Let’s Not Be Ignorant

(1 Cor 12:1 NKJV)  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:

In this series on the manifestations of the holy spirit, I have talked about many aspects, parts in gifts and manifestations.  I started last week in Romans and will start this week in Corinthians.  It is unique that Paul starts out dealing with this subject by wanting the church to be informed in this matter.  It seems obvious that Paul was dealing with division in the church, and how the gifts were being used and holy spirit was being manifested.

Before I go anywhere with this I want to lay out some background and help shed some light on how Paul was dealing with this subject.  Paul wrote two letters to the Corinthian church.  In the first letter Paul is correcting a lot of issues he sees the church doing wrong and addressing questions from them. 

(1 Cor 1:4-10 NRSV)  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, {5} for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- {6} just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- {7} so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. {8} He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. {10} Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.

From the beginning of Paul’s first letter, he makes it clear that he wants the church to be active in spiritual gifts, but also knows there are many hindrances to the gifts and the church.  So let’s look at some of the corrections which I feel are hindrances to God’s gifts working properly in our churches. I will briefly go through these and lead you up to Paul’s dealing with the manifestations.  I do want to make clear that most of what Paul speaks about is in the context of correction and should be read as such.  

Paul starts out with division in the church over leaders.  Things sure have not changed over the last couple of thousand years.  We still have followers of men more than followers of Christ. In dealing with this problem, Paul makes it clear that it is the message that is important not the man. That message must be rooted in the truth and wisdom of God.  This will lead us to the message of God, His son, and the coming kingdom.  God has often not chosen the brightest, smartest, or most educated people to carry His message.  God does not want man to receive the glory that only belongs to him.  I feel in today’s church, people are giving to much glory to men and those men are letting it happen.  Like then, still today this is causing division among God’s people.

Paul then speaks in chapter two about the work of holy spirit in man giving us wisdom that is not of this world.  I feel Paul is letting the church know without the manifestation of holy spirit we can never fully understand God’s purpose.  For god’s plan and wisdom is only revealed by the holy spirit.

(1 Cor 2:10-12 NRSV)  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. {11} For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. {12} Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.

Could it be that those who deny the work of holy spirit is denying the wisdom and purpose of God?  

(1 Cor 2:14-16 NRSV)  Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. {15} Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny. {16} "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Maybe those who are too focused on what other men teach or their handed down traditional doctrines never come to understand God and how He may work in the church.  It could even be the intellect of many that they rely on their own wisdom that they miss out on the simple wisdom of God.  In chapter three Paul tells the church there is only one message.  There may be many types of personalities and gifts but one message, one foundation, Jesus and the gospel he laid out.

In today’s world I see much of chapter three working in the church.  Many of today’s Christians have bought into the current world view of God, His word, and His moral way of living.  I grew up in church and I can tell you first hand that in all the years I can recollect, I am seeing a decline in the faith and moral godly living among so called Christians.  I know there will be those who will call me old fashion or judgmental.  I may be a little old fashion, but I am not judging anyone.  It is the fruit and evidence I see in the church as a whole.  When I began to pastor some years ago, I never dreamed I would deal with some of the issues I have among Christians that grew up in church or had been a believer for many years.  It is like the church stopped growing spiritually and began to rely more on the wisdom of this world rather than God’s gift to the church, holy spirit.

(1 Cor 3:18-20 NRSV)  Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. {19} For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," {20} and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

We have a responsibility to Christ and are the ones who have the secrets of the kingdom.  We are called to be faithful to Jesus, and His message of the kingdom.  We are to be fools in this world to be what God has called us to be.  Jesus told us in John that we would be hated by this world, but yet we find the church trying to be accepted by the world. 

(1 Cor 4:20 NRSV)  For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power.

We need to grow spiritually and let the holy spirit be manifested in this generation.  This generation needs the truth and a demonstration of God’s power and Glory.  Yet, like Paul was dealing with issues we still today deal with those same issues.

 (1 Cor 5:1-2 NRSV)  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father's wife. {2} And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?

Immoral behavior had entered the church and the church was not dealing with it.  This was the same church that Paul deals with in chapters twelve thru fourteen about spiritual manifestations and gifts.  So, for those who reject manifestations just because of the behavior of some of those that have the manifestations working in them, this church was full of error, yet seem to flourish in the manifestations. Notice nowhere does Paul tell them to stop in the manifestations.

  (1 Cor 6:1 NRSV)  When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints?

Then there was the issue of slander and lawsuits.  They were taking matters among themselves to secular courts.  My heart just breaks when I see church matters taken to government courts.  Christians suing Christians, churches suing churches, rights and demands handled through our court systems.  What has worldly wisdom got that the church can not find in God and His word?  

At one time I belonged to a fellowship that I already struggled with because I did not agree with much of their teachings, but I loved the fellowship and loved many of its members.  The last straw was the day I received a letter explaining their reason for taking a church to court over compliance to their bylaws.  I felt this was something I could no longer be a part of and quietly quit the fellowship.

Paul deals with divorce, foods, rights, and getting along with each other.  You may ask the question what has this to do with spiritual gifts and manifestations?  I am building a platform to the spiritual matters Paul deals with in the context of all this. We must recognize that Paul was dealing with all these things as he brings up the subject of spiritual gifts.  I feel the need to lay this all out before I can deal with what Paul teaches about spiritual gifts.  He is not just teaching, but also correcting what is wrong and we need to discern them both.  I have come to believe that much of what many Pentecostals teach about spiritual gifts and manifestations have been wrong.  I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be ignorant in spiritual maters.  So, let’s talk about this more next time. 

God’s Spirit Within Us

It has been a few weeks since my last post.  We here in the US have gone through a presidential election, and some major disasters on the east coast.  I have been taking the time to reflect and consider all that is happening around us.  Take our election for one, we can plainly see how divided we are as a nation and a church.  I am not a doom and gloom person, but one must ask how long OH Lord? 

This week I want to start to get back to the subject I have left behind a few weeks ago.  The gift of holy spirit and it’s manifestations.  I have come to the conclusion that the church is as much divided on this subject as baptism, Godhead, and church traditions on how to conduct a worship service.  Everyone talks about the holy spirit from being a person to how does he work in the church today, or how it has worked in the beginning of the church.  Words of hatred have been used and disrespectful name calling.  All this should show us that we are not seeing a true work of holy spirit in a majority of today’s churches.  Just because one does not understand, feel, or seen it work for them, does not prove it is not for today’s believer.

Starting today I will go book by book looking at a few verses and offering thought as we go.  Like I have said before in other writings, I am not a scholar or expert. I just try to read the Bible for all its worth, study, and through prayer and reliance on the holy spirit in me try to come to truth.  I can not answer for you why you may not be seeing the holy spirit at work in you or your group.  I can only read what God says to us in His Word.  For myself I have seen God work in me as well as others, yet I feel at times we are not seeing all that God would like to be doing through His church.

In Romans we find Paul addressing a wide range of issues, from the sinfulness of man in need of hope, to encouraging us in love.  In the middle of all this Paul does address the holy spirit and it’s working in the believer.  Paul ends his discourse on sin and man’s need to have God’s grace at work in us in chapter seven and begins the ideal of a spiritual birth and identity of believers.

(Rom 8:4-9 NNAS)  so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. {5} For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. {6} For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, {7} because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, {8} and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. {9} However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Here we can plainly see that for one to belong to God they must have the spirit in them. Then Paul moves on to say how the spirit affects our lives and flesh.  He seems to make it clear that the spirit has begun a work that is to be continually at work in us to bring us to God’s desired results in the end.  Then verse 14 speaks a strong truth “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”  To be a son one must be led by God’s spirit, so how can one claim to be a son and yet reject God’s leading by His spirit.  I feel to be led by God’s spirit includes the fruit of the spirit, the gifting to the church, and the manifestations.  Yes, I know there are questionable people whose lives and beliefs could be held in doubt claiming to be led by God’s spirit. Yet, that does not erase the truth and God’s ability to truly work in those who will truly follow him.

(Rom 8:26-27 NNAS)  In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; {27} and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

The spirit also works for our behalf, communicating with God in unspoken words.   I know many will interpret this to mean speaking in tongues, but I do not think that this is clear.   The word groanings simply mean words or sounds that can not be understood, or under ones breath.  This comes from the inside of a person not from a prayer book or rehearsed prayers.  The point I want to make here is we cannot make a case for or against speaking in tongues.  Yet, I feel there should be a point in ones prayers that they speak things they themselves do not understand when the spirit intercedes for us.  I think one could conclude that a believer should live a spirit led life and seeing the spirit at work in them.

(Rom 12:3-8 NNAS)  For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. {4} For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, {5} so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. {6} Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; {7} if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; {8} or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

We have been given faith, is this what Paul was saying?  The word used here is pistis, giving us the ideal of profession.  So, we could say that to each one God has given us the same gospel, brought us into the same beliefs, to understand the same truth.  This raises a question, how is the church so divided, in their beliefs about God and how his spirit works?  When we can clearly see God has delivered to us all, the same faith.  It should not take long to see historically, man has created the divides in producing teachings that have done great injury to the church.  This may be why the world does not want anything to do with the church.

I want to drop down a few verses and see Paul encouraging us to exercise the gifts that is in us according to the grace he has extended toward us.  This does not make us special people or proves how spiritual we are.  I have come to understand that once God has given or promised something He does not take it back.  “(Rom 11:29 NNAS)  for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”  I know that this cause some people problems, when they see people exercise gifts or manifestations after they have messed up.  It is God’s grace at work and it is the earnest deposit of His spirit that produces results. 

Notice, Paul is encouraging prophecy among believers, as well as other areas of ministry.  In this setting Paul is not dealing so much with spiritual manifestation, as a matter he does not deal with it in Romans.  Yet, we can conclude he is encouraging the church to let the spirit lead us in prayer, church leadership, and gifts.   To be sons of God we are to be filled with God’s spirit and all that entails.  This is how we can cry Abba Father.  It is how the true faith of the gospel of God’s kingdom is delivered to us.  To me, to reject the holy spirit, its gifts and manifestations is to reject the gospel. 

In all Paul does not leave us hanging.  He shows us what that true nature of holy spirit should look like as he concludes chapter 12 an on.  The holy spirit will lead us in how we treat others and respond to those who mistreat us.  This faith has been delivered unto us to work effectively in this life, to produce God’s purpose and bring us to completion on that day.   My word to you is seek God for yourself and to be led by His holy spirit.  Let the spirit work in you and your prayers.  Prophecy, minister, give, and love one another.