Using Spiritual Gifts - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

To be effective, spiritual gifts must be used in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in the power of the flesh.

One of the constant battles all believers face is to avoid ministering their spiritual gifts in the power of the flesh. Even those of us who are called to be preachers (prophets) need to subject our spirits to other mature believers (1 Cor. 14:32). As a pastor, I am not spiritual just because I stand behind a pulpit and preach. Paul instructs us, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let others pass judgment” (1 Cor. 14:29). Those who teach God’s Word are not infallible; therefore, they must allow other qualified believers to verify the truth of what they proclaim.

Whenever Christians rely on their own strength, wisdom, and desire to minister, whatever they accomplish is a mockery and a waste. But whenever they minister by the Spirit’s power, the result is pleasing to God and has lasting value (“gold, silver, precious stones. . . . If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward,” 1 Cor. 3:12, 14). Essentially, all a believer needs to pray is, “Spirit of God, use me,” and divine energy will activate and flow through his or her ministry to fellow believers and unbelievers.

You can use your spiritual gift effectively by faithfully following three basic steps: Pray—continually confess and turn from your sins (1 John 1:9) and ask God to use you in the Holy Spirit’s power. Yield yourself—always determine to live according to God’s will, not the world’s (Rom. 6:16; 12:12). Be filled with the Spirit—let the Spirit control all of your thoughts, decisions, words, and actions. Commit everything to Him, and He will minister through you.

Confess any and all times lately that you have counted on your human ability rather than on the Spirit’s power to minister to others. Pray that this week God would give you a clear opportunity to exercise your spiritual gift for His glory. For Further Study

In what way did King Saul use his own insight rather than follow God’s command?

What can be the consequence of such disobedience (vv. 22-23; see also 1 Sam. 13:8-14)?

This brief meditation modestly displays a few of John MacArthur's mature, princely thoughts, worthy of long moments of deep pondering. One of them:

>> To be effective, spiritual gifts must be used in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in the power of the flesh. <<

Indeed, the natural gifts, the temporal abilities and talents which are present at birth, of which people think those tendencies--often debilitating ones--are factors one has to take into consideration in assessing the person's reputation and behavior.

Think of the Bible's Jacob, naturally a scheming, persuasive mother's boy, a con man, liar, who got himself saddled with four women, wives and concubines, only one of whom he really wanted., and not particularly that the LORD wanted him to have.

Jacob was not much of a candidate to be elected for service to God's plan, was he? But in spite of this, Jehovah did choose him for that role.

What happened was that God's Messenger (a Christophany?) came and wrestled with Jacob, and when he was about to be overcome, conquered Jacob with a painful grip that felled Jake, but Jacob still persevered and wouldn't let go until he got the messenger to bless him, in which process the Godly Messenger gave him the gift of a new spiritual name/title: יִשְׂרָאֵל (<>yiss-raw-ayll), "Almighty God's Prevailing Prince".

In addition to this, Gond's Mesenger blessed him by appointing Jacob with the exclusive eternal role in God's Plan to multiply his descendants astronomically, both literal and figyratively, as God had promised to his fathers, Abram and Isaac, a people said to be God's Chosen Ones, which also in the fullness of time provided the Incarnate Messiah Savior and Lord.

So we see that without the spiritual gift of guidance to the righteous use of natural talents, we would have an earthly culture of humans who were only interested in serving their own lusts and greed.

This is a great core principle which should be not only heard and seen, But to be more useful, perceived , understood, and applied in dealing with others to the glory and majesty of The Righteous Living Loving LORD God.

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