Spiritual Grace Expressions
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV)
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
Text: Romans 12:4-8 (NIV)
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
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Spiritual “gifts” are not personalized, individual endowments given to Christians by Jesus as a reward for belief. When we turn toward Jesus, we receive Him into our very being - we become spiritually united with Him (Colossians 3:3). We are given immediate access into anything and everything that He is. The spiritual gifts attested to by Paul are manifest expressions of the person of Christ. The Body of believers is His channel into the natural realm.
Misunderstanding passages on the spiritual gifts has led many Christians to believe that the Lord wants them to only operate in one or two particular “giftings.” A side effect of this stream of thinking is that it disempowers believers from seeking and manifesting the fullness of Christ. It makes us believe that we have a particular gift that we get to steward and handle. Our pride limits the manifestation of Christ in us and through us.
Christ wants to manifest Himself through us in any way that He deems the most appropriate for any given situation. Actions flowing from a yielded mind and heart release great spiritual power. In the above passages, Paul is addressing manifest grace expressions of Jesus Himself in the Christian assembly. Paul is correcting the understanding that certain individuals are given certain powers, while others are excluded from or experience “lesser” powers. This belief had led to division and arrogance, the opposite of unity, in the assembly at Corinth. It was a serious problem for Paul.
The Greek word charismata is translated in our Bibles as “gift.” A better translation, as stated above, is spiritual grace expression. The spiritual grace expression is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in order to edify and promote unity in the Body. Christ’s goal is always unity. His intent is to work through the diversity of His Body in order to create this unity, binding us together in love. In order to grow, our natural body is reliant on all of its parts working together as a unified whole. God has intended Christ’s spiritual Body, Christians, to work in the same way. We all need each other.
As such, all have the ability to manifest the power and glory of Christ. The “gift” (i.e. grace expression of Christ) is a manifestation, not an endowment. In the above passage from 1 Corinthians, the “gift” is meant to be understood as the particular tongue, healing, miracle, or prophecy that is made manifest. Paul’s lists are not intended to be exhaustive, he is merely giving a few examples of the manifest Christ/Spirit in the assembly. The manifest power of the Holy Spirit was a reality for all of Paul’s churches.
The key here is understanding so we never limit ourselves to a particular expression of Christ through us. We must also never believe that we ourselves hold a gift. The spiritual grace expressions are only an overflow of our co-laboring union with the ascended, indwelling Christ.
In Romans 12, Paul tells the believers , “we have different [spiritual grace expressions], according to the grace given to each of us.” He then goes on to list some examples of these grace expressions. Paul’s point here is that Christ has a unique way of expressing Himself through each believer. This does not mean that each believer is limited in their manifestation of the Holy Ghost. It simply means that Christ may more strongly express Himself in certain ways than others. We must always remain sensitive to respond to what the Lord is saying and doing. The goal is to never box yourself in as a “prophet” or “healer” or “teacher”. You are all of these things and more in Christ. The key is a yielded heart that says, “I am anything you need me to be at any given point in time.” Our manifest expression of Christ will develop as we mature into His image.
The ultimate goal of spiritual manifestation is to reveal the character and nature of Christ. Jesus opened the door for Heaven to advance on earth. Believers, the new temple of the living God, have become the place of God’s manifest presence on earth. Spiritual grace expressions, no matter what they are, will always lead us to this reality.
