ESOCS Devotional 26 January 2023
TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11
MEMORY VERSE: “The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles; to another, the gift of speaking God’s messages; and yet another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not. To one person he gives the ability to speak in strange language, tongues, and to another he gives the ability to explain what is said.” 1 Corinthians 12:10 GNB
Spiritual gifts are about most of all of God’s provisions to the Church. The Bible recorded several spiritual gifts. Such gifts include speaking the word of God, serving others, showing mercy and kindness, speaking in tongues, healing, and working of miracles, to mention just a few.
The main reason God gave these gifts to individuals is to testify of Christ, and serve others, as well as to build the Church of God in the oneness of purpose. Unfortunately, these spiritual gifts tend to have brought more trouble and disunity in the Church than it has helped to unite the Church of Christ. Each believer has been given a special gift of the Spirit so that he or she can make a unique contribution to the Body of Christ. On the contrary, Satan has passed through these wonderful gifts to deceive and mislead people, thereby tearing down the Church into fragments. This has brought about the creation of individual denominations, with each producing and promoting “half-baked” Christians, with uneven spiritual growth, and unbalanced Christian maturity.
Yes! These gifts are manifested in diverse ways. Unfortunately, these diversities have been misapplied in such a manner that has attacked the oneness of God. For instance, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all work as one. In likewise manner, through these diverse gifts, God tends to manifest His work through men in several ways, for the edification of the Body of Christ, just like the case in Ephesians 4:11-12.
These days, these gifts, instead of functioning in one Church to fully manifest the wonders of God, ministers with different gifts tend to open “different Churches.” This development has brought a very unhealthy development in that no one Church is fully functioning with all the gifts, as ordained by God. Hence, some denominations excel in FAITH BUILDING; others in PROMOTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, while some others LAY a SUPERIOR CLAIM TO WORKING OF MIRACLES. This is contrary to God’s intention for the Church of Christ. I think we have come to a point when this midsummer madness should be addressed in the interest of the Kingdom of God.
- Some Churches are faith builders. Some develop people in righteous living, while others
specialize in working miracles. Should it be so?
- Lord Jesus, give us the understanding to apply our diverse gifts to grow your Church on earth, instead of dividing the Church, to the glory of Satan.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 49:22-26; Amos 7:10-17; Luke 9: 1-9
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 26 January 2023
