Gifts of the Holy Spirit

What a great sermon. Wish I hadn't missed crucible now. I really liked the way he touched on the first part about receiving the Holy Spirit in the first place. How we receive both forgiveness of sin and the Spirit at our conversion experience. I have raised similar questions and been equally confused by the same things that he mentioned, such as doubting ever receiving the Spirit instead of realizing how He is in fact always there, but we just need to pray for more and more of Him. His analogy of hunger pains meaning we just need more food and not that we have never eaten in our life was actually very interesting when applied to our relationship with the Spirit. Our sin problem reminds us that we need the Spirit in increasing amounts, and even this hunger for more of Him (ie: for more of His strength) is evidence that He dwells within us already. We hunger again as we remember the times he came through for us in the past and it makes us yearn for him to intervene on our behalf again. I also liked the emphasis on our lives being a gift to the body of Christ and to the world more than on figuring out what particular gifts God has given us. I tend to ask that question a lot because I want to discover how God has equipped me for ministry. I believe that people have a unique role to play in serving God and His kingdom, and that perhaps God has used gifting as a way to build that in his Church. But it is more practical to simply ask the question, "Is my life a gift that is being used to build people up?" because it is other-minded to begin with, and it leads us to assess whether we really are being servants to our neighbors. It has a general perspective about what it means to follow Jesus. When our interest in personal gifting turns into obsessing about what they are and takes away from us simply loving other people, then that becomes a stumbling block. So, Wil's assertion seems to be a fair one. Perhaps I need to self-reflect on that more. I do still pray, though, that the Spirit would help me see what gifts I have and empower me to use them for God's purposes. Being in this in-between stage, where I often have no idea or sense of direction for my life, I wonder what special gifts the Holy Spirit would have me possess because maybe that would bring clarity to this fog I am in...

The superheroes vs. villains metaphor was also very appropriate. I could see how the gifts of the Holy Spirit could either be used for selfish reasons(like a villain) or for the benefit of others like it says is the purpose in verse 7: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." I want my life to honor and glorify God as well as be a gift to the body. I feel challenged by this message to be more intentional with the way I love others and serve God's people. I want Him to stretch me more in this area and help me to willingly and gladly pour myself out for the sake of others. If I'm honest, I'm not usually like that. I have a lot of growing to do in this aspect of Jesus' character. But thankfully, he has not left us alone. He has not left me alone. From the moment I surrendered my life to Jesus (which for me was more of a time span than an individual moment I can readily recall) his Spirit has been with me, teaching me, convicting me, consoling me and guiding me along. Wil's reminder to us that the Holy Spirit is a Person (not a force) has made me realize that I do not always view him as such. Sometimes I just don't get the Spirit or know how to connect with him. He's often more like a theological concept to me, part of the mysterious Trinity. And that's not good. I need to open myself up more to him and not be afraid. Not be doubtful or skeptical. Just welcoming and receptive. I pray for God to work this out in me.

The last thing I really liked about the passage was the diversity of gifts but the same Spirit. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone." We are meant to be different and this is to the glory of God. He wills it and delights in it. There is a beauty that comes with the different gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wil said that if we have the Spirit, then we have all gifts. I suppose this is true, but there are a couple that the Spirit highlights and empowers in each of us, and I think there is a reason for this. If we each had every gift possible from the Holy Spirit, then why would we need or depend on each other? But that's the genius of distributing them among God's people. Some with tongues, others with wisdom, still others with gifts of healing and faith. As a collection of God's people, then, can we see Him truly and fully at work. Just as an eye or a hand cannot say to the rest of the body that it does not need it or that it is somehow better... so it is with gifting. None is better than the other (and tongues is not lame, I don't know what's wrong with Wil except that he obviously had a bad experience with that growing up, understandably). There is no status that should come with a particular spiritual gift. Together they demonstrate the magnificence and power of the almighty God. And to me, it is just a privilege and blessing to know that He - the Creator of the Universe - would choose to share this part of himself with us. He loves us so much that he wants us to be participants in his power for the sake of the lost. The one Great Superhero of the world desires that we be little superheroes on a mission to bring his love to the nations. It's so wonderful. It's what stirs my heart and quickens my spirit. This God we serve is amazing and he is so worthy of my life.