Christians are called by many names: believers, the elect, disciples of Jesus Christ, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ. And we are called "the church" which means "called out."
First we are "called out" from the world unto salvation, and made a special people unto God.
Then through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are called to bond with and edify the body of Christ (His body being all of us who are the "called out" ones with Jesus as the Head.)
Then we are given callings which are better known as "ministries" or "serving the Lord".
Finally, one day in the future, we will be called home to be with the Lord.
Thus our life is about being called. What is important to this study of Spiritual Gifts, is that we learn how to be attentive to and able to recognize the voice that is calling us, so that the purposes of God can be accomplished in us who have been given salvation, gifts, ministries, and life everlasting. Just as sheep "hear" and "recognize" the sound of their shepherd, so we are to "hear" and "recognize" the voice of the Lord as He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit. In this way, we are to be led by the Lord in everything that we do.
I mention this just before we move on to the ministries, because we must see that even though the entire body of Christ, and we individually, receive blessings from the gifts we have been given by God, still we are not to be led by our gifts, or by our ministries, but by the Spirit of God. Let me give an example of being led by gifts versus being led by the Spirit of God.
The fledgling church at Corinth struggled with carnality versus spirituality (Read 1 Corinthians), leading Paul to resolve several issues in the church concerning: division between the brethren, immorality, marriage and divorce, the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, Christian liberty, the Lord's Supper, and finally their selfish use of spiritual gifts. The Corinthians were getting rather puffed up about their gifts (thus the reminder in 13:4); placing too much emphasis on certain gifts above others (12:12-31) and using the gifts just to be seen and heard (14:26), rather than at the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit. (Did you even realize that the gifts could be used selfishly versus spiritually? Perhaps that is what lies behind the passage in Matthew 7:21-23.)
I recently read a book that defines the term "charismata" (gifts) not as supernatural enablements, but as supernatural "graces". Supernatural grace is very difficult to be "owned" individually as it flows forth from God to us, and so we cannot even begin to get out of line and take credit for it or boast about it; God alone can take the credit and the glory for those graces. Thus, perhaps we should remember that these gifts are "grace" provided by God to us who are frail, so that we will not become "puffed up" as the Corinthians were.
So now let's get back to the "voice" of our Shepherd. No matter who I have talked to, those who are used by the Holy Spirit in their spiritual gifts, speak of a "compelling" that occurs. This "compelling" is the "call" of the Holy Spirit to move us into action using whatever gift in us He desires to use at that moment. Paul says the Lord doesn't always use our spiritual gifts, sometimes He uses our human weakness, using the foolish things of the world to shame the wise,a nd the weak to shame the strong (1 Cor.1:27-28). In either case, there is no cause for boasting except in Christ (1 Cor.1:29-31 and 1 Cor. 3:21-23)., as God is doing the work and God is glorified.
When we become aware of that "compelling", we are simply to do as we are being "compelled" to do. The more we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, the more sensitive we become to His call.
Now, in case you are wondering how you can know that it is the Holy Spirit compelling you and not yourself, there are some ways to confirm that it is the Holy Spirit. The first and most important is that He would never compel you to do anything that is contrary to the Word of God. For example, if you feel a strong compelling to retaliate against someone who has done you wrong, I would check again, for that it is not the Holy Spirit, but your flesh, whose voice you hear.
The second thing is to confirm that whatever is spoken or whatever action is taken edifies (or builds up rather than tears down) the members of the body of Christ.
And, finally, when you have confirmed the two things above, and yet you find that you are hesitant to perform the action, or hesitant to begin the ministry, that too is a sign that it is the Holy Spirit, and not yourself. The flesh cowers in fear, but the Spirit will move us beyond our fears if we will allow Him to.
Let's take Peter and John, for example. In Acts, chapter 2, they and the remainder of the 120 disciples gathered in Jerusalem at Pentecost, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began proclaiming the gospel boldly to the crowds. They even miraculously healed the man who was lame from birth. The Sanhedrin pulled them aside and warned them to cease; to which the disciples replied in Acts 4:19-20 "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." In other words, they were "compelled" to speak, they could not resist that compulsion, even though they knew they would be arrested if they continued. Now, right about there the flesh was saying, "NO! I don't like jail! The floors are hard and cold! The food is atrocious! NO! Don't do it!" Yet, they did it anyway. And they do it because the compelling, as will happen with compellings, becomes more compelling as the minutes or days pass, until finally, it breaks past our fears and is accomplished in us.
Fortunately, the more we practice responding appropriately to His call, the less the compelling is needed, as we become more pliable and receptive to whatever the Holy Spirit would have us do. And even willing and eager to do so. Soon, we will know our Shepherd's voice, and hear it, even though it is small and still (I Kings 19:12).
And even if our "delivery" of the gift or ministry is, at first, rough and uneven, again, with practice, if we do not give way to self-condemnation (which is sin), it will become smooth and flowing with the" grace" of God in time.
Meanwhile, the Lord will see to it that those needing the ministry of the gifts, will receive the blessings regardless of our unskilled "delivery".
The important thing is that, as the "called out" ones, we heed the call.
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