April 05, 2023 | Christian Life by Cameron Wagner
Spiritual Gifts: A Blessing to the Local Church
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
God, in His kindness and mercy, empowers the child of God with unique gifts to be used in the local church. The local church is a gathering of people who have received salvation by grace through faith and regularly assemble to worship the Lord, grow in their faith, and serve one another.
If you have placed your faith in Christ and are actively attending a local church, you should seek ways to demonstrate your love for Christ. One primary way is to commit to your local church by becoming a church body member. We should be looking for ways to glorify God as we tangibly serve those in the church family, knowing that the body of Christ is also our spiritual family.
Spiritual gifts are God-given gifts for the purpose of edifying, instructing, equipping, and encouraging the body of Christ. Paul tells us in our passage above that the Spirit is the one who gives us gifts. Those gifts have different varieties of purpose/function, and God alone empowers all those gifts. We don’t do anything to earn them. Each believer is given spiritual gifts for the common good of the local church (1 Cor. 12:7).
We see spiritual gifts revealed within the Scriptures in three ways: personally, corporately, and worshipfully.
- Personally. Every believer is called to use their gifting within a local church body. Our example of serving others is the Lord Jesus Christ, who selflessly put the needs of others first (Philippians 2). Jesus sought not his own fame or glory but came to do the will of the Father who sent him and glorified God the Father.
- Corporately. We recognize that the entire church employs a variety of giftings so that the church can do what God has called it to do. Paul points out that every believer is a different and valuable part of the body (1 Cor. 12:12-26). Spiritual gifts matter because they are what we use to collectively do ministry together and advance the Kingdom as the church (1 Peter 4:10-11).
- Worshipfully. Our spiritual gifts are anchored in what Christ did for us. We serve using our spiritual gifts not because we have to but because we get to. Remembering Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection motivates us to love and serve one another (1 John 4:7-11).
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, He is worthy of all we have and are. To be sure, following Christ requires us to serve others. Our prayer at Richland Creek is that you would glorify God through your serving as you participate in ministry and bless one another through your gifts. In every ministry of the church, there is an opportunity for you to use your spiritual gifts. If you need help identifying your spiritual gifts or where you can begin using them, speak with any of our pastors or deacons. The best way to start serving is to jump in where you see a need and meet that need. The ultimate goal of using our spiritual gifts is the glory of God and the strengthening of His church.
“Serving the church is not the privilege of the few. It is the call of every Christian’s life.” – Nate Palmer, Servanthood as Worship: The Privilege of Life a Local Church (Minneapolis, Cruciform Press, 2010).
