The clear teaching of the New Testament is that God gives spiritual gifts to the church for the common good of the saints. To empower her mission to evangelize the world.  Chris Brannon continues in our series about spiritual gifts.  Paul tell us that we should “earnestly desire” them.

Why should we desire spiritual gifts?  One reason is because the Bible tells us to.  Another reason is because spiritual gifts build up the Church.  The last reason is because spiritual gifts are given to help us love one another.  Pursuing love and desiring spiritual gifts are not disconnected.  These gifts are given tot he church to help us love one another.  The Spirit doesn’t give us gifts in order that each of us gets our self-important moment in the spotlight.  He gives us gifts so that, for the greater glory of Christ, we are able to pursue love through serving one another.  We are to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 as a means to pursue the love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.

There are three important details regarding spiritual gifts.  The first detail is that all spiritual gifts need to be accountable to leadership.  One of the roles of leadership is ensuring that gifts are being used “decently and in order”.  Another detail is that all the gifts are equally “spiritual”.  Although some gifts, such as prophecy, may sound more “spiritual” than others, such as serving, but they are all equally important and equally “spiritual”.  The last detail is that each person and gift will vary in capacity and context.  Within a certain spiritual gift there will be variety.  For example, come teachers will flourish in a small-group setting, while others will flourish in front of large crowds.

Chris talks about seven of the nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and their operation in the church:  the discerning of spirits, the gift of the word of wisdom, the gift of the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of working of miracles and the gift of prophecy.