August 23, 2020
Sunday AM
1 Corinthians 12: 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
The spiritual gifts mentioned here aren’t taught on as often as they should be. They aren’t understood fully. The church does not deny their existence, but you don’t see them in operation! God wants these things operating! He put them in place so that we could know more, say more, and do more! One word by the spirit of God can change more than anything talent or skill can accomplish.
If you do not earnestly desire the best gifts, you will never have them. These gifts operate only as the Spirit wills. You cannot operate in these just because you want to. When it comes to tongues for personal edification, (your prayer language) you can operate in that anytime you want to. The Holy Spirit is always willing to pray through you in that gift. But this verse is not talking about that.
Psalm 145:8-9 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
You don’t have to talk God into being good. Why? Because He IS good. He IS gracious. He is disposed to show favor. The word love in the Hebrew language means, “an intense burning desire to bless.” God doesn’t havelove. He islove. God’s willingness to help us is greater than His ability to help us. We are waiting on Him, but He is waiting on us!
John 3:34 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
Jesus had the Holy Spirit without measure. He operated in fullness. The Holy Spirit has come to live in us and operate in fullness like we see here. This is the image we should strive to be like and look like. If you worship that image from afar, you won’t be conformed to it. If you don’t think God wants us to be like Jesus, we won’t ever be like Jesus. The devil is afraid of US!
We have the same life in us as Jesus! We have the same Holy Ghost! We can have the same fullness! We CAN obtain the fullness. It is the will of God. Do not give up on this.
The book of 1 Corinthians shows us why we are not operating in fullness. In each chapter, Paul was addressing problems of the church a Corinth.
Chapter 1: Contentions/Strife
Chapter 2: Glorying men over God
Chapter 3: Carnality
Chapter 5: Fornication/Sexual Immorality
Chapter 6: Suing each other/ Going to court
Chapter 10: Idolatry
Chapter 11: The Lords table (Communion)
Paul is saying, I want to show you a better way! Instead of operating in these issues, you can operate in the fullness of the Holy Spirit! Deal with your own pride and you can live in these gifts! Move into the more excellent things of God! Grow up in the love of God!