1 Cor 12 speaks to spiritual gifts in a significant way. Spiritual gifts are just that...gifts from the Holy Spirit given for the building up and accomplishing of the work of the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:7). At Corinth the people had begun focusing on the gifts and even became a little prideful about which "gift" they were given (as though they were considered special by receiving some gift over another). This seems foolish I know...since they did not earn or develop the gifts. They were acts of grace (God's unmerited favor).
Paul explains that each gift is given, not for the building up of the individual, but for the building up of the Body. The list is pretty lengthy here (1 Cor 12:8-11, 27-28). While that is so, no gift was to be perceived as more significant than another since God gave them as He saw fit (1 Cor 12:18). Even those gifts that we might not "esteem" highly...turn out to be the most significant and necessary of all (1 Cor 12:22-25).
Obviously we can't discuss (in this forum) every gift we observe. We can, however, discuss some general principles. First, the fact that someone has a particular gift is not an indicator of something special about them (like Karma). Gifts are grace gifts...period. If a guy has a gift of effecting miracles but not discernment, he is no better off than one with discernment who does not effect miracles.
Second, nowhere do we see that gifts cease following the first century. Now I am personally a bit skeptical of some of the "sign gifts" that are promoted today. Signs were clearly given during the apostles' ministries to authenticate their message. The greatest authentication we have today (in our culture) is the Scripture. This is not to say that all manifestations of the Spirit have ceased. It is simply to acknowledge the fact that most guys who point to their "healing ministry" or their "speaking in tongues" seem more concerned with their own recognition than in the building up of the Body...so I am a bit skeptical.
Third and finally, everyone has a spiritual gift. You may know what it is. You may not know for sure. The truth is...everyone is give a gift for the purpose of using it to edify the Body of Christ. It would be a "misuse" of the gift to either not use it...or to not use it to build up the Body.
Proverbs 27:1 is the takeaway today. Don't go about bragging on what you will do tomorrow. Do it today. Tomorrow is yet to be determined.
Grace...and Happy Thanksgiving.
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