Uniquely Gifted to Serve
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
The Holy Spirit indwells every born-again believer, enabling each person to live the Christian life and conform to the image and likeness of God. However, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is not just for individual edification. The sanctifying process requires that the whole Body of Christ work together. The Holy Spirit is the agent who equips individual members to serve one another in three ways.
First, each member has at least one gift of grace by which he or she ministers to the Body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:4). Second, the Holy Spirit enables individual members to offer different kinds of service to the Church (see verse 5). Third, the Holy Spirit provides different kinds of workings within the Church, manifesting spiritual power in operation (see verse 6).
Paul argues that there is unity in diversity. All these manifestations of the Spirit have a unity in source. The “same Spirit” (verse 4), “same Lord [Jesus]” (verse 5), and “the same God” works all of them in everyone (verse 6). There is also a unity of purpose. These gifts, services and manifestations are not given for personal edification but so that believers may build up one another: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (verse 7).
Paul lists a variety of ways that the Spirit may manifest Himself among the believers. “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge . . . to another faith . . . to another gifts of healing . . . to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines” (verses 8-11).
The Body of Christ is made up many parts, and all are necessary. Some members may feel unwanted or unnecessary when other gifts or manifestations of the Spirit seem to take on a greater prominence, “but God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (verses 24-25). As the Body of Christ, we should eagerly desire the greater gifts to be manifested among us for the edification of all (see verse 31). We should not desire a greater gift for ourselves in order that we may be exalted above the others. God gives as He chooses, and we should gladly accept what He gives us and use it to the glory of God. We will never be fulfilled if we try to become somebody we aren’t or try to acquire a gift that others have.
Paul gives no instruction for determining our own gifts. We should seek the Giver, not the gift; focus on being the person God intended us to be; and through love serve one another. In the process, our giftedness will become evident to all. A spiritual gift is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Various manifestations of the Spirit will come and go, but faith, hope and love remain—and the greatest of these is love (see 13:13).
A few questions to ponder:
What are the three ways in which the Holy Spirit equips believers in the Church?
Why are spiritual gifts given to the Body of Christ?
What are some of the ways in which the Holy Spirit manifests Himself among believers?
In what way has God gifted you to serve others?
Why is it so important to accept the way God has created and gifted you? Why is it futile to try being someone else and seek some other gift of the Spirit?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.