Ignorance is bliss, according to the world, but Paul would not agree, telling the Corinthians he did not want them to be uninformed or ignorant about spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1). This subject has proved contentious over the years, and even today there are branches of Christianity which believe that the gifts of the Spirit were only needed to ‘start’ the church and are not needed today. Obviously, as a Pentecostal church, we don’t agree with that! Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8) and He promised His disciples they would do even greater works than He had (see John 14:12). The coming of the Holy Spirit in fresh power and anointing on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) saw the real start of the global mission Jesus had commanded (Matt 28:18-20) and that mission continues today, with the gifts of the Spirit needed just as much today as ever if we are to fulfil the mandate to go and make disciples of all the world!
Paul makes it clear in 1 Cor 12:1-11 that there are different gifts but one Spirit and it is up to Him how these gifts are distributed (1 Cor 12:4-5, 11). God’s generosity and loving kindness are key themes in the Bible, but sometimes it is hard for us to grasp this, for we are so used to the idea of reward and punishment. (Parents do great harm when they make Christmas presents a ‘reward’ for good behaviour; rewards are not the same as gifts at all.) The whole concept of a gift is that it is unearned; it simply has to be received in gratitude from one who loves us and wants to bless us. Paul reminds the Galatians (Gal 3:2-6) that grace and faith are the key concepts in the Christian life; living with fear of punishment is not for God’s children (see 1 John 4:16-18).
To demonstrate something of ‘grace gifts’, we opened presents ‘tailored’ to suit us:
We don’t have to be afraid that God will give us something that will harm us (see Matt 7:9-11, Luke 11:11-13) or that His gifts will disappoint, as some human presents do! Instead, because God knows us inside out (Ps 139:1-5) and loves us eternally, He simply loves to pour out ‘grace gifts’ (‘charismata’) on His children. George Canty says, “Exactly as eternal life is gained without trying to curry favour with God, so the charismata come to us, unrelated to any good impression we can make on God. They are not achievements, but ‘all of grace’; not induced, but freely given.” (The Practice of Pentecost, P96) All we have to do is believe and receive!