Wednesday, August 5
Compare 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 with 2 Corinthians 1:20-22. What do these passages tell us about the promises of God and especially spiritual gifts prior to the second coming of Christ?
God promises that His church will manifest all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit just before the return of our Lord. His promises are sure. He has given us the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts to guide each of us to an understanding of the gifts He has given to us. It is God who gives the gifts and God through His Spirit who reveals them to us.
Read Luke 11:13, James 1:5, and Matthew 7:7. If we desire to discover the gifts that God has given to each one of us, what does He invite us to do?
We receive the gifts of the Spirit as we consecrate ourselves to God and ask Him to reveal to us the gifts He has given us. When our hearts are emptied of self-glory and our priority is to serve Jesus, His Spirit will impress us with the spiritual gifts He has for us. “Not until through faith and prayer the disciples had surrendered themselves fully for His working was the outpouring of the Spirit received. Then in a special sense the goods of heaven were committed to the followers of Christ … . The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God”. (Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 327).
Spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-6) are qualities that God imparts so we can serve Him effectively. Ministries are the general areas we can express our gifts in, and activities are the specific events that allow us to use our gifts. Spiritual gifts do not come fully developed. As the Holy Spirit impresses you with some area of service, pray that He will lead you to a specific ministry to exercise your gift through an outreach activity.
What are your specific gifts and, more important, how can you improve those gifts for the Lord’s service?
