Getting the Spiritual Gifts Back

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against which there is no law. Every Christian should produce these nine spiritual fruits in their lives, making us the most effective witnesses we can be. But there’s a distinct difference between these and the spiritual gifts, which not everyone will have, as they are divided up among the body of Christ. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will (1 Corinthians 12:11).

During his first imprisonment in Rome in 60 AD, Paul received word from Epaphras of strife amongst two churches in Asia Minor, Colosse and Ephesus. He was especially concerned about Ephesus, having spent years there building the church against some of the most overwhelming opposition he had ever faced. He wrote three letters in response, sometimes referred to as the “first imprisonment letters,” which include Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. Colossians and Ephesians are essentially companion epistles, both stressing the need for unity. The general theme of Colossians focuses on Christ as the head of the church while Ephesians is about the need for unity among the body of Christ (the church).

If the church today is losing power, we can consult the Word of God to see what to do about it. The gifts of the Spirit aren’t in operation like they should be. But we’ve lost sight of how to get them back, and the key is much simpler than one would think.

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Ephesians 4:2). Love is the crucial ingredient separating the Christian church from the world. Paul spells out its importance explicitly in 1 Corinthians 13, sometimes known as the “love chapter.” Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). Even powerful gifts like tongues and interpretation are just empty noise if the speaker has no love. But that’s just the beginning. Verse 2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. You could have an amazing ministry, prophesying, laying hands on the sick, and seeing miracles; but if you don’t have love for your brothers and sisters in Christ, you have nothing and are nothing in God’s eyes.

Back to Ephesians 4; in verses 2-6, he moves from love to unity, invoking the Trinity. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling….One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (verses 4, 6). God is an immaterial being, but by “one body” Paul is referring Christ, God (the Word) made flesh. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are in perfect union with one another. The was revealed all the way back to creation; the Trinity already appears in the first few verses of Genesis. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:2, 3). When the Father said “Let there be light,” the Word that came from His lips had His power, and would later be manifested in the person of Christ.

Perfect unity is why God is so powerful and successful. But how can we claim to be His followers if we don’t likewise come together? There’s no backbiting or gossip in heaven. If we would put all grudges towards our fellow Christians aside, God’s hands would be untied and He could freely flow unlimited power through us. Notice the first ingredient for the Spirit to fall on the Day of Pentecost: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place (Acts 2:1). Only when the 120 were gathered in the upper room in perfect unity and love could the Holy Spirit be unleashed.

Paul lists the specific gifts needed for the church to grow in Ephesians 4:11: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. Let’s be perfectly honest, while we today have some of these, others are sorely lacking. We have pastors, but almost any denomination can tell you evangelists are in short supply. Prophets played an important role in the New Testament as well as the Old. But where are they today?

The church can’t be as effective without all of these gifts, and the reason is simple; God Himself isn’t incomplete, and we shouldn’t be either. The Lord doesn’t work at 78% capacity. Jesus, as the human manifestation of God, wasn’t missing an eye or leg. Are we truly being the body of Christ? His feet should be walking, His arms reaching, and His hands healing.

Verse 12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Christ is our example in every ministry. He did it all. No matter what work you do for the Lord, instances of Him doing the same are in the gospels for you to follow. If you’re a preacher, preach like Christ. If you’re a teacher, teach like Christ. This is true even down to the lowliest tasks. Even if you vacuum the church carpet and clean the bathrooms, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (verse 14). We need apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and preachers working together to anchor the church in truth. In Ephesus, false doctrine was confusing people. Today, it’s everywhere. Christians can find any preacher saying anything on social media they want to hear. Want to know why contradictory teachings are taking over? Because we’re losing the gifts, which work as a firewall against false doctrine.

But we talk about how the gifts used to be in the church, as if they can never come back. This is the lesson Paul tried to drill home for Ephesus: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (verse 15). The passage begins and end in love. We don’t have to struggle or beg God for the gifts; they come naturally through love. If all the Christian churches could put there differences aside and come together, our voice would be so powerful the world couldn’t ignore it.

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My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge: Hosea 4:6.

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When the church as a whole gets back to confession of sin, repentance for it, and holy living, then we would see the gifts operate as intended.

Until then, as long as people are seeking the gifts for what they can get out of them, I don’t see that God is going to bless their activities.

4 posted on 06/02/2019 2:19:20 AM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)

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