1 Corinthians 12
June 30, 2022
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us for the common good.” (v7)
Paul says that each and every Christ follower has been given a gift. And here's what's so remarkable about Paul saying that every believer in the church at Corinth had been given a gift. Back in 1 Cor 3, Paul called the believers there: "worldly, infants in Christ." In other words, even though the believers at Corinth were a spiritually immature bunch, Paul says that every one of them has still been gifted by God. And the implications of this for us are huge — especially for those of us who don’t think we are qualified to serve God because of our sin, or because we don’t know enough about the Bible, or because of our spiritual immaturity, or because of some other point of insecurity. Not to minimize the importance of dealing with sin, or growing up in our faith, or reading the Bible, but none of these excuses will fly with God. Nowhere does God say you've got to be free from sin or at some spiritual maturity level before He gifts you. No, God says (even to this messed up bunch in Corinth): “A spiritual gift is given to each one of us..."
God, I praise You that You’ve not only rescued us through Christ, but You now dwell with us by Your Spirit. Thank You for the way Your Spirit convicts, comforts and counsels us. And thank You for the way He seeks to work through us to bless and build up others. Forgive us for the ignorance that so many of us have regarding Your Spirit. It’s no wonder Paul leads off this section of Scripture with the words, “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant” (v1). Help me (and the Trinity family) to take You at Your Word - that each of us has been given a gift (from the Spirit) for the purpose of blessing and building up others. May more and more of us have our eyes opened to the gifts You’ve given us, and our hearts moved to use these gifts for Your glory and the building up of Your Church.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
