Study to show yourself approved.
As we begin stepping into “understanding and operating in the gifts of the Spirit” more in detail I believe we will see rather than starting in 1 Cor. chap. 12 we will go ahead and start in chapter 14.
First Thing, Pursue Love
The Apostle Paul speaking to the Corinthian Church....
1 Corinthians 14:1 NKJV
14 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Amplified Version
1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMP)
Understanding Spiritual Gifts First Thing, Pursue Love 8-14-19
EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy (interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching).
We must “eagerly” pursue the virtues of love to be the first manifestation of the Spirit.
The first fruit of the Spirit is “Love”.
▪ The desiring of spiritual gifts is not first, the desiring to prophesy is not first, but to pursue, run after understanding and desire to produce the fruit of love will need to be first in our journey of learning how to flow in our spiritual gifts.
Key Observation we be:
You will know them by their fruits
Matthew 12:33 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible)
A Tree Known by Its Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 7:15–16 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible)
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
4 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will *know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
The spiritual gifts of the Spirit do not produce the fruit of the Spirit, but it is from the fruit of the Spirit that regulates the manifestation and revelation of the spiritual gifts.
1. In other words, it is the fruit of the Spirit that one must give most attention to produce and
manifest.
2. In essence, as we pursue/press forward into the producing of the fruit of “Love” the
understanding and flowing in of your Spiritual gift will happen like it’s supposed to.
The Fruit of the Spirit
3. Notice in Gal. 5:22 that Love is “first”
Galatians 5:22–23 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
▪ Then it is out of Love that joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and self- control flow from.
▪ And of course, in order for one to produce the fruit of the Spirit one must first be “filled” with the Holy Spirit of God.
▪ Many times, people become a little confused about what actually produces evidence of the Holy Spirit being active in their lives. So, they look for the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit rather than the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit.
It will be your “Pursuit of Love” that will regulate and manifest the depth of your spiritual gift.
In pursuing “Love”, this will determine how you allow your “Spiritual gift” to manifest and be revealed.
1. There are those that manifest their “gift” out of anger. (not righteous anger).
2. At times it comes from a self-centered revealing.
▪ To draw attention to self.
▪ To further one’s reputation.
▪ To further one’s platform.
3. There are times that people manifest their gift out from anxiousness or fear.
▪ Fear to produce something.
▪ Fear of how they are seen before the people.
▪ At times we give into the emotion of fear that takes our ear to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is speaking.
4. But when “pursuing Love” first, your spiritual gift will look to:
a. Honor and Obey God’s will. b. Point to the Glory and Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom. c. In moving in your spiritual gift your words and your actions will be lace throughout with
love, joy, peace, kindness, longsuffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control.
Love Is
1 Corinthians 13:1–13 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible)
The Greatest Gift 1 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of *angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, * and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could *remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not *envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks* no evil; 6 does not rejoice in *iniquity, but rejoices in the *truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, *endures all things. 8 *Love never fails. But whether there are *prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we *know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect* has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall *know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide *faith, *hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1. Love suffers long 2. Love is kind 3. Love does not envy 4. Love does not parade itself 5. Love is not puffed up 6. Love does not behave rudely 7. Love does not seek its own 8. Love is not provoked 9. Love thinks no evil (keeps no account of evil) (no record) 10. Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth 11. Love bears all things (to roof over) (endure patiently) 12. Love believes all things 13. Love hopes all things 14. Love endure all things 15. Love never fails
“Concerning spiritual gifts”
Read 1 Cor. 12:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:1–11 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible)
Spiritual Gifts: Unity in Diversity
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who *works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the *Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, * to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
“Concerning spiritual gifts”
In v. 1-3
“I do not want you to be ignorant” (lack of understanding or intelligence but to know intimately)
“Gentiles carried away to these dumb idols”
Calling Jesus “accursed”
o The apostle warned against incorrect thinking of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for our lives and operating in the spiritual gifts according to how they would perceive the old idols and how they would worship and function with them.
For example:
▪ Trusting in old prayers with egg and broom. Praying to forms or using other items (lucky rabbits’ foot) or statues.
▪ Praying to statues of saints or the virgin Mary things that become other forms of idols of worship that we used to “hope” in, so that power and favor would come through them.
▪ Dream books, dream catchers that people would use in their gentile life/unsaved life then bring those same things into their relationship with Christ.
▪ Including parts of the horoscope with principles of faith, astrology, mythology.
▪ Necromancy, communicating with the dead, to also speak about the future.
• These types of things become a “strange fire” of sort and should be repented for and removed from your home and life.
o This became the sin of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu in Lev. 10:1-7.
o The nature of their wrong was to offer profane fire, strange or foreign fire.
Apparently, they had taken fire for their censers from a place other than the Altar fire, which was the only legitimate fire for the worship.