of gifts.
There are gifts that are speaking gifts, and
there are gifts that are serving gifts. The speaking
gifts, as they are listed at least in the New
Testament, would include prophecy, teaching,
exhortation, knowledge, and wisdom. It's the
use of the tongue in communicating, speaking
the Word of God. The serving gifts would include
but may not be limited to, leading, helping,
giving, showing mercy, faith, and discernment.
Those are serving gifts. They are not speaking,
but serving in various ways. I believe that each
of us who is saved possesses a custom blend of
several gifts. with one or two perhaps dominating
the others. There are some who teach that each
of us possesses but one gift. I don't think that
that correctly interprets what the New Testament
teaches regarding spiritual gifts. Rather, I
see us, as I have said, as a custom blend of
the gifts, so that each of us is unique. Unique
because of the composition of our personality,
our natural abilities, and the spiritual gifts
that God has given to us. We are unique because
God has designed each of us to minister in the
body in a particular way so that no one else
can exactly duplicate what you do or what I do.
Each of us... is designed by God to fit in in
a special way. And that's why it's so important
that we do, that we not hang back and be on the
fringe, simply be a spectator, because God has
made us to be an active, functioning part of
the body and a vital part of that. We painted
our house this summer. One of my responsibilities
in preparation for that was to get the paint.
I went down to the paint store and selected the
color that I wanted. He brought out some cans
and opened them up, and it wasn't the color I
wanted at all. But, don't get too concerned,
Galen, just wait. He picked up the gallons of
paint, took them over to this little gadget that
he had, and he began to... but little squirts
of pigment into that base paint that I had seen
first. And then he put the paint on a machine,
and it began to shake. The machine began to shake
rather than the paint. Fortunately, it had the
lid on tight. I was at someplace else this summer
shaking paint where the lid wasn't on tight,
so I know how important it is that they get on
tight. And the paint then was the color that
I expected it to be. What happened? Well, there
was a custom color that was chosen. They had
to make it. Each of us is custom made by God.
Each of us. You say, but wait a minute. Doesn't
talking Timothy somewhere about the gift stir
up the gift of God that is in you? Isn't that
singular? Yes. And there's another place in Timothy,
1 Timothy 4, 14, where it's singular. But if
you examine Timothy, the man Timothy, You begin
to wonder what the gift is. After all, Paul tells
him to preach the word, so you would think he
has the gift of preaching. But in another place,
he's commanded to exhort, so he must have the
gift of exhortation. Elsewhere, he is told to
do the work of an evangelist, so he must have
the gift of evangelism. But then he is told also
to teach the word to others, that they can teach
others, so he must have the gift of teaching.
So you see, if Timothy had but one gift, which
gift did he have? Then what does Paul mean when
he writes to Timothy about the gift? I think
he's talking about the package of enablements
that God had given to Timothy. And so it is singular
in that sense. It comes to us as a package. It's
sort of like a birthday gift. You get the one
gift, but as you take the wrapping off and look
inside, there are lots of contents. And so God
has given us a spiritual gift. But that gift
really is a blend of gifts, of spiritual enablements,
so that we can serve the Lord in the church.
Now because of this, we are not designed to serve
in a narrow, small way within the body, but really
in several areas, probably. The only question
may be which area I will serve in with the greatest
emphasis. My point is this, that I wonder if
I can really say I have no responsibility for
that area because I'm not gifted for that. And
perhaps we've all used that excuse from time
to time. If there is a need in that area, perhaps
I need to see if in fact I am gifted in that
area to help out. I may not think so now. Maybe
there's a gift that is undeveloped at this point.
You know, we need to remember that the Lord has
given us commands in the New Testament relating
to all the gifts. In other words, though I may
not have the gift of giving, I am commanded to
lay up in store as God has prospered, being to
give. And I may not have the gift of exhortation
or encouragement, but I am commanded in the Word
of God to exhort others. Now, in those areas
where I am especially gifted, I will be especially
fruitful and fulfilled in what I do. But I have
commands given to me that relate to all the gifts.
Actually, it's a case of emphasis in the finality
of it, according to the spiritual enablement
that God has given me. And so the gifts are given
in variety. Each of us is a custom blend of gifts.
Not meant to function in the body in a narrow,
restricted sense, but perhaps in several ways
in the body, with a special emphasis in the areas
where we have the greater enablements. Principle
number three. Some gifts are temporary by nature.
Now, of course, that is a controversial statement
among some people. There are those who would
respond to that principle by saying, well, that
is just your narrow dispensational view. Yet
actually, I think it is a conclusion that one
must come to as the Scripture is examined and
as he uses the logic that God has given to him.
You say, well, what gifts are in fact then temporary?
Well, I believe that there are two categories
that are temporary. One, the revelational gifts.
That is, those gifts that enabled revelation
to come directly to men to be spoken. And I think
particularly of the gift of prophecy. In a technical,
specific sense, the gift of prophecy is not given
today. Why is that? Because those who had that
gift in the early church received a revelation
directly from God which they spoke to the church.
That's why the prophets and the apostles are
said to be a part of the foundation of the church.
The apostles, of course, had to be those who
saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his resurrection
glory. They had to be personally commissioned
by him as apostles, and so obviously they were
limited to the first generation, those who were
alive when he was alive, when Jesus was here
on the earth, that is. That's the apostles. And
they were the channels by which God gave some
revelation. But they were channels to the church
as a whole. What about those local assemblies
stuck out there in the villages or the cities
of Asia Minor or across the Roman Empire who
didn't have a New Testament? How were they going
to get a word from God regarding something? They
had prophets in their church. those who would
be given a specific utterance from God regarding
a situation or a doctrine or a matter, and they
spoke that. Now, there was always the possibility
a prophet could somehow get the message messed
up, as happened in Corinth. And so Paul told
the church in Corinth, let the prophets check
on one another and make sure that they're saying
what's right. But you see, in that technical
sense of receiving direct revelation from God,
the gift of prophecy is not given today. It was
temporary. It's not needed today either because
God's revelation has been completed and is written
down for us so that we have it in our possession.
God is no longer today giving revelation. That
will be a disappointment to some people who are
still getting what they think is revelation.
But what they are getting is not from God. It
is not revelation from God. God is not giving
that today. Now, if in fact God is giving revelation
today, then this Bible has no authority. If God
is still giving revelation today, the Bible has
no authority. It means that something else can
come down the pike and is said to be from God.
How do we know whether it is or whether it isn't
if God is still giving revelation today? You
see, we lose any kind of a standard, a measurement,
an authority to depend upon. That's why it's
so critical that we uphold this truth that revelation
is not being given today. God has given us the
revelation, and what we do now is to study it,
to come to an understanding of it. And so the
revelational gifts are temporary, and then the
sign gifts, the second category, that were temporary.
The sign gifts would include the gift of tongues.
interpretation of tongues, that is languages,
literally is the word, not some gibberish, but
a language that had not been learned, the gift
of miracles, the gift of healings. And again,
there are those who would disagree with that.
But if you examine the New Testament, you find
out that these things are what were called the
signs of the apostles. 2 Corinthians 12, 12.
The wonders, the miracles, the powers that were
displayed, those were signs of the apostles that
what they were teaching was truly from God. It
authenticated their ministry. And so when the
apostles passed off the scenes, they took their
signs with them. So that by the time the book
of Hebrews is written, Hebrews 2, verses 3 and
4, The writer of that book who is in the third
generation from the Lord says that the Lord confirmed
his testimony to the apostles and through the
apostles by their signs, but the implication
is that they didn't exist at that time, shortly
before 70 A .D. And you can see in the book of
Acts that the miracles and the signs quickly
petered out as the church grew and matured. So
there are temporary gifts that were given. which
are not given today. It doesn't mean that there
are not miracles that take place today. That's
different than talking about the gift of miracles.
It doesn't mean that God doesn't heal today.
God does heal today. And there are some people
in our church who have experienced that touch
of God. But it's talking here about the gift
of healings. And it includes the idea of resurrection
from the dead. There are not people today who
genuinely can raise other people from the dead
or who can command a person to be healed, and
that person will undoubtedly for certain be healed
by the power of God. The apostles could do that,
but even today those who call themselves faith
healers have to depend upon what they call the
faith of the other person for them to get healed.
It's not their responsibility. That's not the
gift of healing or healings as it was in the
New Testament. It was a sure word spoken by the
person and the individual spoken to was healed.
I don't really feel too much pressure, frankly,
to give answer regarding what is commonly called
the charismatic movement. Because from my perspective,
it is that movement that must explain itself
in the light of the Word of God. Now, if you're
more interested in that topic, I want to go on.
But if you're more interested, there's a tape
or two that you can... order it at our book table
out here, in which we talk about some of the
charismatic gifts in more detail. Principle number
four, spiritual gifts are for the common good.
You see that, verse seven? Who are the commoners?
We are. We're the ones for whom the gifts are
given. What that is saying is that the gifts
are not given for private use. or for personal
edification. Now, I've heard people say to me,
well, I have this gift, but I don't exercise
in public. I just use it in my closet. Stop fooling
yourself then. That gift must not be from God
because the gifts are intended to be used in
public in the church, in the ministry of the
church. Gifts are given for the good of everyone,
not just for one person to use. They are given
for the functioning of the body, serving the
Lord, and for the sake of ministry to others.
Look over in chapter 14, verse 12, just to pick
out one verse where it says, So also you, since
you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound
for the edification of the church. That's his
point. That's the reason the gifts are given.
Their purpose is the extension and the building
up of the body. Spiritual gifts are given for
the common good, the good of all, not for private
use, not for the closet, not for self -edification,
but for the common good. Number five, spiritual
gifts are not the same as natural abilities.
What are the distinctions between the two? Well,
in the first place, natural abilities are present
with our natural birth. Whereas spiritual gifts
are given to us at the moment of our new birth,
our supernatural birth. We don't have them before
that. So obviously that means that natural abilities
are possessed by everyone in the world, even
the unregenerate, and that is true. Whereas spiritual
gifts... are possessed only by God's people,
by the saints. Another distinction, natural abilities
are purposed and given by God in His grace to
instruct, to entertain, and to inspire. And unsaved
or unregenerate people are able to do that. And
some of them do it quite well. They're quite
professional and skilled. because of the natural
ability which they have honed and exercised and
practiced. On the other hand, spiritual gifts
are purposed to edify the body of Christ and
to minister spiritually. And so singing, writing,
intellect, mechanic ability, all of the things
we think of as natural abilities are not spiritual
gifts. Spiritual gifts, however, may be coordinated
with our natural abilities. You hang on to that.
In other words, God may choose to give me spiritual
gifts that will fit together with the natural
abilities he's also given me. For example, I
may have the gift of teaching, the spiritual
gift of teaching. That can coordinate beautifully
with a natural ability. Ability to speak or to
write or to sing. People teach with singing.
I may have a spiritual gift of showing mercy.
That can tie together beautifully with the natural
ability to write. There are some people who can
write in such a comforting and marvelous way.
Or it can tie together with a mechanical ability.
I think of... A church choir of young people
that was traveling in June through the state
of Indiana when they had a blowout in one of
their tires. And they pulled to the side of the
road, and they weren't going any further. And
they were on a section of interstate where there
is nothing but nothing in Indiana, southern Indiana.
And along the road came this fellow in a truck,
and he stopped. And he asked if he could be of
help to them. And they explained what the problem
was. He says, well, go up here to the next exit.
They had two tires on each axle in the back.
So he said, just drive up here slowly to the
next exit. Turn right. Go down this way so far.
Right there is a tire store. I own it. I'm a
born -again Christian, too. I want you to stop
in there. Tell them that you need a tire, and
they'll put it on. So he did that. The driver
did. Got the bus fixed. In fact, I think they
even put another new tire on the bus because
they had tires that weren't what they should
be. And so here's a man who has perhaps not great
upfront ability, but he has mechanical ability.
He had a store, and he said to that church, put
a new tire on your bus. What is he exercising?
Well, perhaps it's the gift of giving. Perhaps
it's the gift of showing mercy. So you see, our
spiritual gifts can be coordinated with the natural
abilities that God gives to us. And we should
develop all of the natural abilities that God
gives because they can be channels for spiritual
gifts. If you have a gift for singing, develop
that. If you can write, develop that. If God
has given you an especially keen mind, develop
it to its furthest extent that you can. Whatever
your natural abilities are, develop them, because
those can be channels then for the spiritual
abilities or gifts which God would give you.
Number six, the possession of spiritual gifts
does not presume spirituality or maturity. In
other words, the fact that I have spiritual gifts
does not automatically mean that I am either
spiritual or mature. Because I get those gifts
the moment of my new birth, when the Holy Spirit
enters me and indwells me. Let's talk about spirituality
as to its meaning. What does it mean? Well, in
a very simple sense, one who is spiritual is
one who is dominated by the Holy Spirit. He is
not dominated by his flesh or by the world. He
is dominated... controlled by the Holy Spirit.
That's what a spiritual person is. He is not
holier than thou. He is not pious. He is not
perfect. But a spiritual person is one who is
dominated by the Holy Spirit. Are you a spiritual
person? You say, oh, well, I would never claim
to be a spiritual person. Why not? You're not
bragging about anything. Whatever you have is
from God anyway. A spiritual person is one who
is simply confessing, the Holy Spirit is in charge
in my life, and we should all be able to say
that and say it with a great deal of joy. A mature
person is one who has reached a state of stability
in his life and is able to reproduce himself.
And so it is spiritually. And it takes time for
that. Even one who is a newborn Christian. can
be a spiritual Christian because he is under
the control and the domination of the Holy Spirit,
but he's not mature. Maturity takes time. It
takes experience. The possession of spiritual
gifts doesn't mean that one is either spiritual
or mature. The Corinthians actually were neither.
In 1 Corinthians 3 .1, the apostle calls him
in the first place carnal, not spiritual, and
he says, you're babes, not mature. But he had
written to them just two chapters before telling
them they did not lack in any gift. However,
having said that, the gifts are related to both
maturity and spirituality. Let me explain how.
In the first place, our spiritual gifts can only
properly be used when they are energized by the
Holy Spirit or when he is dominating us, when
we are spiritual. Otherwise, there is the awful
possibility for the flesh to take control of
our spiritual gifts and for our gifts then to
be abused, and they can hurt people. That's why
it's important that we be spirit -dominated people,
so that as our gifts are exercised, they help
people, not hurt them. And then likewise... The
development and exercise of spiritual gifts is
a part of our process to maturity. I want you
to listen to that. Because what I'm saying is
that unless we develop and exercise our spiritual
gifts, we will not mature. I don't care if we
were saved 20 years ago. We're not spiritually
mature. until we are functioning and exercising
our spiritual gifts, because that is part of
the process that leads us to maturity. I must
hurry on to the final principle, and that is,
spiritual gifts are not the same as the fruit
of the Spirit. What are the distinctions between
the two? Spiritual gifts are what I do. The fruit
of the Spirit is what I am. Spiritual gifts have
to do with my ministry. The fruit of the Spirit
has to do with my character. Spiritual gifts
are the means that God has given me to minister.
But the fruit of the Spirit is the purpose or
the end that he has in mind through that ministry.
Do you see the difference? Love is not a spiritual
gift, nor is joy. or patience or peace or gentleness
or goodness or faithfulness or kindness or self
-control. They are not spiritual gifts. What
they are are characteristics or qualities of
Jesus Christ. And as I walk in the Spirit and
not in the flesh, those qualities of character
are built into me and you. And as we walk in
the Spirit and not in the flesh, we become more
and more like Him in the way that we live. so
that his character qualities are seen in us and
we become like him. Regarding spiritual gifts,
I want to warn you not to hibernate while seeking
to define how you are gifted. I believe that
one of the ways to find out what our gifts are
and how we can function is to get involved. Gifts
are revealed in us by the fruit of whatever ministry
we are involved in, by the satisfaction that
we have within, and by the counsel of others
as they watch us. Example, how do I know if I
am gifted to teach children? That is a specific
gift. I know, first of all, by the fruit I see
in the lives of the children. The fruit should
be there. Secondly, I receive a great deal of
satisfaction from teaching children. Evidence
of the gift being there.