For This Reason 46

[HKHaugan]

Beginning with Gen.1:2 the Old Testament is filled with mention of the Spirit moving among the people of Israel. In prophecy we have Joel 2:28-29, Ezek.39:29 and Zech.4:6 as examples of the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we have already mentioned Jesus' personalization of the Spirit in the Gospel of John, we see Him revealed in a dramatic visual and verbal flash among the gathered disciples at Pentecost. With what sounded like a mighty wind and looked like tongues of fire descending on each of the disciples, the Holy Spirit filled the entire house where they were sitting. All of a sudden the world became a second place fixture, not an end in itself. The guesswork about the spiritual dimension was done and gone. The world they knew was simply a copy and shadow of something that would replace all they had ever known. This was eternity crash-landing in their minds, hearts and spirits to give them the life Jesus gave up on the Cross, His work done, “It is finished (Jn.19:30). He bowed His head and gave up the Spirit (Lk.23:46).” The same Spirit then raised Jesus and ascended Him to Heaven. From there Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to fill each believer with Jesus' presence. A new movement began, a movement in Jesus to restore people to Him and the Father. Eternity crash-landed at Pentecost and continues to crash-land in the lives of every one who accepts the Lord Jesus.

Now, by faith, the way, the truth and the life was in them.
Now, the Resurrection was more than something that happened outside them, the same Spirit that raised Him from death would raise them when they died.
Now, they understood why He went to the Cross and what He meant when He said He had to go away so the Counselor could come to them.
Now, they grasped the meaning of His words when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Now, His prayer in the Garden was answered that they would be one with Him and He one with them.
Now, by grace through faith they had eternity and the world became their mission field.
Now, Emmanuel, God with us.

Everything Jesus had been to them in His earthly life was their spiritual rebirth experience beginning the road to spiritual maturity. He was to be their message to bring the rest of the world to Him. Their restoration and their mission would change them from self-centered survival and the fear of death to sharing Jesus no matter where it would take them or what it would cost, even their lives if necessary. And why? Because having been filled with the Holy Spirit they have eternal life, they have Him.

But having Him as their personal Savior and Lord would mean the Scripture would come alive. Scripture would inform them how to experience the Spirit relationally. They would build a spiritual community with gifts, spiritual gifts, enabling them to be spiritually in tune with each other. They would minister to one another through special gifts that could get them to think and act spiritually. Then they would and could offer every bit of what they have been given to the world around them. Notice how many 'woulds' there are in this. It is the willingness to believe in the mind, to trust in the heart and to have faith to act out what they believe and who they trust to act, namely Jesus as their living inner Lord by the power of the Spirit. Therein is the way to spiritual maturity. This is their apostolic message.

When God calls us to be spiritual beings He doesn't leave us alone to figure our some way to do it. He provides everything necessary to be what He intended when He created us. This is the 'why' of spiritual gifts. Paul really had a handle on this subject. What was revealed to Him came out in three clear teachings about them, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. He knew the depth of the experience the Holy Spirit brings through these gifts. The Holy Spirit loaded Him with them. He had the gifts of missionary, teacher, healer, apostle, mercy, tongues, interpretation, prophecy, pastor, intercessor, exorcist, wisdom, knowledge, leadership, discernment, miracles and of course, evangelism.

Now that's a lot for one man but Paul was an early instrument of God for the Gentiles. Gentiles were used to spiritual manifestations from pagan religions and their many gods. But what Paul was demonstrating was one baptism, not many, into one Lord, not many, which is the work of one Spirit, not many, and the will of One God, not many. It was the Holy Spirit who distributed His gifts for the purpose of building the community of faith that believed they were established by One God who was the only God there is and that Jesus was His only Son revealing Him and the Holy Spirit as God's only Spirit and power.

Spiritual gifts have three purposes, personal maturity, interpersonal maturity and presenting the Lord Jesus to the world around us. The first two we learn in the Body. The third we walk in the world by personal faith using what we learned in the Body. Let's draw these purposes out a bit.

First, giving individual believers specific spiritual abilities to experience personally the power of the Holy Spirit to minister and by ministering, mature. Second, to be dependent on others in the Body in order to receive ministry thus maturing through interdependence. Third, gaining confidence to share with those around them who don't believe, those in spiritual need and physical need, thus revealing the reality of the Kingdom of God. From here sharing the Lord Jesus becomes a natural experience in the life of a maturing disciple. That fulfills the mission when Jesus tells His disciples that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts1:8).

No one sums up the purpose of spiritual gifts better than Paul, “...to prepare God's people for the works of service, so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph.4:12-13).”