Purpose by His Spirit

Being the holiday season many folks see the season in many different ways.  I want to draw on this to make a point about the work of holy spirit in believers.  We call this time of year Christmas season followed by a new year.  Now the New Year may or may not have any spiritual meaning to the church.  Some try to make it a spiritual time of renewing and fresh starts.  There is no biblical reference for new years but all the same if that works for you take the time to reflect and refresh your spiritual commitments.   

It is Christmas I want to use for an example of unity yet diversity.  In Christianity we have those who do not celebrate at all to those who may fully engulf themselves in the season celebration.  Now, today we have facts about Christmas, and a person only needs to remove all the folklore of Jesus’ birth and read the accounts for what they say in scripture to see how we celebrate Christmas today could really be called pagan more than Christian.  I am not going to split hairs with anyone about this.  Just to clear the air, I deal with the season out of tradition more than truth.  This is not the point I want to make.

The point I want you to see is that all over the world people look at and celebrate Christmas differently.  There may be a few and I do believe the numbers in comparison is few that may condemn those who celebrate Christmas.  I think there are a larger number of those who do not celebrate Christmas, but choose not to condemn those who do.  As a whole no matter what the doctrinal differences maybe about who Jesus is we seem to just let each person celebrate the birth of Jesus in there own way.  In doing so I have not heard very many believers question the fact that Jesus was born, is the son of God, which lived and died for all mankind. 

How does that fit into the subject we are dealing with?  You see many of the same people, who will overlook how one may celebrate the birth of Jesus, will not overlook a few doctrinal differences in other areas.  You see the fact is God did give his spirit to the church to help us and to produce His image in us.  Yet we will fight over all the details of how that works.  Yes, I hunger and search for truth, but as I find it I must learn how to first apply it to my own life and then to lovingly share with others. 

This Year I got a phone call from a person I never expected wishing me a Merry Christmas.  That person is a Muslim; I play golf with him now and then and he works at a place I do business with.  When I first started talking to this person he was afraid if I knew he was a Muslim I would hate him.  I reassured him that I would not hate or attack his faith.  Over time I have had a few moments to share with him about my faith and I have allowed him to speak about his. Knowing Christmas morning that he did not celebrate Christmas in any form but took the time to call and wish me Merry Christmas said a lot about his respect for me.  With that said I know a couple of others who call themselves Christians who may not celebrate Christmas but would speak with condemnation to those who do.

I have seen this very thing throughout the church and among all the varying doctrines.  We all claim to have the truth, no wonder the world is confused about Christianity.  There is more unity under the influence of spirits in a bar than in a church many times.  Yet we all claim to have the same spirit of God.  Yes we may differ in how we define the spirit or if it’s what or who.  The fact still remains God gave His spirit to the church for our good to bring us to completion.

Truth is what we all should seek and we should all be able to talk to one another about what we discover.  We need to have the love of God shining in our hearts to do this.

  (Eph 3:16-21 NRSV)  I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, {17} and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. {18} I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, {19} and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. {20} Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, {21} to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Truth solely based on knowledge in a person by reason of hurts, rejection, and anger is dangerous.  I have a brother who by nature is a very honest and truthful.  In his younger days he just believed that God always wanted him to tell the truth.  The only thing wrong with that was he did not know how to do it with tack or love.  I cannot tell you how many times I had to work with him or stand in the gap for him because of people he hurt or made mad.  Today, he still feels very strongly about truth and honesty, but now he knows how to speak in love or be patient with those who do not see what he sees.  This has helped him become an effective minister in a church where he serves, helping the pastor.  He has helped transform a church in many ways, by being loving and patient.

How does that work in our subject of gifts and ministry of the spirit of God?  I think we can all agree that God has given His spirit, where we are divided is how that works in today’s church.  Without Godly love it does not matter what we believe, we will miss it everytime.  I strongly believe that God has given His spirit to the church and that includes every believer that calls on the name of the Lord, Jesus.  I know that there will always be those who will say that unless you believe Jesus to be what I believe, you are not saved, or if you miss certain doctrines God can not be truly working through you. I know we all have our pet scriptures but I refuse to go there.  I think this is something we need God to deal with and we just do what we are called to do.  I will say here that I cannot believe God has called you to tear down the body. 

So with all this said lets go into our subject and look at God given purpose.

 (1 Cor 12:4-7 NRSV)  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; {5} and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; {6} and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. {7} To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

The Greek word here for services is “diakonia” meaning to attend, aid, service, minister.  In other translations the word ministry is used.  Let’s look at Romans again.

(Rom 12:5-9 NRSV)  so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. {6} We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; {7} ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; {8} the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. {9} Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

Notice Paul is making a very similar point here as he did in first Corinthians.  We all differ and have different purposes. Paul uses the body demonstration in both places.  You should also notice that Paul is not making room for anyone to exclude themselves from God’s gifting to them and the operation of holy spirit in and through them.  There are big roles as well as small ones, everyone has a place.  Everyone should be working in their gift and the holy spirit should be manifesting through and in every believer.  Now, how or what, that is for each person to workout with God, and not judge others if they are different. 

We are all different and we all should be submissive to the spirit and manifesting what is at work in us.  Just think what our church services would look like if every believer came to a service, with a song, a word, ready to serve, ready to give, ready to pray with and for others, and then had leaders who would allow God to work in a church service as such.  Then think what it maybe like if every true believer allowed holy spirit to work in and through them in the public market place, wow maybe we could really make a mark on our world.   I am going to close with some scripture, I want you to read and then lets talk some more about this.  You do have a calling and purpose in the body and in this world; you just have to let God’s spirit do what it was given to do.

(Eph 2:19-22 NRSV)  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, {20} built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. {21} In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; {22} in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

(Eph 4:16 NRSV)  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

(Heb 3:1 NRSV)  Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

(1 Cor 1:26-29 NRSV)  Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. {27} But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; {28} God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, {29} so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

(1 Cor 7:17 NRSV)  However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. This is my rule in all the churches.

(Col 3:15-16 NRSV)  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. {16} Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

(2 Tim 1:9 NRSV)  who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,