TOPIC:‌“The Use and Abuse of Spiritual Gifts”

‌          by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌I Corinthians 12:1-11

 

‌‌“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant”

‌‌(I Corinthians 12:1, NKJV).

 

‌Three things stand out about many Christians regarding spiritual gifts. They have little understanding of them. They don't know what their particular gifts happen to be. And they have little conception as to how to use them in their service to Christ and His church. These same problems about spiritual gifts existed among the Corinthian Christians. They lacked both the understanding of the gifts and the discipline in using them.

 

‌The words in our text: "I do now want you to be ignorant," imply not only that the believers at Corinth lacked adequate information regarding the purpose and ministry of spiritual gifts, but also that Paul desired each one of us as believers to know and understand what are our spiritual gifts. The problem with the Corinthians believers was not a lack of the USE of the gifts, but the ABUSE of such gifts in the life of the church.

 

‌Because of this situation, the Apostle Paul sets out to correct their thinking at this point. These gifts of the Spirit are classified, compared and arranged according to their value by Paul in chapters 12 through 14 here in First Corinthians. Let us now look at what Paul has to say about the use and abuse of spiritual gifts.

 

I.

 

‌Consider, first of all, the EXPLANATION of these spiritual gifts. We read in verse 1 these words: “Now concerning spiritual gifts.” We do well to remind ourselves at this point of this truth: When we became believers in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit came to live in our lives. This same Holy Spirit gives to each one of us a particular spiritual gift which enables us to perform our individual task in the body of Christ. Listen to Paul as he declares to these same Corinthians in verse 7: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (NLT). Paul continues to write in verse 11: “It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (NLT).

 

‌So, then, every Christian here today has a spiritual gift or ability. You may not know what it is, or even be using it, but you do have it. And remember this: Though the Holy Spirit gives the same fruit to all believers, He gives different gifts to different believers. In the chapter before us Paul sets forth three truths we must come to grips with. They are (1) The divine giving of spiritual . . .