Showered In His Gifts

Excerpted from Keys To The Deeper Life

In their attitude toward the gifts of the Spirit, Christians…have tended to divide themselves into three groups: First, there are those who magnify the gifts of the Spirit until they can see little else. Second, there are those who deny that the gifts of the Spirit are intended for the Church in this period of her history. Third, there are those who appear to be thoroughly bored with the whole thing and do not care to discuss it.

…Another group, so few in number as scarcely to call for classification, consists of those who want to know the truth about the Spirit’s gifts and to experience whatever God has for them within the context of sound New Testament faith. It is for these that this is written.

What Is The Church?

A proper understanding of the gifts of the Spirit in the Church must depend upon a right concept of the nature of the Church…. The true Church is a spiritual phenomenon…composed of regenerated persons who differ from other human beings in that they have a superior kind of life imparted to them at the time of their inward renewal.

• They are children of God in a sense not true of any other created beings.
• Their origin is divine and their citizenship is in heaven.
• They worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh.
• They constitute a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.
• They have espoused the cause of a rejected and crucified Man who claimed to be God and who has pledged His sacred honor that He will prepare a place for them in His Father’s house and return again to conduct them there with rejoicing.

In the meantime, they carry His cross, suffer whatever indignities men may heap upon them for His sake, act as His ambassadors, and do good to all men in His name. They steadfastly believe that they will share His triumph and [thus] are perfectly willing to share His rejection by a society that does not understand them. They have no hard feelings—only charity and compassion and a strong desire that all men may come to repentance and be reconciled to God.

This is a fair summary of one aspect of New Testament teaching about the Church. But another truth, more revealing and significant to those seeking information about the gifts of the Spirit, is that the Church is a spiritual body, an organic entity united by the life that dwells within it.

Each member is joined to the whole by a relationship of life. As a man’s soul may be said to be the life of his body, so the indwelling Spirit is the life of the Church. The idea that the Church is the body of Christ is not an erroneous one…. The Apostle Paul in three of his epistles sets forth this truth in such sobriety of tone and fullness of detail as to preclude the notion that he is employing a casual figure of speech not intended to be taken too literally.

[His] clear, emphatic teaching…is that Christ is the Head of the Church, which is His body. The parallel is drawn carefully…. Conclusions are drawn from the doctrine, and certain moral conduct is made to depend upon it.

As a normal man consists of a body with various obedient members [and] a head to direct them, so the true Church is a body, individual Christians being the members and Christ the Head.

The mind works through the members of the body, using them to fulfill its intelligent purposes. Paul speaks of the foot, the hand, the ear, the eye as being members of the body, each with its proper but limited function; but it is the Spirit that worketh in them (1 Cor:12:1-31 [1] Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. [2] Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. [3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. [4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. [6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. [8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; [9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; [10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: [11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. [12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [14] For the body is not one member, but many. [15] If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? [16] And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? [17] If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? [18] But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. [19] And if they were all one member, where were the body? [20] But now are they many members, yet but one body. [21] And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. [22] Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: [23] And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. [24] For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: [25] That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. [26] And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. [27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. [28] And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? [30] Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? [31] But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
See All...).

The teaching that the Church is the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 follows a listing of certain spiritual gifts and reveals the necessity for those gifts.

The intelligent head can work only as it has at its command organs designed for various tasks. It is the mind that sees, but it must have an eye to see through. It is the mind that hears, but it cannot hear without an ear. And so [it is] with all the varied members—the instruments by means of which the mind moves into the external world to carry out its plans.

As all man’s work is done by his mind, so the work of the Church is done by the Spirit, and by Him alone. But to work, He must set in the body certain members with abilities specifically created to act as media through which the Spirit can flow toward ordained ends.

How Many Gifts?

Paul mentions no less than 17 (1 Cor:12:4-11 [4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. [6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. [8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; [9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; [10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: [11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
See All..., 27-31; Rom:12:3-8 [3] For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. [4] For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: [5] So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. [6] Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; [7] Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; [8] Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
See All...; Eph:4:7-11 [7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. [8] Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. [9] (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? [10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) [11] And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
See All...). These are not natural talents merely but gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit to fit the believer for his place in the body of Christ…. [T]hrough the body of Christ, God is doing an eternal work above and beyond the realm of fallen nature. This requires supernatural working.

Religious work can be done by natural men without the gifts of the Spirit, and it can be done well and skillfully. But work designed for eternity can only be done by the eternal Spirit…through gifts He has Himself implanted in the souls of redeemed men….

Certain evangelical teachers have told us that the gifts of the Spirit ceased at the death of the apostles or at the completion of the New Testament. This, of course, is a doctrine without a syllable of biblical authority back of it…. The result of this erroneous teaching is that spiritually gifted persons are ominously few among us. When we so desperately need leaders with the gift of discernment, for instance, we do not have them and are compelled to fall back upon the techniques of the world. This frightening hour calls aloud for men with the gift of prophetic insight. Instead we have men who conduct surveys, polls, and panel discussions. We need men with the gift of knowledge. In their place we have men with scholarship—nothing more….

[T]he Scriptures plainly imply the imperative of possessing the gifts of the Spirit. Paul urges that we both “covet” and “desire” spiritual gifts (1 Cor:12:31But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
See All...; 14:1). It does not appear to be an optional matter with us but rather a scriptural mandate to those who have been filled with the Spirit.

But I must also add a word of caution. The various spiritual gifts are not equally valuable, as Paul so carefully explained. Certain brethren have magnified one gift out of 17 out of all proportion.… [T]he general moral results of this teaching have…not been good…. [I]t has resulted in much shameless exhibitionism, a tendency to depend upon experiences instead of upon Christ, and often a lack of ability to distinguish the works of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit.

Those who deny that the gifts are for us today and those who insist upon making a hobby of one gift are both wrong, and we are all suffering the consequences of their errors.

…We have every right to expect our Lord to grant to His church spiritual gifts, which He has never in fact taken away from us but which we are failing to receive only because of our error or unbelief.

It is more than possible that God is even now imparting the gifts of the Spirit to whomsoever He can and in whatever measure He can as His conditions are met even imperfectly. Otherwise, the torch of truth would flicker out and die.

Clearly, however, we have yet to see what God would do for His Church if we would all throw ourselves down before Him with an open Bible and cry, “Behold Thy servant, Lord! Be it unto me even as Thou wilt.”