"Gifted Body"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 36 – “Gifted Body”

            “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor. 12:7)  This verse explains a great deal about the gifts that God has given the Church in order for it to function properly.  It is important for us to know that each believer, each one, is given the manifestation of the Spirit or the supernatural gifts from God for the good of the body of Christ.  The gifts are given to each one for the profit of all.  They are not given for personal edification.  These spiritual gifts are not given to us because we want them; they are given to us as the Holy Spirit wills.  “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” (1 Cor. 12:11)  What a blessing and comfort it is to know that when we go forward to serve God, He is with us to provide every aid, strength, courage, compassion, knowledge, wisdom, or whatever else it may be to carry out His works.

            God, through Paul, explains that the Church, the body of believers, is one body with Christ as the head and we are individually members of that body.  “For the body is not one member, but many.” (1 Cor. 12:14)  He uses the analogy of the human body to illustrate.  We have many different roles within the body.  Just as the human body, we can’t all be a hand or an eye or nose.  If we were all eyes, how would we hear or smell, or walk?  The Church is the same; we cannot all be pastor-teachers.  “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.  All are not apostles, are they?  All are not prophets, are they?  All are not teachers, are they?  All are not workers of miracles, are they?” (1 Cor. 12:28, 29) 

            However, it takes all members of the body to perform for the profit of all or the body will not function as it is intended to do.  If you have an attack of gout in your big toe, it affects your entire body.  If you have the flu, your whole body aches.  If you have hearing or vision problems, the whole body is negatively affected and does not function as it should.  It will still function but not as our living God intends for it to perform, which is to bring honor and glory to Him and to show those outside of the Church, the attributes of God.  That is the intended ministry or purpose of the Church, to show the rest of the world the love, grace, and mercy of the one and only living God.  That was the purpose for God to choose Abraham to establish a new nation, the Jewish nation, so that the whole world would, through them, see God.  They failed in many ways.  God now desires that the Church demonstrate God’s many and great attributes.  Like the Jews, the Church is not doing so well either, because the body is broken and not functioning properly.

            You, too, can have victory in Christ Jesus our Lord.  More about the church will follow.

Lowell Parrish