All Gifts are Beneficial

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

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Could you imagine what it was like to be in a church service in the days of the early church? Saint Paul addresses the Corinthian congregation, and in First Corinthians, Saint Paul points out all these different gifts that the people there in that congregation had. Amazing supernatural gifts of the spirit, even. Gifts of healing, gifts of speaking in tongues, gifts of interpreting tongues, gifts of prophecy, all these different things.

But this also gave rise to some issues for the Christians within that congregation. Some became envious of others because they looked at others who might have had some special spiritual gifts, and they thought, why couldn’t I have that gift myself? And then they began thinking, maybe that person is a better Christian. Maybe God likes that person more than me. Saint Paul addressed that issue and pointed out that that’s not the kind of attitude or heart that we as Christians should have. And he writes in his first letter to the Corinthians, this encouragement to them concerning spiritual gifts, he says,

There are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of ministries, and yet the same Lord. There are various kinds of activity, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

Even still today, within our churches, people possess different skills, different talents, they have different spiritual gifts. And we might be tempted to look at other people and think, oh, I wish I could do what they do. Don’t look at it this way. For us as Christians, we understand as Paul goes into and he explains in the section right after those verses, we are one body in Christ. And just as our body has different things that it does, it has different parts, we count on each other. We need each other. But Paul also points out something to the Corinthians that we need to keep in heart as well.

Regardless of what gifts we might have or might not have, what we all have together is the greatest gift of all: the love of God. In First Corinthians chapter 13, Paul goes on to explain and he says, you know these, supernatural gifts and these gifts of the spirit, they will come to an end. There may come a time when we don’t see these anymore in the church, but the greatest of all gift will continue to be found in our midst and will be continually given to you. And that is the gift of God’s love.

What a great gift we have in the love of God that we find in our Savior, Jesus Christ. How Jesus, the Son of God entered into our world. He became our brother. He takes on human flesh and blood. He lives a life of perfect love. Never was he envious of other people or anything like that. He came. He obeyed the law of God so that he might earn righteousness, that he shares with all who believe in him.

And as for all of those times where we have fallen into sin, maybe being envious of other people or thinking about other people and what they had, being jealous of them, Jesus takes those sins upon himself. He takes them to the cross so that we might be forgiven. And of course, our Savior is not dead. He is risen from the dead. He lives. And that gives us the assurance that we belong to him and that we will be with him forever.

That’s what moves us to use the spiritual gifts that we have been given, whatever they are, whether they’re great and impressive, or whether they’re small, lowly, humble. We want to use the talents, the gifts, the abilities that God has given us to the glory of God. We want to be part of the body of Christ, and we fit in different places. We do different things, and yet we are together and we work together as a congregation. And that’s what Paul was encouraging the Corinthians. That’s what he continues to encourage us with today as well.

Rejoice in being one who possesses the love of God, rejoice that you are part of the Body of Christ. Rejoice in the spiritual gifts that you and that our other brothers and sisters in Christ have and share. God’s peace be with you.